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Relation between weed and memory loss?

Discussion in 'Seasoned Marijuana Users' started by EM1-0000, Feb 6, 2016.

  1. #1 EM1-0000, Feb 6, 2016
    Hi everyone, I tried searching through this forum and it's subforums for a thread asking a similar question that I have but had no luck.


    What I am curious about is: Does weed have any effect on memory loss or memory retention?


    I tried searching around Google for results but most sites I came across were very obvious biased to an either pro-pot or anti-pot stance, making the legitimacy of their statements and research questionable. I will give a little bit of information about myself below for anyone who cares or is interested.


    I am a 23 year old male who lives in Canada. I am basically your average male, not in terrible shape but not an Olympian either. I never did well in traditional school, I just hated being there. I am doing fairly well in my apprenticeship which involves some maths and sciences and lots of hands on work.


    I have been smoking weed quite casually since I was 18 with friends at house parties and the odd time here and there. However, the last year and a half I have been using cannabis much more (5+ grams but no more than 7 per week) and partially for medical use (Physical pain from work mostly but also for stress and anxeity.) I am lucky to be within reasonable distance of quality dispensaries and so that is where I have been getting my weed from since I started using it often. I like to pick up uplifting sativias opposed to hard hitting indicas as I feel like satvias burn me out less and leave me with the ability to still study and live life normally.


    I am curious and kind of concerned about the correlation between cannabis usage and memory loss (or increased memory retention) I would like to continue using cannabis because I like some of the benefits that come with it. However, I feel like it's holding me back as far as school and mentally or academically challenging things go. This might just be all in my head, but I wanted some of your guys's opinions on the subject.


    Thanks for reading, I know it was a long post!




     
  2. #2 jmick, Feb 6, 2016
    Judging by your post I'd say that you don't have anything to worry about...
     
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  3. #3 EM1-0000, Feb 6, 2016
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 6, 2016
    Thank you for replying.


    It's certainly not a serious problem for me, but why would I do something that is detrimental to my education or mental health. I am interested whether or not variables like smoking different families of weed (sativa, indica) or if smoking within a certain amount of time after learning something new may increase my chances of forgetting the newly learnt material.


    Lately I have actually felt like I have found a pretty good medium of how much to smoke and when. Sativas or sativa dominant hybrids. Usually no more then 3 joints a day or it's equivalent out of a bong, pipe or concentrate smoking machine. Never during or before school, only after school. Smoking a joint then relaxing till the high wears off a bit leaving me with the perfect medium of high to study efficiently.


    I am still curious though and wanted to get some experts opinions.
     
  4. #4 Kiraral, Feb 6, 2016
    My understanding is that heavy smokers can/do experience some memory reduction, however, I also believe that it is not permeant; quitting reversed it. (I can't remember where I read this but will add a source if I can)

    This also coincides with my personal experience. It's a personal choice. I've found over time I've learned to compensate for some memory loss fairly well, and weed is definitely very therapeutic for me.
     
  5. #5 Steven_420, Feb 6, 2016
     
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  6. #6 Deleted member 616232, Feb 6, 2016
    I am a heavy user and I have been since I was 16 so well over 40 years. I did quit for a number of years while my kids were teenagers.


    yes my memory is horrible. In fact, I went to a party with a friend, and I have no memory of her being there. I was not drunk. I don't even drink. I remember being there, I just don't remember her being there. Also I lose things constantly to a point it drives me almost insane. I have a vile of RS Oil lost in this house somewhere right now. I have looked everywhere for it. Every day I am searching for something I have put somewhere and can't remember where. I have to write notes to myself all the time.

     
  7. #7 wafdof, Feb 7, 2016
    I used to know but now I have forgotten....wait a minute. What was the question again???
     
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  8. #8 tokerintraining, Feb 10, 2016
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 10, 2016
    Yes weed does effect memory, short term mostly in my personal experience. My memory has always been pretty bad, but when I started smoking daily it became really bad, like i'm completely sober having a conversation and at some point I forget what we're talking about, granted that is pretty rare it still happens and i'd say memory loss, at least for me, is the biggest negative of weed.
     
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  9. #9 Baked Bread Baker, Feb 10, 2016
    I like to think of it as selective memory retention. Majority of your daily experience is unnecessary to remember, if you can remember the important details all is good.
     
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  10. #10 LaceMyBudwithTHC, Feb 26, 2016
    I think smoking has made me struggle to find words sometimes, definitely dulls your memory a bit imo but that's really only if you lay around stoned all the time and never use your brain


     
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  11. #11 slacknsurf420, Feb 28, 2016
    Until tolerance builds, I am pretty much stupefied. I can try to work under that condition but it's not a good idea.
     
  12. #12 AlexanderTheGreat3161, Feb 28, 2016
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 28, 2016
    That is why I smoke
    One to two times per week max. Tolerance stays low, feel great :)
     
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  13. #13 toaster032, Feb 28, 2016
    I'm certain that my daily dabbing has wrecked my short term memory... This effect goes away if you quit smoking for a while.


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  14. #14 glo420, Mar 9, 2016
    Yea it goes away if you quit smoking for a while I did for 3 months and felt perfectly normal and like I did before I ever smoked


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  15. #15 Deleted member 616232, Mar 10, 2016
    I quit for quite a few years and memory was still horrible. I could see entire movies and not remember anything about it.
    Of course it's way worse if I try to do anything stoned.
     
  16. #16 toaster032, Mar 10, 2016
    THC prevents memories from being written to short -term memory in the first place, this is why you can remember things from long ago but not from 2 minutes ago. This isn't permanent and depends entirely on how often/how much you smoke/how much fat is on your body. The more fat and the more you smoke, the longer it will take for the memory loss to subside. On average it seems to take most people 2-3 weeks of total THC abstinence
     
  17. #17 Medicated_Mike, Mar 12, 2016
    I am 23 years old this Thursday and I've been smoking weed since I was a Sophmore in high-school so around 16-17.. So for me that's quite a bit. For other seasoned tokers it's really nothing. In my relatively youthful experience all I can say is that marijuana definitely effects short term memory but holds very little to no weight on long term memory.

    So weed makes you forget what you're working on at that point in time, be responsible and don't put yourself in any life altering situations that require full attention. Again this is just my opinion.

    Also in my opinion, I think memory loss is very subject to individual people and very little is known about it medically without even adding marijuana to to equation. Some people are more likely to forget things over a longer period of time than others.


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