The 5 effects of marijuana on the nervous system

The consumption of marijuana involves several changes in the body, many of them well known in the popular ideology of what a consumer of this substance looks like.

After having smoked cannabis, the heart rate accelerates, the blood vessels dilate, the eyes redden, and the blood pressure increases, among other organic symptoms.

However, it is not just physical changes that marijuana produces. Those who consume it also have mental alterations, due to the fact that this drug alters brain chemistry and functionality. In this article we will see, mainly, what are the effects of marijuana on the nervous system.

• Related article: "Parts of the Nervous System: anatomical structures and functions"

Marijuana's Effects on the Nervous System (Ranked)

Also called cannabis, marijuana is a gray-green mixture of dried flowers and leaves of the hemp plant. Cannabis is believed to originate from Central and South Asia and the Assyrian people are known to use it within religious ceremonies, calling it "qunubu."

Since time immemorial, this drug has been present in all kinds of religious rituals around the world..

There are many names by which this drug is known, with more than two hundred terms for designate them: maria, grass, pot... The word "marijuana" is the term with which the Mexicans called to Cannabis indica. It is a species belonging to the Moraceae family and has the appearance of a thin nettle. It grows to about 1.80 m tall and can be grown anywhere it gets a little warm.

The psychoactive properties have made the marijuana plant used in many contexts, especially for recreational purposes., medicinal and, more modernly, industrial (as raw material).

• You may be interested in: "What is the psychological treatment for cannabis addiction like?"

Tetrahydrocannabinol

The main psychoactive compound in marijuana is tetrahydrocannabinol (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, THC). It is not the only component of cannabis, as this is one of the 80 different cannabinoids that we can find in the marijuana plant. However, this is the most important when it comes to talking about the effects of marijuana on the nervous system.

There are several ways in which the substance can be consumed, each with different implications but with very similar effects. Whether smoked, vaped, or ingested, the cannabinoids found in the plant interact with various receptors in the brain and body, which are part of the endocannabinoid system. It is for this reason that the consumption of the plant generates different symptoms and signs to those who consume it.

The membrane of some cells of the nervous system contains protein receptors that retain THC. By interacting with these receptors, THC produces a wide repertoire of effects on the body, including feelings of euphoria, joy, relaxation, cognitive slowing ...

Not all cannabis plants produce psychoactive effects. There are strains of cannabis used to produce industrial hemp, which contain less than 1% THC and are not suitable for recreational use.

• Related article: "What is cannabinoid hyperemesis, the disease of cannabis vomiting"

Main effects of cannabis

As mentioned, marijuana has psychoactive effects, which is the main reason why those who consume this plant consume it. Since ancient times, this drug has been taken for its physical effects and, more specifically, for the psychological ones. The effects of cannabis on the brain involve changes in perception, positive moods, and short-term euphoria. Its consumption also increases the appetite and induces the feeling of being "high."

However, it also brings side effects that can be very unpleasant. These include short-term memory loss, motor slowing and incoordination, and anxiety, along with not-so-psychological symptoms such as red eyes and dry eyes mouth. In the long term, marijuana damages the brain, decreasing concentration and other cognitive abilities in general, as well as causing addiction.

1. Amotivation syndrome

One of its most common effects but at the same time less known by consumers is amotivation syndrome. Despite the fact that it has been stated on many occasions that marijuana is a harmless drug, the simple fact that it is a drug is already something that implies affectation on the organism. Its negative effects are many and among them is precisely this amotivation syndrome, whose symptoms coincide with the idea that one would have in mind of what a marijuana addict is.

This syndrome has the following four phases. The first thing the consumer feels is euphoria, a feeling of great happiness and laxity. He feels fluent in conversation, talks and talks. Fantasy is also stimulated.

After the euphoria come the hallucinations. What were at first mere fantasies now take on disturbing content. Notions of time and space are being lost. The consumer feels many emotions at this stage and mood swings can be very abrupt and intense. If marijuana has been taken with alcohol, this phase becomes more intense.

In the phase of bliss the consumer feels good, with a pleasant feeling of tranquility and peace. There is no fear, but neither desire. Little by little, he falls asleep.

Finally, the consumer either falls asleep or is totally unable to do any hours for a few hours.

