{"id":16203,"date":"2022-09-04T16:52:39","date_gmt":"2022-09-04T16:52:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/drugprevent.org.uk\/ppp\/?p=16203"},"modified":"2023-03-07T21:03:37","modified_gmt":"2023-03-07T21:03:37","slug":"how-modern-marijuana-changes-the-brain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/drugprevent.org.uk\/ppp\/2022\/09\/how-modern-marijuana-changes-the-brain\/","title":{"rendered":"How Modern Marijuana Changes the Brain"},"content":{"rendered":"
\u00a0Big things are happening for the humble marijuana<\/a>\u00a0(or\u00a0cannabis<\/a>) plant. On July 21, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) introduced a bill to legalize marijuana at the federal level with Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.).<\/div>\n
\n

Booker released a statement<\/a>\u00a0on the bill on July 21, saying this can undo the damage done by the War on Drugs.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile anti-legalization advocates like Kevin A. Sabet are doing all they can to prevent the bill from passing the Senate and becoming law.<\/p>\n

However, regardless of the outcome, this bill is likely to change the discourse around cannabis for years to come.<\/p>\n

State legalization and subsequent commercialization of marijuana has given the drug a glow up. The drug, once associated with potheads, illicit dealings, and pungent herbal smells is fast becoming a legal, family-friendly, trendy, and Instagram-worthy herbal medicine.<\/p>\n

The expectation was that after legalization, marijuana would become more controlled and safe. The states that have made moves to legalize first\u00a0medical marijuana<\/a>, then recreational marijuana, however, observed\u00a0increases in illicit dealings<\/a>, hospital admission rates, and cannabis addiction and use.<\/p>\n

Potency and concentration of cannabis and its derivatives, car crashes involving cannabis and abuse, and use in young people have also met new highs.<\/p>\n

Marijuana is getting a foothold into medicine and households. It has been the most-consumed\u00a0illicit drug globally<\/a>\u00a0and in the United States (pdf<\/a>) for decades, though marijuana use is still far behind alcohol and tobacco.<\/p>\n

The two words cannabis and marijuana are often used interchangeably, but there are differences in nuance. Cannabis generally refers to the entire cannabis plant, while marijuana refers to products made from cannabis such as dried leaves, or flowers. The word marijuana also implies that it is a cannabis product high in tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main constituent and the psychoactive derivative of cannabis.<\/p>\n

Since legalization and commercialization, the\u00a0THC content of cannabis products has been increasing. It has gone up from\u00a0less than 2 percent<\/a>\u00a0(prior to the 1990s) to the current levels of 17 percent, and possibly\u00a0even 30 percent<\/a>\u00a0as consumers seek bigger highs.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Gummi Bears are displayed in a glass jar on April 3, 2009 in San Francisco, California. Candy with marijuana in it has been handed out by mistake to fifth-grade children. (Justin Sullivan\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Recreational Marijuana: A Changed Product<\/h2>\n

Some parents\u2019, grandparents\u2019, and educators\u2019 memory of recreational weed is that of its humbler eras of 2 to 4 percent THC. There is a mismatch in perception, as high-THC level products are being packaged into innocent-looking gummies, candies, vapes, drinks, and many more. Though these are only legal for adult consumption, younger people are using it more than ever. Teenagers and young adults, whose brains are still in development, are consuming marijuana at unprecedented potencies.\u00a0Marijuana use is linked with mental disorders, and memory and cognitive decline, with younger people the most at risk.<\/p>\n

To add the cherry on top, researchers such as psychiatrist and professor Dr. Deepak D\u2019Souza from Yale University, believes the high potencies, longer periods of use, may make findings from studies in the \u201970s, \u201980s, \u201990s irrelevant to the current marijuana landscape.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the potency\u2026the weed that\u2019s available now [is] so different from what it was in the 1960s,\u201d D\u2019Souza told The Epoch Times.<\/p>\n

