How Does Marijuana Affect The Brain

How Does Marijuana Really Affect Your Brain

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), over 45 percent of adults ages 26 or older have used marijuana at least once in their life. Even more disturbing, almost 14 percent of youth ages 12 to 17 have used marijuana within the past year. Although certain states have now legalized marijuana, it is still a dangerous psychoactive drug that can cause serious health and wellbeing problems.

http://www.drugabuse.gov/drugs-abuse/marijuana

How Marijuana Affects the Brain

Marijuana comes from the leaves and flowers of hemp plants. Marijuana, or cannabis sativa, is consumed through smoking, vaporizing and eating foods loaded with cannabis. While many recreational users enjoy the mind altering effects of marijuana, it can cause a variety of different problems. Marijuana

contains the powerful chemical tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which causes most of the mental and physical side effects. When people smoke marijuana, THC enters the blood stream and then the brain. THC interacts with the brain’s endocannabinoid (EC) system and cannabinoid (CB) receptors. Marijuana interferes with how these receptors communicate. As a result, cell communication and thus body functioning is slowed down. THC also floods the brain with chemicals that stimulate pleasure and a feeling of euphoria.
How Marijuana Affects Brain Development
Adolescence is a period when teens experience rapid physical growth.

Research shows that teenagers that use marijuana experience various developmental problems. For example, teens that use marijuana can have brain abnormalities, such as reduced brain volume and quality of white matter. This means marijuana causes smaller hippocampal and prefrontal cortex sizes. In fact, marijuana also causes reduced cognitive functioning, such as poor performance in school and memory and concentration

problems.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2827693/
Physical Affects
After someone uses marijuana, they will probably feel more relaxed, happy and even hungry. Marijuana causes the heartbeat rate to increase and irritates the lungs. Users also may experience red eyes, a dry mouth and even weakened immune system. THC is known to interfere with REM sleep, which lowers overall sleep quality. Marijuana affects the nervous system through interfering with physical coordination and sense of balance.
Health Affects
Marijuana smoke is similar to tobacco smoke in that it contains toxins and carcinogens. Chronic marijuana use harms the lungs and causes coughing and even chronic bronchitis. Sometimes fungi or bacteria can even grow on improperly stored marijuana. Some of the fungi that grows on marijuana is toxic. Because marijuana rapidly increase heart rate, older people are at risk for having a heart attack. Marijuana used during pregnancy may cause miscarriages or abnormal fetus growth. Because marijuana is often consumed with other drugs or alcohol, users often experience other serious health conditions and complications.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3818851/
Mental Health Effects
Marijuana slows down and interferes with brain functioning.

It can increase irritability and restlessness. Marijuana affects the brain’s amygdala, which results in increased panic or paranoia, and the neocortex, which can cause strange sensations and altered thinking. As a result, people who use marijuana may experience hallucinations and temporary paranoia. In fact, schizophrenics that use marijuana will experience worse symptoms, such as extreme delusions or disorganized thinking. In addition to this, people who use marijuana are at higher risk for developing depression, panic attacks, anxiety and bipolar

disorder.
http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/marijuana
To sum up, marijuana is a popular, yet potent drug that affects the body in different ways. Consuming marijuana can cause permanent brain damage to teenagers. There are negative physical, mental and health side effects to using marijuana.