Marijuana is the psychoactive substance derived from the female inflorescences and dry leaves of cannabis, with an appearance very similar to tobacco and greenish or brownish in color. Although there are many studies on the health effects of cannabis with results that are often contradictory or not broad enough to reach definitive conclusions, generally accepted conclusions have been reached at least in some of these possible effects.
In this Psychology-Online article we will show you the positive and negative effects of marijuana on the brain.
Effects of marijuana on the brain
The neurological and psychiatric effects of marijuana affect the areas of the brain where cannabinoid receptors are mainly distributed, whose interaction with the active ingredients of cannabis modify the functioning of the neurotransmitter systems linked to these receptors.
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 learning, memory and stress control functions.
- Cerebral cortex: is associated with higher cognitive functions.
- Nucleus accumbens: considered 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 too much?
Marijuana can cause more marked distortions in the perception of time, space and body perception, deterioration of the cognitive sphere, depersonalization and derealization, especially if the person is an occasional user or if it is consumed in doses. elevated.
Depending on the dose, cannabinoids can temporarily inhibit the transmission of neural signals through the basal ganglia and cerebellum. At low doses, cannabinoids appear to stimulate body movement, however, high doses appear to inhibit it, often manifesting with reduced posture stability and hand firmness when performing tasks and movements that require careful attention. special.
Positive effects of marijuana on the brain
Sometimes, marijuana can present some subjective effects on the brain, such as a greater appreciation of the taste and aroma of food, music and recreational activities, as well as greater self-analysis and self-knowledge and offering a slight sensation of happiness or euphoria. or a relief of 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 that involve spasticity associated with pain resistant to conventional therapies such as or spinal cord injuries.
- Chronic pain analgesiaespecially neurogenic pain.
- Anti-nausea effect which cannot be achieved with traditional treatments in chemotherapy, radiotherapy and HIV therapies.
- Appetite stimulating effectwhich cannot be achieved with traditional treatments, as well as in physical deterioration and loss of appetite in patients with cancer or AIDS, anorexia or anorexia nervosa and glaucoma resistant to conventional therapies.
- 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 result of marijuana use include:
- Anxiety and panic.
- Frank psychotic crises or, more commonly, paranoid thinking, which tend to resolve in the vast majority of cases in a matter of minutes or a few hours.
- and organization of thought, difficulty of memory.
- Decreased ability and readiness of reflexes, which can interfere with activities such as driving.
- Decreased posture stability.
- Decreased hand firmness when performing tasks and movements that require special attention.
- Sedation.
Less commonly, severe nausea requiring hospitalization may occur as a result of chronic use of very high amounts. This effect has been widely publicized in the American 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 person’s individual sensitivity, 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 setting).
Therefore, the psychological state of the individual who consumes cannabis is an important factor when it comes to presenting negative symptoms, since based on this the effect can be amplified, causing side effects such as suggestion, 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 your first experience or you have taken very high doses 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.
Does the brain recover from the effects of marijuana?
Although the side effects that cannabis could have on the body in the long term are still not completely known, numerous neuroimaging studies have shown that continued use of marijuana over time can affect the structure and function of certain areas of the brain. In this way, marijuana use can be associated with alterations in cognitive and affective capacity.
Therefore, marijuana, whose effects must be attributed to the active ingredient 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 normal frontal circuits when performing tasks that involve the ability to inhibit and monitor performance.
- Alterations of executive functions in abstinent consumers.
- Spatial working memory is compromised and the brain has a harder time remembering and requires more energy.
Prolonged cannabis use causes transient changes in the body, both at a pharmacokinetic level (the way in which the active ingredients are absorbed, distributed, metabolized and eliminated) and pharmacodynamics (how they interact with cellular receptors).
These changes lead the person to develop tolerance, so they will need to consume higher quantities 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 side 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.
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Bibliography
- DiTodaro, F. (2014). Marijuana and cervello, how long does it last? Retrieved from: https://www.fondazioneveronesi.it/magazine/articoli/neuroscienze/marijuana-e-cervello-quali-gli-effetti-lungo-termine
- Zoccatelli, G., Alessandrini, F., Serpelloni, G. (2022). Cerebral alterations correlate with adult cannabis consumption. Retrieved from: https://www.politicheantidroga.gov.it/media/1664/215_cannabis_adulti.pdf