Marijuana is the psychoactive substance derived from the female inflorescences and dried leaves of cannabis, with an appearance very similar to tobacco and greenish or brownish in color. Despite the fact that there are many studies on the health effects of cannabis with results that are often contradictory or not sufficiently wide enough to reach definitive conclusions, at least in a part of these possible effects, conclusions have generally been reached accepted.
In this Psychology-Online article we will show you the positive and negative effects of marijuana on the brain.
Index
- effects of marijuana on the brain
- Positive effects of marijuana on the brain
- Negative effects of marijuana on the brain
- Does the brain recover from the effects of marijuana?
Effects of marijuana on the brain.
The neurological and psychiatric effects of marijuana affect the areas of the brain where the receptors are mainly distributed cannabinoids, whose interaction with the active principles of cannabis modify the functioning of the neurotransmitter systems linked to them receivers.
These cannabinoid receptors are abundant and can be found in various parts of the brain:
- basal ganglia: Associated with the control of movements and in the cerebellum, which coordinates body movements.
- Hippocampus: related to the functions of learning, memory and stress control.
- Cerebral cortex: It is associated with the highest cognitive functions.
- nucleus accumbens: Considered as the pleasure center of the brain.
- hypothalamus: another of the areas in which cannabinoid receptors are present in appreciable quantities. Among other things, the hypothalamus is responsible for regulating the feeling of satiety.
- Amygdala: Associated with emotions and fears.
- Spinal cord: Associated with peripheral sensations such as pain.
- Brainstem: related to sleep, sexual arousal and motor control.
- nucleus of the solitary tract: Associated with visceral sensations such as nausea and vomiting.
What happens if you smoke marijuana excessively?
Marijuana can cause more marked distortions in the perception of time, space and the perception of the body, deterioration of the sphere cognitive, depersonalization and derealization, especially if when the person is an occasional consumer or is consumed in doses elevated.
Depending on the dose, cannabinoids can temporarily inhibit the transmission of neural signals through the basal ganglia and the cerebellum. At low doses, cannabinoids appear to stimulate movement of the body, however high doses appear to inhibit it, which is often referred to as manifests as decreased postural stability and hand steadiness to perform tasks and movements that require attention special.
Positive effects of marijuana on the brain.
Marijuana can sometimes have some subjective effects on the brain, such as an increased appreciation of the taste and aroma of food, music and recreational activities, as well as greater self-analysis and self-knowledge and offer a slight feeling of happiness or euphoria or a relief from tension.
Due to the centrality of the endocannabinoid system in the regulation of the human body, researchers are currently focusing on the therapeutic potential of cannabis. The medical uses of marijuana include:
- Elimination of pain or analgesia in diseases involving spasticity associated with pain resistant to conventional therapies such as multiple sclerosis or spinal cord injuries.
- Chronic pain analgesiaespecially neurogenic pain.
- anti-nauseous effect that cannot be achieved with traditional treatments in chemotherapy, radiotherapy and HIV therapies.
- Appetite stimulating effect, which cannot be achieved with traditional treatments, as well as physical deterioration and loss of appetite in patients with cancer or AIDS, anorexia or anorexia nervosa and glaucoma resistant to therapies conventional.
- Reduction of involuntary movements of the body and face when this cannot be achieved with traditional treatments, as in the case of Gilles de la Tourette syndrome.
Negative effects of marijuana on the brain.
What are the negative effects of marijuana? Between the psychological and neurological side effects that can occur as a consequence of marijuana use include:
- Anxiety and panic.
- Frank psychotic breakdowns or, more commonly, paranoid thinking, which tend to resolve in the vast majority of cases in a matter of minutes or a few hours.
- Decreased concentration and organization of thought, memory difficulty.
- Decreased ability and readiness of reflexes, which can interfere with activities such as driving.
- Decreased stability of posture.
- Decrease in the firmness of the hand when performing tasks and movements that require special attention.
- Sedation.
Less frequently, severe nausea requiring hospitalization may occur as a result of chronic use of very high amounts. This effect has been highly publicized in the US media as a result of the legalization of cannabis for recreational use in some states.
How the psychological state of the person influences the effects of marijuana
It should be noted that the effects are affected by the individual sensitivity of the person, previous use of the substance and the amount ingested. Therefore, one of the most unique effects of marijuana is related to the suggestibility of the subject who is using it, especially in the case of occasional smokers or in the first experiences (set and settings).
Therefore, the psychological state of the individual who uses cannabis is an important factor when it comes to present negative symptoms, since based on this the effect can be amplified, even causing effects secondary as suggestiveness, anxiety, somatization, or amplification of physical effects that may cause concern to the user.
Likewise, in some cases, especially if you have an empty stomach, it is the first experience or very high doses have been taken or combined with other substances such as alcohol, marijuana can cause vomiting and high sweating, effects that generally tend to resolve in a short period of time, usually between 2 and 3 minutes. In the following article you will find Effects of drugs on the nervous system.
Does the brain recover from the effects of marijuana?
Despite the fact that the side effects that cannabis could have on the body in the long term have not yet been fully known, numerous neuroimaging studies have shown that the continued use over time of dope can affect the structure and function of certain areas of the brain. Thus, marijuana use can be associated with alterations in cognitive and affective capacity.
Therefore, marijuana, the effects of which must be attributed to the active principle tetrahydrocannabinol, acts at the level of brain metabolism and can produce functional and structural changes of nervous tissue:
- Altered response to affective stimuli.
- Altered response in the brain to rewarding stimuli.
- Abnormalities in the amygdala and hippocampus, two important areas of the brain.
- Permanent functional alterations, especially among adolescents.
- Neuroadaptation: reorganization of the visual-reactive circuit and hypoactivity of the cerebellum.
- Alteration of the functionality of the normal frontal circuits when performing tasks that involve the ability to inhibit and monitor performance.
- Changes in executive functions in abstinent consumers.
- Spatial working memory is compromised and the brain has a harder time remembering and requires more energy.
Long-term cannabis use causes temporary changes in the body, both at the pharmacokinetic level (the way in which active principles are absorbed, distributed, metabolized and eliminated) and pharmacodynamic (how they interact with receptors cell phones).
These changes lead the person to develop tolerance, for which reason they will need to consume higher amounts to obtain the same effect and lead to a more efficient elimination of cannabis from the body, enhancing metabolic processes, but with the risk of increasing the incidence of effects secondary.
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
If you want to read more articles similar to Positive and negative effects of marijuana on the brain, we recommend that you enter our category of cognitive psychology.
Bibliography
- DiTodaro, F. (2014). Marijuana e cervello, quali gli effetti a lungo termina? Recovered from: https://www.fondazioneveronesi.it/magazine/articoli/neuroscienze/marijuana-e-cervello-quali-gli-effetti-lungo-termine
- Zoccatelli, G., Alessandrini, F., Serpelloni, G. (2022). Alteration of the brain correlated with negligible adult use of cannabis. Recovered from: https://www.politicheantidroga.gov.it/media/1664/215_cannabis_adulti.pdf
