The most commonly reported problem associated with the early onset use of marijuana, is verbal memory deficits. These deficits can last up to six weeks after an individual stops using marijuana (Schweinsburg et al., 2008). The researchers conducting this study were trying to prove a connection between learning inefficiencies, and the memory deficits due to early onset marijuana use. The researchers believe that the verbal memory deficits are due to learning inefficiencies brought on by early onset marijuana use. Marijuana is believed to disrupt the neuronal firing and long-term potentiation processes which are required for learning and memory (Hampson & Deadwyler, 2000). The researchers also believe early onset users are more susceptible to
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The control group was forty-eight, age and gender matched individuals who have used marijuana less than five times in their life and had not used it in the past ninety days. The participants were found by advertising and were part of a larger study. Members of the groups completed semi-structured interviews, self-report questionnaires, toxicology tests, and neurocognitive testing. Participants completed the California Verbal Learning Test, Second Edition (CVLT-II), five times over a ninety day period. The test consists of the presentation of a sixteen-word list with four non adjacent words from four different semantic categories. After a twenty minute time lapse, participants were asked to recall as many words as possible. In addition to the amount of words recalled, the researchers also evaluated the order in which the words were recalled to determine if semantic clustering or serial clustering was used. The formula from the CVLT-II manual was used to determine the overall clustering …show more content…
It also suggested that consolidation and retrieval were likely unaffected by marijuana use. The early onset group did show learning weaknesses that did not show up in the late onset group or the control group. This suggests that early onset users are vulnerable due to the adolescent brain development being interrupted by exogenous cannabinoids. The results showed differences in clustering strategies among the early onset users, which did not match the researchers’ postulation about serial clustering use instead of semantic clustering use. Data did show that semantic clustering worked best for all of the groups when it came to learning.
With medical and recreational use marijuana becoming legal in most of the United States, it is important for research studies like this one to be conducted. It is important that the public is informed of the negative effects possible from marijuana use. The researchers did a good job of getting accurate results from all three of their test groups and comparing them to each other. The data from their experiment was accurate due to the researchers putting their test results into formulas and ratios to help get rid of unwanted
The control group was forty-eight, age and gender matched individuals who have used marijuana less than five times in their life and had not used it in the past ninety days. The participants were found by advertising and were part of a larger study. Members of the groups completed semi-structured interviews, self-report questionnaires, toxicology tests, and neurocognitive testing. Participants completed the California Verbal Learning Test, Second Edition (CVLT-II), five times over a ninety day period. The test consists of the presentation of a sixteen-word list with four non adjacent words from four different semantic categories. After a twenty minute time lapse, participants were asked to recall as many words as possible. In addition to the amount of words recalled, the researchers also evaluated the order in which the words were recalled to determine if semantic clustering or serial clustering was used. The formula from the CVLT-II manual was used to determine the overall clustering …show more content…
It also suggested that consolidation and retrieval were likely unaffected by marijuana use. The early onset group did show learning weaknesses that did not show up in the late onset group or the control group. This suggests that early onset users are vulnerable due to the adolescent brain development being interrupted by exogenous cannabinoids. The results showed differences in clustering strategies among the early onset users, which did not match the researchers’ postulation about serial clustering use instead of semantic clustering use. Data did show that semantic clustering worked best for all of the groups when it came to learning.
With medical and recreational use marijuana becoming legal in most of the United States, it is important for research studies like this one to be conducted. It is important that the public is informed of the negative effects possible from marijuana use. The researchers did a good job of getting accurate results from all three of their test groups and comparing them to each other. The data from their experiment was accurate due to the researchers putting their test results into formulas and ratios to help get rid of unwanted