Marijuana's (or THC's) Effect on the Brain

Marijuana's (or THC's) Effect on the Brain

Researchers at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine have conducted a study using 20 casual, recreational marijuana users between the ages of 18 and 25 and 20 non-users between the ages of 18 and 25. Of those that used Marijuana which contains THC or Tetrahydrocannabinol, at least once per week, brain changes were found in the brain in the regions pertaining to working memory used in the learning and execution of mathematics, and emotions. 

Basal Ganglia, Hippocampus, and Cerebellum

In the old days, Marijuana was a drug that had a much lower amount of THC. This amount of THC made differences between users and non-users much less pronounced however due to the ""seven-fold increase" in THC", says Dr. Hans Breiter, Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science at Northwestern University, there has been a much more pronounced effect and intuitively different set of characteristics and abnormalities separating modern marijuana users from those of the 60's and 70's. 

In the study Breiter examines how the Amygdala and Nucleus Accumbens, the area of the brain responsible for long term memory and emotion, increased their amounts of gray matter which indicates an abnormal growth of neurons in those regions likely caused the THC found in Marijuana.

The study also concluded that those whose marijuana use was highest had significantly larger gray matter and thus neuron growth than those marijuana users who used marijuana less, in the Amygdala and Nucleus Accumbens. 

Breiter goes on to illustrate the major findings of the study but also illustrating that although this study did not prove an absolute, 100 %, direct, cause-and-effect link between brain changes found in the brains of marijuana users and marijuana itself later stating, ""We think that abnormal neuronal growth is evidence that the brain is forming new pathways that could encourage future use of the drug," she said. "We do know there are clinically observable behavioral differences in people who smoke marijuana heavily -- for example, they have a hard time motivating themselves to accomplish goals. Maybe some of these brain changes can relate to some of the behavioral changes that have been observed clinically."

The conclusions one can draw about the effect of THC, or marijuana, from this study is that marijuana use seems to to be causing brain changes in ways which are harmful to casual, recreational users but which are worthwhile trade-offs for medical patients with debilitating or terminal illnesses. That aside, there also seems to be evidence to suggest that marijuana is carving pathways in the brain likely to predispose the marijuana users to using marijuana again and placing them in situations where they are likely repeat use.

It's not to big of a gap between the statement that marijuana users are carving pathways into their brains designed to keep them in situations where use of the plant is near guaranteed, to saying that they have a dependency problem or addiction. 

Brain changes from marijuana use illustrate that emotion and memory centers are drastically effected and thus a user is less likely to keep track of, or care about, changes in their marijuana use. 

As for specifically what Breiter is saying about marijuana use is that THC seems to be the major culprit here and Marijuana users just happen to be the specimens with the highest amount of it in their brains....but there's no connection.

Do the math, know what you're doing.