We completed a systematic review of the available evidence of cannabis and/or cannabinoids and their relationship to the onset, course, and treatment of mood and anxiety disorders. Few fully controlled treatment studies for cannabis dependence have been published and those focus primarily on motivation enhancement therapy (MET), cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), or a combination of the two (Nordstrom and Levin, 2007). High relapse rates were found, which were comparable to those for alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs of abuse, but were better than those for a delayed treatment control group (e.g., Stephens et al., 2000). In light of the rapidly shifting landscape regarding the legalization of marijuana for medical and recreational purposes, patients may be more likely to ask physicians about its potential adverse and beneficial effects on health.
RESIDUAL EFFECTS OF CANNABIS ON EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONS (7 hours to 20 days after last use)
Although marijuana is becoming legal in more states, there’s still the potential for abuse and addiction. Using more to get the same effect, giving up once-loved activities in order to use, and withdrawal symptoms like irritability, mood changes, and disruptions to sleep and/or appetite can all signal that someone might be experiencing marijuana abuse. It can be hard when you’re living with marijuana abuse or watching someone you care about deal with it.
The Effects of Marijuana Abuse
When you eat or drink cannabis-containing products, the compounds need to first pass through your digestive system and liver before reaching your bloodstream. While many people smoke or vape it, you can also use cannabis as an ingredient in food, beverages, tinctures, or topicals. Marijuana smoke contains many of the same harmful components as tobacco smoke. Because of this, you should avoid smoking marijuana around a baby or children. The effects you might experience from marijuana aren’t always the same as what someone else might feel.
How Marijuana Affects Cognition
Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug in the United States, typically smoked as a hand-rolled cigarette (joint) or in a pipe or water pipe (bong). The drug is also smoked in what’s called a blunt—a cigar that’s been emptied of tobacco and refilled with a mixture of marijuana and tobacco. DeSantis pointed out that the effort to pass the amendment was being primarily financed by one company, Trulieve.
- Regardless of how THC is ingested, the substance acts specifically on the brain cell’s cannabinoid receptors.
- Having these risk factors doesn’t mean you definitely will develop a substance abuse problem, but you may be more at risk.
- The drug is also smoked in what’s called a blunt—a cigar that’s been emptied of tobacco and refilled with a mixture of marijuana and tobacco.
- For example, people who have been drug free for a decade can experience cravings when returning to an old neighborhood or house where they used drugs.
- Food and Drug Administration (FDA), a drug must have well-defined and measurable ingredients consistent from one unit (such as a pill or injection) to the next.
This is mainly due to the lack of thorough research and clinical trials on the medical uses of marijuana. But it has approved certain purified substances derived from marijuana (analogs). Regular or heavy use of cannabis can result in the development of tolerance and dependence. A person will need more and more marijuana to achieve the same effects. Like the naturally occurring cannabinoids present in the cannabis plant, there are a number of synthetic cannabinoids that are made in a laboratory. Food and Drug Administration to treat nausea and vomiting induced by chemotherapy, both available in capsule form.
However, more research is needed in order to confirm the findings and understand how these genetic factors might contribute to marijuana dependence. Cannabis use at a young age has also been linked to other mental health conditions, including the likelihood of developing psychosis87 and to developing cannabis use disorder later in life. The review authors found one study conducted in New Zealand that followed a group of children through middle adulthood while tracking their marijuana use. Participants were more likely to use marijuana chronically as adults if their parents used it, if they were diagnosed with a conduct disorder, if they were classified as novelty-seeking, or if they experienced trauma as a child. And those who used marijuana frequently as adults were more likely to experience mental health problems and abuse additional substances, even after controlling for other factors. These conclusions are limited by a lack of well-controlled longitudinal studies.
- Treatments for CUD seem to target aspects of the binge-intoxication, withdrawal-negative affect, and preoccupation-anticipation stages described by Koob and Volkow (2016).
- Even considering the limitations, there is some evidence that chronic marijuana use leads to reduced motivation, “a loss of desire to work or compete” and less interest in setting and attaining goals.
- Because of this, if you use pot, you’re at risk of your stomach contents coming back up into your throat and being sucked into your lungs before your anesthesiologist is able to put in your breathing tube.
- There is limited research on the health effects delta-8-THC and other intoxicating cannabinoids and related compounds, including delta-10-THC, THC-O-acetate, THCV, THCP, HHC, HHC-O-acetate, HHCP, and CBN.
- It has potential medicinal effects for conditions like epilepsy and anxiety.
Preliminary results for clinical trials testing a drug that increases the brain’s cannabis-like proteins are promising — especially in terms of reducing drug use and withdrawal symptoms. While people with mental health disorders and related symptoms are more likely to use cannabis,51 many factors that influence mental health—such as genes, trauma, and stress—also influence how likely someone is to use drugs, including cannabis. First and foremost is the limited number of studies that met inclusion criteria, especially for longitudinal studies of cannabis on the clinical course of mood and anxiety disorders, and for studies of cannabinoid therapeutics.
Specifically, this chronic cannabinoid exposure altered PFC structure and impaired cortical synaptic plasticity from reduced long-term potentiation (LTP) in the hippocampus-PFC circuit. These findings support the theory that adolescent cannabis use causes is marijuana addictive lasting deficits in memory. However, they are likely age-specific effects as preclinical and clinical studies have demonstrated a lack of long-lasting cognitive impairments from adult chronic cannabis use (Renard et al. 2016). Cannabis use is common in people with and mood and anxiety disorders, and rates of problematic use are higher than in the general population.