What a buzz.
Smoking marijuana can certainly have an impact on your brain, and not only the potential of a serious paranoia.
The investigation published last week found that ER visits for the use of cannabis over 65 years of age have shot themselves, and those who need acute care to participate up to 72% more likely to develop dementia.
Now, a new study published in Jama Psychiatry has identified another surprising change in Stoners brains.
The study revealed that people with cannabis use disorder (CUD), that is, that uses marijuana enough to cause problems and harms their lives, have altered the activity of dopamine in the brain that looks a lot like the patterns observed in psychosis.
Using IRM, the researchers found an increase in dopamine -related signals in the regions of the middle brain among cannabis users.
This area is crucial for motivation and rewards processing and has previously been related to psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions.
The more I use, the more the problem will be
The study focused on people between 18 and 35 years old. Heavy cannabis users had signals from neuromelanine-MRI significantly higher, which measures the function of dopamine, happy hormone, in specific brain regions associated with the seriousness of psychosis.
This increase was more pronounced among people with a more serious cannabis consumption disorder, indicating a dose -related pattern.
It is not the first time that smoking marijuana has been related to a higher risk of psychosis.
For example, a 2024 study found that frequent use of high power power increased the probability of psychosis, regardless of genetic predisposition.
“We hope that this research helps to inform young people about the potential risks associated with the consumption of harmful cannabis, especially those with a family history of psychosis or other factors that can increase their vulnerability,” the main author Jessica Ahrens, a doctoral student in the Integrated Neuroscience program at the McGill University, told Psychos.
Losing contact with reality?
An unexpected finding was that those who did have a cannabis consumption disorder did not report more personal problems due to their weed dependence, despite fulfilling all criteria for the condition.
“This indicates that people with a cannabis consumption disorder had a lower perception of damage despite the highest measured,” said Ahrens.
The findings are significant in the light of the generalized legalization of marijuana in New York, and regulators who predict the number of cannabis legal stores in New York will double this year.
While it has been good for business, critics say that climbing the Ganja train has led to a subway crime series in the city.
Despite its reputation for being the “safer” medicine, recent studies have also shown that smoking marijuana can increase their risk of cancer and accelerate aging.
“The biggest problem is that since it became a narcotic of list 1 (in 1970), it has made it very difficult to do very well developed studies, double blind, controlled with placebo,” said previously Dr. Ken Weinberg, medical director of the New York Cannabis doctors, The Post said.
“I don’t think there are enough data.”