Back then, weed was less accessible, less potent, and most people used it sporadically. Today, marijuana is more accessible, easily obtained in both licensed and unlicensed stores, increasingly potent, with an increased demographic of people taking the drug in the long-term.<\/p>\n

\u201cStudies done in the past would suggest that only about one in 10 people would develop a cannabis use disorder (addiction to cannabis),\u201d D\u2019Souza said. \u201cI think more recent studies \u2026 in the current landscape of marijuana would suggest that that number is actually a lot higher than we previously thought.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
An assortment of marijuana for sale at Catalyst Cannabis Dispensary in Santa Ana, Calif., on Feb. 18, 2021. (John Fredricks\/The Epoch Times)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

How Marijuana Works<\/h2>\n

Marijuana acts on the endocannabinoid system that exists in the brain and spinal cord.<\/p>\n

Researchers are not exactly sure how marijuana creates its euphoric effects, but studies suggest that it is the binding of THC to the endocannabinoid receptors in the brain that creates euphoria.\u00a0There are two endocannabinoid receptors, CB1 receptors are in the brain and CB2 receptors are in the spinal cord. THC and most cannabinoids can bind to both.<\/p>\n

Apart from THC, there is also another common cannabinoid: cannabidiol (CBD).<\/p>\n

CBD, the second most common cannabinoid, also interacts with the endocannabinoid system, though its actions are more complex. CBD, however, does not give users the high found in THC.\u00a0CBD is generally the active ingredient in medicinal marijuana, and there are many studies linking the cannabinoid with therapeutic properties including\u00a0pain<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0seizures<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Since the 1900s, the potency of THC in recreational marijuana has been increasing, while CBD percentage has decreased. One can find\u00a099 percent THC oils being dispensed. Consumers can add this to their vapes, or for other forms of consumption.<\/p>\n

Recreational Marijuana: The Young and Mental Health<\/h2>\n

Though the general advice for younger people is to stay off the drug until adulthood, D\u2019Souza senses that an increasing number of younger people are using weed recreationally, often unaware of the exact implications of consumption.<\/p>\n

\u201cMore and more young people \u2026 are using cannabis, and they are getting younger,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd they\u2019re using more potent forms.\u201d<\/p>\n

He is not wrong.\u00a0Cannabis use in young people<\/a>\u00a0is reaching record rates, increasing from 37 percent in 2014 to 43 percent in 2019. Teenagers of today are also more likely to consume marijuana than tobacco.<\/p>\n

Many studies have suggested that cannabis, especially its THC component, may affect neurodevelopment in growing brains, as it disrupt processes in the brain. The brain only completes its full maturation at about the age of 25 to 26. Some studies suggest maturation may come even later than that. During adolescence, brains go through \u201cpruning,\u201d which is a process where necessary brain cells and connections are strengthened and the unnecessary neurons are removed.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe process of pruning is important, it\u2019s really important in preparing the brain for the demands of adulthood,\u201d D\u2019Souza said.<\/p>\n

The endocannabinoid system is also important in neurodevelopment. In our bodies we produce two chemicals that can bind to CB1 and CB2 receptors.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne is called anandamide, named after the Sanskrit word meaning bliss,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd the other is called 2-AG.\u201d<\/p>\n

When the endocannabinoid system is activated, these chemicals will be released and bind to the receptors.\u00a0 The chemicals are specific. They act on a small targeted area and \u201cproduce the effects for just milliseconds before\u2026they are inactivated.\u201d<\/p>\n

Researchers believe that the binding of these chemicals allows the brain to select what neurons will be strengthened and what neurons will be removed in neurodevelopment, according to D\u2019Souza.<\/p>\n

Whilst these two natural chemicals act for a very short, transient time, THC does not.<\/p>\n

