Studies show that the mental functions of people who have smoked a lot of marijuana tend to be diminished. The THC in cannabis disrupts nerve cells in the brain, affecting memory.30. Cannabis is one of the few drugs that causes abnormal cell division, which leads to severe hereditary defects. A pregnant woman who regularly smokes marijuana or hashish may give birth prematurely to an undersized, underweight baby.
Autism rates soar, now affects 1 in 68 children. Autism rates climbed nearly 30% between 2008 and 2010 and have more than doubled since the turn of the century, according to a new study from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The condition is now believed to affect one of every 68 8-year-olds â up from one in 88 just two years earlier.
* The lifetime cost for an individual averages $2.4 million when autism involves intellectual disability and $1.4 million when it does not. An estimated 40 percent of individuals with autism also have intellectual disability.* Based on these numbers, the yearly cost to the United States is an estimated $236 billion a year. The findings â published today in JAMA Pediatrics â provide crucial information for service planning and public policy, experts agree.n estimated 40 percent of individuals with autism also have intellectual disability. * Based on these numbers, the yearly cost to the United States is an estimated $236 billion a year. The findings â published today in JAMA Pediatrics â provide crucial information for service planning and public policy, experts agree.