Marijuana’s Meaning: Why the United States Harshly Classified the Drug in 1970

The United States classified marijuana as a schedule 1 substance in 1970, which was the harshest classification imaginable and meant that it was fully banned and had no accepted medical applications. This viewpoint remained for many years and hindered the study of the drug’s processes and effects.

Marijuanas Meanings: Is Marijuana Use Harmful to Your Brain?

The therapeutic benefits of marijuana are now generally recognised, and several countries have allowed medical marijuana use or are headed in that direction.

The question, however, remains unanswered despite marijuana’s increasing medical acceptance: 

Is marijuana use harmful to your brain?

The cannabinoid system in the body, which contains receptors all over the brain and body, is how marijuana affects the body. Endocannabinoids, which are bodily substances, work on these receptors as well.

Endocannabinoids: The mysterious neurotransmitters that move in reverse

The cannabinoid system has a trait that offers a significant hint as to its purpose, despite the fact that we still don’t fully comprehend it. The majority of neurotransmitters use synaptic connections to carry messages from one neuron to the next. Endocannabinoids, however, move the other way. Endocannabinoids are released by the receiving neuron when a message is sent from one neuron to the next. These endocannabinoids affect the sending neuron by travelling backward, basically providing it with feedback from the receiving neuron. This leads researchers to the conclusion that the main function of the endocannabinoid system is to modify other types of signals, increasing some and attenuating others. Endocannabinoid feedback reduces the speed of neuronal signalling. However, that does not necessarily imply that it slows down thought or conduct. For instance, delaying a signal that blocks scent can paradoxically increase the potency of odours.

The Marijuanas Meanings: THC vs CBD

Tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, and cannabidiol, or CBD, are the two main active ingredients in marijuana. The psychoactive effects of marijuana on behaviour, cognition, and perception are assumed to be predominantly caused by THC, whereas the non-psychoactive benefits are thought to be caused by CBD. THC binds to cannabinoid receptors, just like endocannabinoids, to slow down signalling. However, it binds to receptors simultaneously throughout this vast, diffuse system, whereas endocannabinoids are only generated in a particular location in response to a particular stimulus. Because of this extensive activity, as well as the fact that the cannabinoid system indirectly influences numerous other systems, each person’s unique brain chemistry, genetics, and prior life experience, heavily influence how they respond to the substance.

The Various Marijuanas Meanings and Effects on People

This is true of marijuana considerably more so than it is of other drugs whose effects are brought on by one or a few particular pathways. Therefore, the negative effects, if any, differ greatly from person to person. Furthermore, there are undeniable risk factors that can raise people’s chances of having negative effects even though we don’t fully understand how marijuana specifically causes them. Age is the most obvious risk factor. The white matter of people under 25 has a higher concentration of cannabinoid receptors than people over 25. The white matter has a role in emotions, memory, learning, and communication. The growth of new connections in the brain and the formation of white matter tracts can both be hampered by frequent marijuana usage. Long-term learning capacity and problem-solving skills may be harmed by this. It’s currently unknown how serious this harm can be or whether it can be reversed. The danger is higher even among young people. For example, the younger person is substantially higher for a 15-year-old than a 22-year-old.

The Marijuanas Meanings of Hallucinations and Paranoia

Hallucinations and paranoid delusions can also be brought on by marijuana. These symptoms, sometimes known as marijuana-induced psychosis, typically go away once a person stops using marijuana. However, in a few rare instances, psychosis does not go away but rather reveals a permanent psychotic disease. The most obvious risk factor for this consequence is a family history of psychotic diseases like schizophrenia, however it is not the only one.

Marijuanas Meanings: Young Adults and Psychosis

Young adults are more likely to have marijuana-induced psychosis, though it’s important to note that psychotic diseases typically manifest in this age range anyhow. In these situations, it’s unclear whether marijuana use caused the psychotic disorder to manifest, whether it caused it to manifest earlier than it otherwise would have, whether it caused a tipping point to be crossed that wouldn’t have occurred otherwise, or whether the response to marijuana was merely a symptom of an underlying disorder.

What Marijuanas Meanings Could Mean for You

Marijuana’s function most likely differs from individual to person. The brain and body become less sensitive to marijuana after repeated uses, much like with many other substances, so it takes more to get the same effects at any age. Fortunately, unlike many other substances, marijuana does not carry a catastrophic overdose risk, and even extensive usage does not result in crippling or fatal withdrawal symptoms if it is discontinued. However, there are more subtle signs of marijuana withdrawal, such as insomnia, agitation, and depression, which go away after a few weeks of abstinence.

The Shocking Truth About Marijuana’s Effects on Your Brain

Is marijuana harmful to your brain, then? Depending on who you are, While some risk factors are simple to recognise, others are less clear, so even if you don’t have any of the established risk factors, you could still experience bad impacts.