In November 1996, California became the first state to legalize medical cannabis. Many politicians and some physicians promised breakthroughs in better health. Thirty years later, how are we really doing?
When you use weed, your brain kind of goes all over the place. You likely know about how marijuana can chill you out, make you forget yourself, and induce the munchies. But there are other fascinating ways that the drug can alter your mind.
Memory
When THC binds to receptors in your hippocampus, the compound disrupts signals and impairs memory. That’s why you may forget what you were saying mid-sentence or where you put your keys when stoned.
Emotions
THC also binds to receptors in the amygdala, which can help you feel chill when high — and paranoid or anxious when you’re too high.
Coordination
The back of the brain, the cerebellum, is important for balance, motor skills, and time perception. When THC gets involved, you might feel clumsier and as if time is slowing.
Decision-Making
THC disrupts the prefrontal cortex, which oversees critical thinking, problem-solving, and processing information from your senses. As a result, you’re going to find it harder to multitask, feel more impulsive, and zone out.
Reward
THC also stimulates the release of feel-good dopamine in the nucleus accumbens. If you’re a chronic, heavy user, cannabis can dull dopamine response and potentially rewire circuitry within the nucleus accumbens, making you more susceptible to addiction.
Creativity
Your prefrontal cortex and limbic system contribute to imaginative ideas. THC can bind to receptors in these regions and may reduce self-critical noise, allowing for greater free expression.
Pain
Scientists believe that the anterior cingulate cortex is central to the perception of pain, and THC seems to dampen its activity — which, in this case, can be a good thing.
