Marijuana makes you feel good
When THC hits brain cells, it causes them to release dopamine, a
feel-good brain chemical. This is a part of the brain's reward system,
which makes you feel good when you do things that ensure the survival of
yourself and your offspring. These things include eating and having
sex.
When over-excited by drugs, the reward system creates feelings of euphoria.
... but that's not all good
When the rewards system is overstimulated, for example, by the abuse
of drugs like cocaine, it can go
haywire and cause a dependence (or in
extreme cases addiction) on whatever is providing the rewarding
feeling.
It can also diminish how rewarding normal things, like eating, feel.
This can cause apathy and dependence on the drug.
It blocks memory formation
The active ingredient in marijuana acts in the part of the brain
called the hippocampus to alter the way information is processed and how
memories are formed. Animal studies have shown that this is
particularly true
while the brain is still developing — specifically why the legal smoking age is 21 in the states that have legalized it.
This blockage of memory formation can cause cognitive impairment in
adulthood if use happens during adolescence, at least in rats. It can
also quicken age-related brain cell loss, though marijuana has been
shown to
slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease.
THC messes with your balance
THC messes with brain areas called the cerebellum and basal ganglia,
which regulate balance, posture, coordination, and reaction time. When
these brain areas are disturbed, the user has a harder time walking and
talking correctly, becoming quite clumsy. It also impacts their ability
to drive.
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