THC in the body can last for minutes to hours, smoked joints give a quick and strong burst in minutes but consumed THC in gummies and other food start slow and last for hours. THC is also non-selective and will bind to all the areas of the brain with these receptors, distorting the targeted communication in the brain.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe scientific term we use is that THC produces effects that are \u2026 non physiological effects, and those \u2026 effects may have far reaching consequences.\u201d<\/p>\n

If the endocannabinoid system is, as researchers believe, \u201creally important in directing \u2026 neurodevelopmental processes, you could imagine that when an adolescent whose brain is still maturing smokes cannabis, it may disrupt that process,\u201d said D\u2019Souza.<\/p>\n

The prefrontal cortex, the area of the brain in charge of critical thinking and decision making, is the last area to fully mature.\u00a0Research suggests<\/a>\u00a0that the maturation in this area is what separates teenagers and young adults from fully matured adults.<\/p>\n

Brain scans of drug abusers often show a decreased brain matter volume in the prefrontal cortex, suggesting increased in impulsivity and poor decision making.<\/p>\n

Since younger people have immature prefrontal cortexes, this may be why early marijuana use increases risks of addiction and brain impairment.\u00a0A study found<\/a>\u00a010.7 percent of teenagers between the age of 12 and 17 developed an addiction to cannabis within 12 months of use, and 20.1 percent developed addiction after 3 years.\u00a0 For young adults aged 18 to 25, 6.4 percent developed addiction in a year, and 10.9 percent in three years.<\/p>\n

Cannabis use is also linked to mental health disorders, especially in younger people, particularly those at risk of certain mental health disorders, including depression, psychosis, and schizophrenia.<\/p>\n

Though it should be noted that not everyone who uses cannabis will develop mental health disorders and other health conditions, studies in younger people have linked the drug with various mental disorders including\u00a0psychosis<\/a>,\u00a0schizophrenia (some studies suggest a causal link)<\/a>,\u00a0anxiety<\/a>,\u00a0and depression<\/a>. Some studies also link cannabis consumption with\u00a0an exacerbation<\/a>\u00a0of present psychiatric symptoms. Schizophrenia has lifelong consequences and patients will need to be treated or monitored over their lifetime.<\/p>\n

The majority of endocannabinoid receptors in the brain reside in the hippocampus, a seahorse structure deep in the brain important for memory formation and storage.\u00a0Studies on long-term and short-term effects<\/a>\u00a0of cannabis have both found that cannabis affects learning and episodic memory.<\/p>\n

Studies on adolescents have also found that cannabis use was associated with a reduced brain matter volume,\u00a0a 2021 study found<\/a>\u00a0that it has been linked with brain aging, especially in the prefrontal cortex. Persistent use of cannabis in adolescence has also been associated with permanently\u00a0reduced IQ by 5 to 13 points.<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Topographical overlap between age-related thinning, cannabis effect, and cannabinoid 1 (CB1) receptor availability (courtesy of Dr. Matthew D. Albaugh and the Journal of the American Medical Association)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Though parenting plays a role in preventing teens from abusing cannabis and severe adverse effects, it can be hard for parents and educators to make the connection when their image of cannabis is mostly benign.<\/p>\n

The industry is also trying to make cannabis appealing to the younger generations despite regulations prohibiting minor use.<\/p>\n

D\u2019Souza argued that the age limit that has been set is \u201cdisingenuous,\u201d due to the investment in products that are enticing to pre-teens and teenagers.<\/p>\n

\u201cCompanies are making gummy bears,\u00a0gummy bears<\/em>, I would hardly think that adults would be interested in gummy bears. That\u2019s just a disingenuous way of marketing to young adults below the age,\u201d D\u2019Souza said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe really have done a poor job at educating the public.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Marijuana is weighed at a medical marijuana dispensary in Vancouver, Feb. 5, 2015. (The Canadian Press\/Jonathan Hayward)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Medical Cannabis: A Ticket to Becoming Recreational?<\/h2>\n

