She may not be smiling once she realizes smoking weed may lower her IQ later on. | Source

Just a disclaimer before you read any further: We’re not here to steer towards or away from smoking weed. What you do with your life is totes your business. We just want you to know all of the risks–not just the legal ones–involved with smoking weed before you start, because you’re smart and deserve to make informed decisions.

That said, a new study suggests that smoking marijuana in your teens may be linked to a lower I.Q. later on.

The study points out, too, that there isn’t a definitive link between smoking weed when you’re over 18 and having the same effects, so it may reinforce previous studies that suggested marijuana use is most detrimental to the developing brain, not the developed brain.

Researchers from New Zealand tested IQs of 1,000 13-year-old volunteers to start (since at that time they likely weren’t smoking weed much, if at all). The researchers then tested the IQs of the same volunteers numerous times and took surveys about their marijuana use until age 38. Out of the 1,000 participants, 52 of them reported becoming “dependent” on marijuana–that is, smoking weed despite the health, social or legal risks associated with it, while 92 of them reported becoming dependent on marijuana at a later age. A decline in IQ only showed in those subjects who used marijuana before turning 18. It’s worth noting, however, that in those subjects who used marijuana, there was never any measure reported of how much or how potent the marijuana was, it was simply of how often they used it.

Those who reported being dependent on marijuana before turning 18 showed an average drop in IQ of eight points, which means, statistically, that they’d rank higher than only 29 percent of the population rather than 50 percent had the drop not occurred. What’s more, quitting smoking weed didn’t seem to affect the results at all.

One expert in the study urged teens to avoid smoking marijuana until they turned 18, just to avoid the mental health issues it may pose later on, while another advised that avoiding it altogether may be the best idea in the long run. They all agree, however, that much more research should go into the dangers of smoking weed as teens and its effects on the brain.

Listen–we know that some of you are going to smoke marijuana no matter what anyone says. And that’s fine. Just know the risks you’re taking before you take a hit, that way you can be sure it’s something you really want to do.

Do you think marijuana can lower your IQ or that more research needs to be done? Will a chance of a lower IQ deter you from smoking weed? Do you think marijuana should be legalized? Would you wait until you turn 18 to start smoking weed now that this study came out? Tell us in the comments!

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