The 5 effects of marijuana on the nervous system

A summary of the effects of marijuana on the nervous system of the human body.

The consumption of marijuana involves several changes in the body, many of which are well known in the popular belief of what a marijuana user looks like.

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

However, it is not only physical changes that marijuana produces. Those who consume it also present mental alterations, product of 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..

The effects of marijuana on the nervous system (classified)

Also called cannabis, marijuana is a grayish-green mixture of dried flowers and leaves of the hemp plant. Cannabis is believed to have originated in Central and South Asia and there is evidence that the Assyrian people used it in religious ceremonies, calling it "qunubu". Since time immemorial, this drug has been present in all kinds of religious rituals all over the world..

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

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

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 can be found in the marijuana plant. However, it is the most important when talking about the effects of marijuana on the nervous system.

There are several ways in which the substance can be consumed, each of them 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 organism, including feelings of euphoria, happiness, relaxation, cognitive slowing down?

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.

Main effects of cannabis

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

However, it also brings side effects that can become 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 mouth. In the long term, marijuana damages the brain, decreasing concentration and other cognitive abilities in general, in addition to causing addiction.

1. The amotivation syndrome

One of the most common, but at the same time least known effects among consumers is the amotivation syndrome. Although it has been stated on many occasions that marijuana is a harmless drug, the simple fact that it is a drug of abuse is not enough, the simple fact that it is a drug already implies an effect on the organism.. There are many negative effects 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 presents the following four phases. The first thing the user 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 hallucinations. What were initially mere fantasies now take on a disturbing content.. Notions of time and space are lost. The consumer feels many emotions in this stage and the changes of mood can become very abrupt and intense. If marijuana has been taken with alcohol, this phase acquires greater intensity.

In the bliss phase, the consumer feels good, with a pleasant sensation of tranquility and peace.. There is no fear, but neither desire. He gradually becomes drowsy.

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

2. Subjective effects of marijuana on the brain

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

The effect that consumers notice the most is the alteration of the sense of time.. It gives them the sensation that minutes and hours are longer than they really are. Marijuana has an effect on the hearing centers of the nervous system, which is evidenced by an increase in auditory sensitivity and a more vivid appreciation of music by its users. It is also common for users to notice a subjective increase in the senses of touch, taste and smell.

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

3. Acute marijuana intoxication

Acute marijuana intoxication involves several psychological effects. Among the symptoms may be paranoid ideas, delusions, hallucinations, delusions, delusions, depersonalization, confusion, agitation and excitement. There may be delirium and obnubilation with agitation and violent excitement. All these effects will pass after a few hours, as long as the consumption of marijuana does not go further and is not combined with other substances.

However much folklore and tradition marijuana may have, it is still a drug and as such induces effects on the nervous system, some of them very serious. The consumers of this substance can show extremely dangerous behaviors.The effects of intoxication, both for themselves and others, depend on different factors such as the amount of THC ingested and personality aspects. Acute intoxication can cause mood swings and negative emotions such as anxiety, fears and panic.

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

4. Effects on brain development

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

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

It is believed that the endocannabinoid system plays a major role in the formation of synapses during the early stages of brain development, which would explain why cannabis is so prevalent in the brain.This would explain why the consumption of marijuana, with substances that affect this system, would alter cognitive aspects during adolescence.

A study in New Zealand found that frequent marijuana use initiated in adolescence was associated with a loss of 6 to 8 IQ points in mid-adulthood. In the same study, people who used marijuana regularly during adolescence and stopped taking the drug as adults did not regain the lost IQ points.

In the study, people who had only started using marijuana in adulthood, either heavily or not, did not lose IQ points. This suggests that marijuana has a greater long-term impact on adolescents, whose brains are still forming.whose brains are still forming, making new connections and maturing in other ways, than in adults whose brains are already nearly mature. This is not to say that there is a causal relationship between marijuana use and IQ loss, but it would have implications for the long-term cognitive functioning of early users.

5. Why does marijuana impair memory?

Marijuana impairs memory because THC affects the hippocampus. This structure is the area of the brain responsible for forming memories and processing information. Most of the data supporting this claim have been done with animals, especially rats.

Studies with rats exposed to THC before birth showed that, shortly after birth or during their adolescence, they displayed showed marked 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 in the reward system, 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 as a first or gateway drug end up turning 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 consumption involves exposure to THC, which, if prolonged, will eventually accelerate 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 old as them that had not been exposed to this substance.