If you started smoking weed from an early age, you might have a bit more to worry about than the munchies.
According to a new study published in the journal Health, the earlier someone starts smoking, the harsher their health consequences will be later in life.
Analysing three surveys on marijuana consumption from the U.S. and Canada, the researchers found that pot smokers were more likely to suffer memory loss, breathing problems, mental illnesses and even some cancers. The majority also scored lower on IQ tests.
But the scary thing is that even if they stopped smoking, those who smoked every day or started before the age of 20 experienced the most health problems.
“Our results show the damage is permanent,” the study said. “What teenagers use on average when they start to use marijuana imposes health costs on them for the rest of their lives.”
People who started smoking as a teenager were almost certain to continue smoking into adulthood, while only 0.3 per cent of people who first tried weed aged 21 or over continued to smoke daily.
However the researchers do accept that a lot of uncertainty about longterm use of marijuana still remains, as there aren’t a lot of studies that have taken place over an extended period of time.
