Some people will tell you that marijuana has no negative effects on the brain, while others will claim the opposite. The truth is somewhere in between. Discover the research supporting the herb’s potential therapeutic applications for the brain, and some of its potential harmful effects thca flowers.
Is cannabis bad for the brain? What part of this organ does the herb affect? If you’ve ever wondered how cannabis affects the brain, you’re about to find out. In this article we analyze how cannabinoids influence our cognitive organ, from both sides of the debate. You will discover its possible benefits, as well as its potential dangers.
How does marijuana affect the brain?
Marijuana contains hundreds of bioactive chemicals, including cannabinoids such as THC and CBD, as well as terpenes and flavonoids. The human brain has 180 different regions [1] , several different cell types (including 100 billion neurons), more than 40 neurotransmitters, and countless receptors. As you can imagine, the relationship between this psychoactive plant and our biological computer is extremely complex. However, botanical, neurological and physiological advances have allowed researchers to gain a firm, although incomplete, understanding of how cannabis affects the brain.
Basics of brain function
The brain holds the title of the most important organ in the human body (although we wouldn’t last long without the heart or lungs either). Some reductionists may view the brain as simply a block of fat filled with capillaries and electrical signals. However, for scientists, the brain is the most complex [2] thing we have discovered in the universe. Ultimately, the brain controls and regulates everything that happens in the human body, such as:
Thoughts and memory
Emotions
Touch, sight, hearing, taste, smell
Breathing
Temperature
Introduction to the endocannabinoid system
To understand how marijuana affects the brain, it is important that we become familiar with the endocannabinoid system (ECS). Known as the universal regulator of the human body, this large signaling network is present throughout the body, from the central nervous system and digestive system to the skeleton and skin. The ECS helps all of these systems function properly, keeping them in a state of balance or homeostasis. The SEC consists of three parts:
Endocannabinoids: These signaling molecules are created as needed within cell membranes, and bind to receptors on the surface and inside of cells. The main endocannabinoids are anandamide and 2-AG
Cannabinoid receptors: These proteins are found in cell membranes and organelles (special structures inside cells). When activated, they trigger or cancel biochemical cascades within target cells.
Enzymes: These proteins fall into two categories: anabolic and catabolic. Anabolic enzymes generate endocannabinoids from precursor molecules, while catabolic enzymes break them down after they have fulfilled their function.
In the brain, the ECS helps maintain homeostasis by regulating the flow of neurotransmitters. Unlike serotonin, dopamine, acetylcholine, and many other neurochemicals that are transmitted anterogradely (from presynaptic neuron to postsynaptic neuron), endocannabinoids can travel in both directions. By moving back through the synaptic cleft, endocannabinoids can modulate the release of neurotransmitters from presynaptic neurons.