Marijuana use is a subject of much controversy. Dozens of studies have attempted to determine their benefits and side effects. Today we will talk specifically about the long-term effects of marijuana on the brain.
As this substance is legalized in more and more countries, experts wonder how useful cannabis and its derivatives are for medicinal purposes and how harmful they are.
- As a recreational drug.
- Marijuana is very popular and its therapeutic use is well established.
- Cannabis products or essential oils are used to treat chronic pain or epilepsy.
However, a new study warns that long-term cannabis use can damage the brain.
Scientists at the University of Lisbon in Portugal and lancaster University in the UK recently conducted a study on the long-term use of marijuana and its potential dangers.
The findings, published in the Journal of Neurochemistry, indicate that there is a significant danger: regular marijuana use can damage memory.
Researchers focused on a cannabinoid-type compound called WIN 55,212-2 and examined its effects on the brain. Using mice as guinea pigs, the researchers found that after continuous exposure to the substance, rodents had “significant memory problems”.
In reality, they could not distinguish between an object they should be familiar with and an object they shouldn’t be familiar with.
To get to this point, let’s get this straight before we go any further. Cannabinoids are all those chemicals, regardless of their origin or structure, that join cannabinoid receptors in the body and brain, and have effects similar to those produced by the cannabis sativa (marijuana) plant.
Through the use of neuroimaging techniques, researchers also found that this cannabis-derived substance affects the regions of the brain involved in learning, storage and access to memories processes.
Chronic exposure to the substance affects the brain more, which has an impact on communication between regions of the brain that stimulate learning and memory, the researchers explain.
“Our work clearly shows that prolonged use of cannabinoids, when not used for medical reasons, has a negative impact on brain function and memory,” they explain.
The lead author of the study, Ana Sebastito, explains that “it is important to understand that the same drug can restore balance under certain pathological conditions, such as epilepsy or multiple sclerosis, but can cause considerable imbalances in healthy individuals. “Remember, in turn, that “cannabinoid-based therapies not only have beneficial actions related to the disease, but also negative side effects”.
The results of this research are the result of a previous study carried out by the Sebastito team.
At this time, it was also found as one of the effects of marijuana on the brain that prolonged use of cannabinoids affects recognition memory, is the type of memory that allows us to remember people or objects that we are familiar with.
In this other study, researchers also suggested one way to compensate for this negative result: through a caffeine-related drug.
“These results are very important for the development of pharmacological strategies that reduce the cognitive side effects of currently used cannabinoid therapies, which have been shown to be effective against various nervous system disorders,” explains Sebastito.
Looking ahead, scientists hope that a better understanding of the harmful effects of cannabinoid drugs will lead to the development of strategies to neutralize them.
Neil Dawson, co-author of the study, explains: “This work provides valuable new information on how prolonged exposure to cannabinoids has a negative impact on the brain. “
“Understanding these mechanisms is essential to understand how long-term exposure to cannabinoids increases the risk of developing memory and mental health problems, as only their understanding will mitigate their effects. “