Other Drug Abuse
Several illegal drugs— including marijuana, amphetamines, cocaine, and heroin— can damage brain functions, including memory. As with alcohol, the aging brain shows heightened sensitivity to most drugs of abuse, increasing the risk of memory loss.
Marijuana
Marijuana usually gives rise to a feeling of mild euphoria and a sensation of distance from the world that lies around the user. Although tolerance and withdrawal are milder than with alcohol, brain concentrations of cannabinoids, the active chemicals in marijuana, can reach astronomical levels.
Effects of Marijuana
Interferes with acetylcholine production and thus lowers the level of this neurotransmitter that is important for attention and memory.
High levels of cannabinoids in the brain lead to fluctuations in mental faculties, lethargy, and poor concentration, with inability to register new information and consequent memory loss.
People who quit using marijuana usually regain most of their cognitive abilities. In our Memory Disorders Center, we have seen patients in their fifties and sixties with mild memory loss who later improved when they discontinued the use of marijuana. These people had handled the drug with ease when they were young, but it finally caught up with them because the aging process in the brain made them more vulnerable to the drug’s toxic effects.
Taken From: The Memory Program How to Prevent Memory Loss
and Enhance Memory Power