The memory and thinking abilities of teenagers do not appear to be as strongly affected by heavy marijuana use as previously suspected, according to an evaluation of data from dozens of previous studies.

Further, intellectual effects that do crop up from frequent pot use appear to wear off soon after a teenager stops partaking, researchers report.

However, this study only looked at the short-term intellectual effects of heavy pot use, not use for many years, which could have a significant detrimental impact, experts said.

Study said [sic] lead researcher J. Cobb Scott said that after 72 hours of abstinence, the memory and thinking deficits of heavy users diminishes to the point of insignificance when compared against the intellectual capacity of nonusers. He is a neuropsychologist with the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine in Philadelphia.