Cannabis
Addictions
CANNABIS
Marijuana is a greenish-brown mixture of dried, chopped leaves, stems, seeds, and flowers of the hemp plant, Cannabis sativa. Its most concentrated and resinous form is called hashish and when it is in the form of a sticky black liquid it is known as hash oil. The main psychoactive (mind-altering) substance in marijuana is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC. Marijuana abuse can result in problems with memory, learning, and social behavior. In the long term, it can lead to problems like lung cancer and an increased risk of infections. It can interfere with family, school, work, and other activities. Scientific studies are underway to test the safety and usefulness of cannabis components in the treatment of some clinical conditions. Currently, smoking marijuana is not recommended for the treatment of any disease or condition.
How does marijuana affect the brain?
When marijuana is smoked, THC passes rapidly from the lungs into the bloodstream, which carries it to the brain and other organs in the body. It is absorbed more slowly when ingested in food or drink. Regardless of how it's ingested, THC acts on specific molecular sites on brain cells called cannabinoid receptors. These receptors are normally activated by THC-like chemicals called endocannabinoids, such as anandamide. These substances occur naturally in the body and are part of a neural communication network (the endocannabinoid system) that plays an important role in normal brain development and function. The highest density of cannabinoid receptors is found in the parts of the brain that influence pleasure, memory, thought, concentration, time and sensory perceptions, and coordinated movement. Marijuana activates the endocannabinoid system in an exaggerated way, causing the effects of the "high" or euphoria and others that users experience. These effects include distortions in perceptions, impaired coordination, difficulty thinking and problem solving, and learning and memory disturbances. Research shows that the adverse impact of chronic marijuana use on memory and learning can continue even after the acute effects of the drug wear off and the effects can even persist for many years if marijuana use begins in adolescence . Research in different fields is concurring in the fact that regular use of marijuana by young people can have a long-lasting negative impact on brain structure and function. A recent study of marijuana users who began using marijuana in adolescence revealed a significant deficit in the connections between the areas of the brain responsible for learning and memory. A large prospective study (which follows the same people over time) showed that people who began smoking large amounts of marijuana in adolescence had lost up to 8 points in their IQ between the ages of 13 and 38. It is important to note that despite having quit smoking marijuana as adults, they failed to restore these lost cognitive abilities. What other adverse health effects does marijuana have? Marijuana use can have a variety of short-term and long-term adverse effects, especially for cardiopulmonary and mental health. Shortly after smoking marijuana, your heart rate increases 20 to 100 percent. This effect can last up to 3 hours. In one study, the risk of having a heart attack was estimated to be 4.8 times higher in the first hour after smoking the drug. This may be due to the increase in heart rate as well as the effect that marijuana has on the heart rate, since it causes palpitations and arrhythmias. This risk may be higher in older people or those with cardiac vulnerabilities.
Is marijuana addictive?
Contrary to popular belief, marijuana is addictive. According to relevant research, it is estimated that around 9 percent of users become addicted to marijuana; this number increases among those starting at a young age (to about 17 percent, or 1 in 6) and among daily users (to 25 to 50 percent). Thus, many of the nearly 7 percent of high school seniors who report smoking marijuana on a daily or near-daily basis (based on annual survey data) are headed for addiction, if not they already are (in addition to running all the time at a suboptimal level). Chronic marijuana users attempting to quit report withdrawal symptoms such as irritability, insomnia, loss of appetite, anxiety, and a strong craving for the drug, all of which can make it difficult to stay abstinent. Behavioral interventions, including cognitive behavioral therapy and incentives to stimulate motivation (for example, providing exchange vouchers for products or services to patients who remain abstinent) have been shown to be effective in the treatment of marijuana addiction. Although there are currently no medications available, recent discoveries about how the endocannabinoid system works show promise for the development of drugs to facilitate withdrawal, block the intoxicating effects of marijuana, and prevent relapses.
