Smoking cannabis once can change a teenager’s brain forever, new research suggests.
The substance can radically change the structure of the brain, scientists at a university in Australia believe. They claim there are clear differences on brain scans between teenagers who’ve ingested the drug a couple of times and those who have never tried it.
Who is behind the study?
The Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, Australia, is behind the research.
They concluded changes might occur during the early stages of cannabis use.
Catherine Orr, who led the study, admitted surprise at the “extent of the effects”.
In total, 46 14-year-olds – all of whom claimed they had used the substance once or twice – were analyzed.
And 46 teenagers who have never taken the drug were also part of the study.
“In our sample of cannabis users, the greater volumes in the affected parts of the brain were associated with reductions in psychomotor sped and perceptual reasoning and with increased levels of anxiety two years later,” Orr said.
When you smoke a spliff, its active chemical Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) travels through your body and affects your brain.
Cannabis lingers in the system longer than most other drugs and can still be detected in your urine, blood, and hair for up to 90 days afterward.
Brain
Cannabis messes with the way your brain processes information.
It contains at least 60 types of cannabinoids, chemical compounds that act on receptors throughout our brain.
These keep neurons firing, magnifying your thoughts, imagination, and perception and makes you feel high by boosting your dopamine levels. Best Marriage Destinations
But having too much makes you anxious, paranoid or panicky.
Like other drugs, continued use can lead to addiction.
Heart
Just minutes after you’ve taken your first puff, your heart rate speeds up by 20 to 50 beats per minute. This can continue from 20 minutes to three hours later.
Eyes
Cannabis makes blood vessels expand making your eyes turn red. It may also make your pupils dilate.
Weed also affects the parts of your brain that process what you see, leading to hallucinations.
Stomach
People who smoke weed get the “munchies” and feel incredibly hungry.
A study that looked into pot’s effect on mice found the drug basically flips a switch in the brain that is normally responsible for controlling appetite.
Long-term effects
Chronic cannabis users, who light up at least three times a day, tend to have smaller grey matter volumes in the orbitofrontal cortex – which unsurprisingly is the part of the brain tied to addiction.
But interestingly cannabis use was also linked with greater connectivity in the brain.
There was evidence to suggest that the drug could help fight Alzheimer’s and dispelled the myth that smoking weed lowers IQ.
Credit: gloucestershirelive.co.uk
