According to drugpolicy.org, more than 800,000 people are arrested for marijuana, otherwise known as Mary Jane, each year. Many of which are college students, maybe even many of you. But how many of you have thought about how marijuana affects your brain. How it works and what parts of the brain are affected? Probably not many, although you should probably at least know what it does within your brain if you do smoke marijuana. The chemical from the marijuana that affects the brain is THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol. These chemicals can mimic or even block the actions of neurotransmitters in your brain, conflicting the normal brain functions. Your brain has groups of cannabinoid receptors that are bunched up in a few different locations in the brain, these sites include the Basal Ganglia, the Hippocampus, which affects your short-term memory and the Cerebellum, which can have an affect of your coordination. The THC itself, mimics a neurotransmitter called anandamide, which activate cannabinoid receptors. When the THC binds with the cannabinoid receptors, neurons and activated, neurons that have many effects on the mind and body. This was not written with a purpose of swaying you towards one side or the other on the marijuana debate. Just something to think about when you take your next trip to the clouds.
It's very worthwhile to think about the mechanisms under which drugs function, and the different parts of the brain they impact when they are introduced to the body. Not only can they impact the chemistry of your body upon introduction, but they can have persistent and long-term effects on your brain and receptors in the future. Studies that show the changes in the brain over time are particularly interesting. Thanks!