Studies shown that medicinal cannabis does have therapeutic effects against pain, chemo-therapy induced nausea and vomiting, and spasticity from multiple sclerosis.<\/p>\n

There is also anecdotal evidence of the drug\u2019s effects against seizures in neurodegenerative diseases and epilepsy.<\/p>\n

However, regulation of medicinal marijuana use varies drastically across different states.<\/p>\n

Connecticut, for example, approves medicinal marijuana use for over 40 conditions including cancer, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, cystic fibrosis, multiple sclerosis, and many others. New York sets no limit on the number and type of conditions.<\/p>\n

There are also states with strict laws; Wyoming only approved CBD-oils in 2015 and limited its use to seizures only.<\/p>\n

Some studies also suggest benefits in Alzheimer\u2019s disease, cancer, and depression, but \u201cfor the overwhelming majority of those conditions, there is very little evidence to support the benefits of marijuana for these conditions, with some exceptions,\u201d said D\u2019Souza.<\/p>\n

Studies<\/a>\u00a0also found that most (around 90 percent) people taking medical marijuana reported that it reduced their symptoms, and two-thirds of them used less prescription medicines.<\/p>\n

For the medical marijuana users that report addiction, around 80 percent use recreational marijuana.<\/p>\n

Medical marijuana has helped people, but D\u2019Souza argued that there are political motivations behind medicinal marijuana legalization. \u201cThose who wanted to legalize marijuana realized and planned very early on that if they could get the public at large to accept medical marijuana, then it would be a very short step from there to make marijuana completely legal.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd that is exactly what is happening.\u201d<\/p>\n

Currently, 38 states have approved medical marijuana and 18 of these states also approved recreational marijuana use in adults.<\/p>\n

The states first to approve marijuana medically were often also the first to approve it recreationally, with some exceptions:<\/p>\n

Colorado and California were leaders in approving medical marijuana, doing so long before the movement for legalization gained momentum. Recreational approval only came after the movement gained momentum, thus these two states took 12 and 20 years respectively to legalize recreational marijuana. There are also states that were late to the overall medical marijuana program, but quickly approved recreational use, such as Massachusetts, and the district Washington DC. They legalized medical marijuana just ahead of the push for legal recreational marijuana use, and it took these two states only around 4 years to approve recreational marijuana.<\/p>\n

Full legalization of cannabis often opened doors to commercialization. Each new policy further opened the doors for cannabis access, but these are not without health implications.<\/p>\n

A study on youths from 2008 to 2016<\/a>\u00a0in four states that legalized recreational cannabis (Colorado, Washington, Alaska, and Oregon) found that cannabis addictions reported in teenagers 12 to 17 increased from 2.18 to 2.72 percent\u2014a 25 percent increase.<\/p>\n

Colorado: A Case Study<\/h2>\n

Colorado legalized medical marijuana in 2000, and was the first state to legalize recreational marijuana in 2012, before commercializing it in 2014.<\/p>\n

Since its legalization, it saw increases in marijuana-involved traffic accidents, use and abuse in teenagers, hospital presentation from cannabis adverse effects, and poison center presentation for children and pets who unwittingly ingested cannabis from medicinal cabinets.<\/p>\n

Hospitalizations for cannabis related adverse effects increased by 45 percent (pdf<\/a>) between 2006 and 2008 (pre-commercialization of medical marijuana) to 2009 to 2012.<\/p>\n

From Colorado\u2019s post-commercialization period to 2013 to 2014 (legalization and commercialization period for recreational marijuana), hospitalizations for cannabis-related conditions increased by another 66 percent (pdf<\/a>).<\/p>\n

These hospitalizations do not come without repercussions, and hospitals are reporting financial losses from cannabis-related treatments. A study (pdf<\/a>) examining one hospital in a municipality in Colorado found that from 2009 to 2014, hospitalizations from cannabis-related bills increased by 375 percent and emergency department (ED) submissions increased from 9 percent to 15.3 percent.<\/p>\n

