Cannabis is one of the most popular drugs used today for relaxation and enjoyment. It has been used by humans for thousands of years and is currently being legally prescribed in many countries throughout the world.
In fact, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime reported in 2018, that almost 192 million people worldwide from 15-64 years of age use recreational cannabis regularly. Predominately, 35% of young adults aged18-25 years, while only 10% of those over 26 years of age use it.
This information indicates that the main users of cannabis are young adults and adolescents whose brains are still in development. This statistic should raise concerns of the long-term use affects cannabis can have on this particularly more vulnerable group of young people.
So, how does using cannabis affect the mind?
There are three recent studies that indicate that cannabis use can affect several psychological and cognitive processes, as published in The Journal Of Psychopharmacology, Neuropsychopharmacology and the International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology.
The main psychoactive component in cannabis is THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), which interacts on the brain’s receptors of the “endocannabinoid system”. These cannabis receptor areas are densely populated networks within the prefrontal and limbic regions of the brain. It is the same brain region that controls reward and motivation, by its regulation of the neurotransmitter dopamine, as well as glutamate and GABA which are all involved in learning and memory formation.
Cognition Changes
Research indicates that 10% of cannabis users meet the criteria for cannabis-use disorder. This condition is characterized by a persistent desire to use cannabis on a daily basis to the degree of disruption to daily activities like work and school.
Research indicated that those who used cannabis daily had far worse cognitive scores on memory and executive function than those who never, seldom or occasionally used cannabis. Flexible thinking capabilities and mental processing were negatively impacted according to tests from the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB). The testing also indicated that the younger a person was who started with cannabis, the more impaired their executive functioning.
The CANTAB test scores showed there was changes in cognition between sexes. Male cannabis users showed poorer visual recognition scores and memory. While female cannabis users demonstrated problems with attention and executive functioning skills.
Reward and Motivational Changes
There is research that indicates that cannabis has a detrimental effect on how one feels, which can shape how a person thinks. Cannabis impacts the brain circuits that control the reward centers by disrupting them. This change will play out in a persons job and school performance by reducing their motivation and minimizing a sense of accomplishment.
Though brain imaging in the ventral striatum (brains reward system), scientists confirmed only minimal changes in this area in moderate cannabis users. But did feel like this neural network would be more severely impacted in those with cannabis user disorder.
The was also evidence that cannabis can lead to other mental heath issues such as inability to feel pleasure (anhedonia) and moderate increases of risk factors for developing psychosis and schizophrenia, especially in younger adolescence.
Experts seem to think the higher risk linked to psychotic episodes were due to cannabis’s effect on dopamine and glutamate which may be an important factor in the neurobiology of this condition.
One study took into account, frequency, duration and strength or cannabis dosage as a determining factor in psychotic experiences in young adolescents and found a correlation with those who had a predisposition for psychosis by examining the brain region, uncus. This area is located within the para hippocampus (memory) and olfactory bulb (smell processing) and was previously associated with schizophrenia and psychosis because of its large amount of cannabinoid receptors.
After assessing 2,437 adolescents and young adults 14-24 years, researchers found that an increase risk of 6 points from 15%-21% in those with no predisposition for psychosis.
But, there was a 26 point increase of 25%-51% of psychotic symptoms in cannabis users with a predisposition for psychosis.
Cannabis is often touted as being a universal natural herbal remedy, for so many mental and physical health conditions today. But, we rarely hear of the underlying increase in risk and possible dangers associated with its use for some people. Cannabis can make very powerful changes to the neurochemistry and alter homeostasis within our brainwaves. Thus influencing our ability to work, create and perform at a level we all could call our best. Only through research, education and in moderation can cannabis truly find a contributing healing role in our ailing world.
-A Balanced Brain is a Better Brain-