The debate between responsible use of marijuana and no use at all continues. In a report by researchers from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, marijuana is called an addictive drug that threatens the mental and physical wellbeing of users.

Their warning published in the New England Journal of Medicine stems from a review of past research and challenges the increasingly popular notion that marijuana is essentially harmless. Pot is already the most common illicit drug in the U.S… with 12% of people 12 and older reporting use in the past year with particularly high rates of use among young people.

But these investigators cited research that suggests even short-term use impairs memory, motor coordination, and judgment. They add that roughly 9% of those who try pot become addicted. In fact, the team found that nearly 3 million Americans ages 12 and up are already deemed clinically “dependent”. Such dependence, they warn, is linked to brain changes, lower IQs, and a drop in overall satisfaction and educational achievement leading the authors to conclude that further pot legalization is a bad idea.

I’m Dr. Cindy Haines of HealthDay TV with news you can use for healthier living.

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