It should be noted that the municipality did not legalize cannabis under Amendment 64, however the hospital saw an increasing presentation to the ED for people experiencing adverse effects from marijuana, with the majority of hospitalizations mental health involved, including suicide ideation, depression, and so on.<\/p>\n

From 2009 to 2014, the hospital incurred at least $20 million in losses from cannabis patients not paying their bills.\u00a0Other studies examining<\/a>\u00a0hospital presentations in Colorado found that from 2000 to 2015, hospitalization rates with marijuana-related billing codes doubled from 274 in 2000 to 593 per 100,000 hospitalizations in 2015. ED visits from mental illness were five times higher for bills that had marijuana-related codes than bills without.<\/p>\n

A study on poison center reports<\/a>\u00a0in Colorado found that child reports of cannabis ingestion doubled from 1.2 per 100\u202f000 population in 2009 to 2.3 per 100,000 population in 2015, and half of these reports were from children ingesting cannabis-containing gummies, and brownies, both of which are appealing to children. Though arguably, the reports are less than crayon poisoning reports every year, however as legalization invariably increases marijuana exposures, poisoning from cannabis in children is only going to increase as the drug becomes increasingly socially acceptable.<\/p>\n

Additionally,\u00a0traffic deaths involving drivers<\/a>\u00a0who tested positive for marijuana also increased since legalization of recreational marijuana. Traffic deaths involving marijuana more than doubled from 55 people killed in 2013 to 115 in 2018.\u00a0In 2019<\/a>, there were 163 alcohol-impaired traffic deaths in Colorado.<\/p>\n

Cannabis use in teenagers and young adults in Colorado have also\u00a0mostly showed an increasing trend<\/a>. In 2019, 15.5 percent of teenagers aged 15 and younger consumed cannabis in the past 30 days, compared to 15.4 percent in 2013. Teenagers aged 16 to 17, and 18 and older also saw general increases, reaching 24.4 and 27.5 percent respectively as compared to 22.5 and 25.3 percent in 2013.<\/p>\n

D\u2019Souza likened the popularity among the younger generation and commercialism of cannabis with tobacco and alcohol. \u201cEven though alcohol is supposed to be sold only to people over the age of 21, it\u2019s very easy for young people, adolescents to get their hands on alcohol, and likewise I would expect no different\u2026with cannabis.\u201d<\/p>\n

Correction: A previous version of this article marked the 2009 to 2012 period as \u201c(post-commercialization)\u201d under the section Colorado: A Case Study. The terminology quoted from the report caused confusion and has since been removed. Colorado legalized recreational marijuana use in 2012 and state-licensed retail sales, or commercialization, in 2014.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Epoch Health welcomes professional discussion and friendly debate. To submit an opinion piece, please follow these guidelines and submit through\u00a0our form here<\/a>.<\/i><\/p>\n

\n

Source: How Modern Marijuana Changes the Brain (theepochtimes.com)<\/a><\/p>\n

BY\u00a0HEALTH 1+1<\/a><\/span>\u00a0AND\u00a0MARINA ZHANG<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0TIMEAUGUST 1, 2022<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0Big things are happening for the humble marijuana\u00a0(or\u00a0cannabis) plant. On July 21, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) introduced a bill to legalize marijuana at the federal level with Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.). Booker released a statement\u00a0on the bill on July 21, saying this can undo the damage done by the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12,104,19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16203","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-legal-sector","category-political-sector","category-usa"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/drugprevent.org.uk\/ppp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16203","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/drugprevent.org.uk\/ppp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/drugprevent.org.uk\/ppp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drugprevent.org.uk\/ppp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drugprevent.org.uk\/ppp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16203"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/drugprevent.org.uk\/ppp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16203\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/drugprevent.org.uk\/ppp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16203"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drugprevent.org.uk\/ppp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16203"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drugprevent.org.uk\/ppp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16203"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}