Teens who use pot will have healthier brains than those who drink

For parents fearful of the influence substances such as drugs and alcohol have on their teens, focus on the booze. New evidence shows drinking has a worse impact on adolescent brains that marijuana. Scientists at the University of San Diego studied 92 young people from ages 16 to 20, who already used marijuana or alcohol, for a year and a half. Following brain scans, the researchers discovered that those who drank alcohol showed reduced white matter, while those who smoked marijuana showed no change in their brain tissue. The effects on white matter could have an impact on memory and attention later in life, researchers said, because brain tissue can continue developing in humans well into their 20s. [Source]

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