Marijuana and the brain show interesting data. The hippocampus and amygdala, part of the limbic system and otherwise known as the “emotional brain,” are in charge of regulating memory, stress response, sleep, appetite, motivation, social cognition, fear, and anger. This system includes both episodic memory, which is the memory of specific events, and spatial memory, which is the general awareness of the surrounding environment. Individuals who have suffered damage to these areas sometimes have a tendency to suffer from many symptoms, which include:
What's interesting in comparison to this study is that dysfunction in the limbic brain system has been seen in a number of diseases, consisting of anxiety disorders, dementia, and schizophrenia, as well as bipolar disorder and clinical depression. The long-term use of marijuana on the brain, such as the limbic brain system, may speed up or slow down the central nervous system and deplete necessary functions like blood pressure and heart rate. While the limbic system holds the brain’s reward circuitry, helping to control emotions, the cerebral cortex is also affected. So, the emotional and thinking processing systems are both being altered during the long duration of marijuana use or misuse.
Most studies of marijuana’s effects on the brain have shown similar neurological deficiencies for those heavy users when receiving treatment for marijuana abuse. We also know that quitting marijuana after a period of heavy use can lead to many side effects, including anger, anxiety, appetite changes, depression, stress leading to physical problems, and sleep disturbances.
Heavy or “chronic use” of marijuana refers to individuals who smoke cannabis daily or multiple times a day. There are many new ways to consume marijuana, such as edibles or vaporizers. In addition, many people will smoke for specific reasons, such as to help with insomnia or anxiety. Usually, people refer to medical marijuana or over-the-counter cannabis. Moderate use would be someone prescribed marijuana or only smokes it occasionally to help in situations like high-stress levels.
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