Ever Wonder Why You Have Memory Issues?

How Marjiuana Affects your Memory & How to Improve It

I am sure you have heard the fact that people who smoke often, have troubles with their short-term memory, and while this is true there are many other factors that may contribute to your memory troubles. 

So why does our memory fail us sometimes? The answer is in your Hippocampus. The hippocampus is a region of your brain responsible for storing new memories and also contributes to how you learn. Smoking pot frequently may shrink your hippocampus and could be the reason why you struggle with short term memory. However it’s important to consider other factors such as exercise, diet, sleep and social life. ALL of these play a role in a healthy brain. When I noticed a change in my memory retention I automatically assigned the blame to how much I smoke, however I simply began exercising and I noticed my memory improving – and I didnt change my smoking habits. I noticed myself being able to focus better and thus retain new information better. My short-term memory is still spotty but MUCH improved, I believe once I fix my poor sleeping and eating habits, I will have the memory retention I desire. 

It is important to evaluate ALL of these aspects of your life. Even your social life may affect your memory. Isolation has been proven to have a negative impact on your body and mind and could be a reason as to why you do not feel yourself. Make an effort to be more social if this is the case, something as simple as having lunch with a friend can do the trick. Proper nutrition plays a huge role in your memory as well. I’ll be honest I’m guilty of not having the best nutrition out there, however I try to balance out my poor diet with carefully picked vitamins and supplements.

Your Hippocampus is not solely affected by smoking pot though. Anxiety, depression, an addiction or neurodegenerative diseases can all shrink your hippocampus. No need to stress though, through proper sleep, nutrition, exercise your hippocampus will begin to heal itself and start to create new neurons. Just start with fixing one aspect of your life, do it consistently and you will be able to feel the benefits within days. What if you chose a healthy snack to munch on, or decided to start working out. My mornings consist of waking up, working out, smoking and making a tasty protein shake with the vitamins and calories I need for the day. I can confidently say my memory has improved significantly even though I still smoke daily.