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A growing body of research and numerous ... What marijuana really does to your body and brain. ... 11 key findings from one of the most comprehensive reports ever on the health effects of marijuana.
Right now, medical marijuana is commonly used to treat a range of other issues. But that might not be all that the drug can do. Smoking marijuana might have some surprising health benefits
A dried cannabis flower. The short-term effects of cannabis are caused by many chemical compounds in the cannabis plant, including 113 [clarification needed] different cannabinoids, such as tetrahydrocannabinol, and 120 terpenes, [1] which allow its drug to have various psychological and physiological effects on the human body.
D’Souza added that cannabis use can have serious impacts on the developing brain because of its effects on the endocannabinoid system, a complex signaling system in the brain that marijuana targets.
Over time, the marijuana gateway hypothesis has been studied more and more. In one published study, the use of marijuana was shown not a reliable gateway cause of illicit drug use. [68] However, social factors and environment influence drug use and abuse, making the gateway effects of cannabis different for those in differing social circumstances.
The effects last for two to six hours, depending on the amount used. At high doses, mental effects can include anxiety, delusions (including ideas of reference), hallucinations, panic, paranoia, and psychosis. There is a strong relation between cannabis use and the risk of psychosis, though the direction of causality is debated.
Additionally, scientists discovered that participants who were heavy cannabis users also had reduced brain activity in certain areas of the brain, including the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex ...
The presence of these specialized cannabinoid receptors in the brain led researchers to the discovery of endocannabinoids, such as anandamide and 2-arachidonoyl glyceride . [citation needed] THC is a lipophilic molecule [27] and may bind non-specifically to a variety of entities in the brain and body, such as adipose tissue (fat).