Marijuana Keeps Us Young

An old friend sent me an interesting article about the effects of marijuana. She’s been aware for some time that I’m a proponent of its legalization.

Turns out that some recent scientific experiments found that using weed keeps your brain younger. Yep, that’s why a lot of baby boomers still act like they’re teenagers.

Turns out that a low dose of THC “reversed the age-related decline in cognitive performance of mice aged 12 and 18 months.” They traced this change to a shift in gene expression — the way that our DNA codes are transcribed and translated into proteins and other molecules. According to the study, “the expression profiles of THC-treated mice aged 12 months closely resembled those of THC-free animals aged two months,” as if the older mice’s brains were getting younger.”

I challenge anyone who reads OffBeat.com to come forward and say that they have never, ever at least tried pot. I mean, if you’re a music lover, well…what more can I say?

I agree that children and adolescents should not indulge. Their brains are still developing and weed does have a negative impact on the developing brain.

But us older folk? Well, that’s a different story. The really decrepit amongst us (myself included) could sure use a little taste every once in a while to ease our aching joints. We know the pitfalls; we’ve been there before. And obviously our brains have pretty much solidified into where they are going to be for the rest of our lives. (I wouldn’t want my 14-year-olds getting drunk, either. Same with pot.)

Now science is giving us yet another reason to demand that marijuana be legal. At the rate we’re going, Louisiana will be the last state in America to wake up and smell the smoke.

Just sayin’…