Teens who prefer alcohol to marijuana are more likely to have reduced brain tissue whereas those who choose to smoke over drink show no abnormalities. The rumor that smoking weed kills your brain cells is taking a major hit with this experiment on brain scans. The researchers scanned the brains of 92 teenagers over 18 months, and at the end of the experiment found no difference in brain health for participants who smoked nine times a week on average. The brain health for the young drinkers though showed significant damage. Hit the jump for more.
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The study was conducted by researchers at UC San Diego and shows the effects that different drugs have on the brain. Before and after brain scans of kids who consumed two or more drinks per week on average showed reduced white brain matter tissue according to University Of California, San Diego neuroscientist Susan Tapert, who co-authored the study. The depleted whit matter could cause memory, attention, decision making and other issues through adolescents and into adulthood. The study is scheduled to be published in the April issue of the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.
