A lot many stories emerged after the revelation of a study, which claimed that teenage cannabis smoking addiction brings a decline in IQ level. The study was based on the assessment of New Zealand people who were taking cannabis from their teenage.

People who were taking cannabis from their teenage saw a major decline in their IQ levels in comparison to those who started taking cannabis in their adulthood. After coming across the study, some young people shared their cannabis taking experience.

One among them was Stephen, 26, from Ballymun. He was just 12 years old when he started taking cannabis. For him, it was just a way to take him away from the life, which he hated at that time. For three to four years, he and his friends enjoyed taking the drugs.

However, later things started turning ugly, as he started feeling paranoid. Later, he started witnessing anxiety pangs, suffered depression and it is now that he has been able to overcome that feeling. He was able to come out of it due to a programme, which was being run by Ballymun Youth Action Group.

It is just another addition to the existing studies, which has concluded that cannabis and other legal highs have a disastrous effect on cognitive and mental health of a person.