• Related article: "The 14 most important types of addictions"

2. Subjective effects of marijuana on the brain

Depending on how it was consumed, marijuana has effects of different duration. If it has been inhaled, the subjective effects begin shortly after a minute has passed, while when smoked the maximum effects are reached after thirty minutes. The duration of these effects are four hours if it is inhaled and eight if it has been ingested orally.

The effect that consumers notice the most is the alteration of the sense of time. It gives them the feeling that the minutes and hours are longer than they really are. Marijuana exerts an effect on the hearing centers of the nervous system, something that is evidenced in an increase in hearing sensitivity and a more vivid appreciation of music by their consumers. Consumers also frequently notice a subjective heightened sense of touch, taste, and smell.

In general, the effects of marijuana on the nervous system depend on the form of ingestion and the amount of the main active substance taken. THC does not dissolve in water, so it is only possible to consume it through ingestion and inhalation.

• You may be interested in: "How to stop smoking joints? 5 tips from a specialist "

3. Acute marijuana intoxication

Acute marijuana intoxication involves several psychological effects. Symptoms may include paranoid ideas, illusions, hallucinations, delusions, depersonalization, confusion, agitation, and excitement. There may be delirium and drowsiness with violent agitation and excitement. All these effects will wear off after a few hours, as long as the use of marijuana does not increase and it is not combined with other substances.

No matter how much folklore and tradition marijuana may have, it is still a drug and as such induces effects on the nervous system, some of which are very serious. Consumers of this substance can show extremely dangerous behaviors, both for them and for others, depending on different factors such as the amount of THC ingested and aspects of personality. Acute poisoning can lead to mood swings and negative emotions such as anxiety, fear, and panic.

The effects of marijuana on the central nervous system are serious, so much so that the consumption of this substance has been related to an increase in mental pathology in youth. Using marijuana increases the risk of a psychotic break. The increase in panic attacks and anxiety attacks is related to a habitual use of the substance.

4. Effects of on brain development

The study of the effects of marijuana on brain structure with neuroimaging techniques shows mixed results. Some of them suggest that the habitual use of this drug during adolescence is associated with alterations in connectivity and a lower volume in certain specific brain regions involved in executive functionssuch as memory, learning, and impulse control.

Scientific research indicates that marijuana use can cause functional impairment in cognitive abilities. However, this deterioration will vary depending on the age at which the user started taking cannabis, the amount of the substance ingested and the duration of use.

The endocannabinoid system is believed to play a large role in the formation of synapses during the early stages of brain development., which would explain why the consumption of marijuana, with substances that affect this system, would alter cognitive aspects during adolescence.

A New Zealand study found that frequent marijuana use started in adolescence was related to a loss of between 6 and 8 points of intelligence quotient (IQ) in the middle of the stage adult In this same study, people who used marijuana regularly during adolescence and stopped taking the drug as adults did not regain lost IQ points.

In the study, people who had only started using marijuana as adults, both heavily and not, did not lose IQ points. This suggests that marijuana has a greater long-term impact on teens, whose brain is still in formation establishing new connections and maturing in other ways than in adults whose brain is already practically mature. This does not mean that there is a causal relationship between marijuana use and IQ loss, but it would have implications on the long-term cognitive area of ​​the most consumers. premature

• You may be interested in: "Substance use in adolescence: risk factors"

5. Why does marijuana impair memory?

Marijuana impairs memory because THC affects the hippocampus. This structure is the area of ​​the brain responsible for the formation of memories and processes information. Most of the data to support this claim has been from animals, especially rats.

Studies with rats exposed to THC before birth showed that, shortly after birth or during their adolescence, they showed notable difficulties in specific learning and memory tasks. Cognitive impairment in adult rats exposed to this component during adolescence was associated with structural and functional changes in the hippocampus, a brain area involved in memory.

Studies with rats also show that exposure to THC during adolescence involves alterations of the system reward, which increases the probability that an animal will try to obtain other substances and fall into other addictions This would be the physiological explanation for why many adolescents who use marijuana like first drug or drug of initiation end up resorting to other substances such as cocaine, tobacco or alcohol.

As humans age, our hippocampus loses neurons and this affects the ability to learn new information. Marijuana use involves exposure to THC, which, if done for a long time, will end up accelerating the loss of neurons in the hippocampus, causing premature memory loss.

In a study with rats exposed to THC every day for 8 months (30% of their life expectancy) they showed a loss of nerve cells at 11 or 12 months equivalent to that of rats twice as large as those that had not been exposed to this substance.