There’s No Definitive Scientific Evidence that Cannabis Lowers Your IQ

The age-old adage “pot makes you stupid” has been around for decades. Is it true? Does cannabis cause a drop in IQ points? Here’s what science says.

By now, cannabis consumers are used to the age-old, tired stereotypes, and myths. Smoking pot makes you stupid, makes males impotent, causes lung cancer, and might even lead to an early grave, they say. Thanks to the internet, solid, well-documented and researched information has been able to be spread far and wide. The bad part about this is the fact that the exact same thing is true for bad information.

The IQ Myth Origins

In recent years, the lower IQ myth has persisted. This gives prohibitionists the ability to spout their narrative. The most commonly cited study that cannabis causes a drop in IQ points is one from a journal called the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. The study was conducted in 2012 out of New Zealand by researchers from Duke University. The thrust of the study basically claims that teenagers who consume cannabis could lose up to 8 IQ points as adults and experience a reduction in their cognitive performance.

The study garnered a lot of attention - some good and some bad. The good is that it has been criticized, questioned, and contradicted by other studies. The exact same journal called out the study in one of their own. saying, “although it would be too strong to say that the results have been discredited, the methodology is flawed and the causal inference drawn from the results premature. “The data collected from the identical twins fails to support the implication that marijuana exposure in adolescence causes neurocognitive decline,” the study says.

The Bad Attention: The IQ Myth Persists

The bad attention is that even though it was all but debunked and called out in the very journal in which it was originally published, the IQ myth is still cited often. Earlier this year, President Trump was secretly recorded making a reference to cannabis consumers “losing IQ points.” This plays into the stereotype that persists: cannabis consumers are supposedly stupid, lazy layabouts. HashDash is dedicated to breaking through these myths using data-driven, scientific evidence that dispels the flimsiness of such bad information.

But What About the Children?

Another myth that permeates mainstream culture that are anti-cannabis is that it makes kids stupid. This myth was debunked in this study, which was the first to be conducted on adolescents and young adults. The participants in the study had their cognitive abilities tested during and 72 hours after consuming cannabis. Basically, the study concludes that while under the influence of cannabis, consumers might have lower processing abilities and difficulty with cognition than those who didn’t consume. However, the cognitive function of the participants appeared to revert back to normal 72 hours after consuming. What this means is that if someone is high, they might have a lower cognitive ability, but that ability appears to return to normal after 3 days. This is certainly not any kind of clear-cut proof that cannabis consumption has zero impact on the brain of any kind, but it does push back on the antiquated rhetoric that cannabis consumption makes young people stupid.

In the interest of fairness, it is important to note that while there are no studies indicating a drop in IQ points in young people, there are some other issues they could develop. A study conducted indicates that young teenagers do put themselves at risk for developing drug problems as adults in their late 20’s. In the study, it states that teenagers who start consuming cannabis at ages 13 to 14 are at a 68 percent risk of developing hard drug abuse problems later in life. However, that percentage drops down to 44 percent for young people between the ages of 15 to 17. To be clear - it is always important to consume responsibly, and that includes being of age to do so.

Cannabis Could Improve Memory in the Elderly

Another myth is that cannabis consumers are forgetful and have a bad memory. As previously mentioned, this is likely true while the consumer is under the influence, but memory also returns to normal after a few days. In fact, another study could lead to the treatment of medical cannabis in order to help prevent the elderly from losing their memories. The study was conducted on mice at the ages of 2, 12, and 18 months. They then performed tests and experiments to measure the reactions of the mice. The endocannabinoid system deteriorates with age, and the authors of the study concluded that cannabis could help prevent that.

In the mice, THC appeared to help restore the activity of the brain that is related to memory and learning. This is called hippocampal gene transcription patterns. While the research is promising, this doesn’t mean that the positive response from the older mice will ever translate into helping the memory of humans. However, it’s a good first step in the right direction.

"The endocannabinoid system deteriorates with age, and the authors of the study concluded that cannabis could help prevent that."

Let HashDash Help Boost Your Cannabis IQ

HashDash is your growing source for cannabis education, cutting tech, as well as in-depth information on cultivars (falsely labeled as strains) and dispensaries. The internet is a powerful tool for spreading positivity and knowledge, but that double-edged sword is also used to make bad ideas go viral. As always, it is important that more studies are done in order to confirm or deny the research we discussed. We don’t claim to be scientists, but we always conduct thorough research on everything we write. We are rapidly expanding our site and are dedicated to stopping the flow of misinformation while dispelling myths.