Cannabis Research

THC disrupts the nerve cells in the part of the brain where memories are formed. This makes it hard for the user to recall recent events (such as what happened a few minutes ago), and so it is hard to learn while high. A working short-term memory is required for learning and performing tasks that call for more than one or two steps. Some studies show that when people have smoked large amounts of marijuana for many years, the drug takes its toll on mental functions. Among a group of long-time heavy marijuana users in Costa Rica, researchers found that the people had great trouble when asked to recall a short list of words (a standard test of memory). People in that study group also found it very hard to focus their attention on the tests

Marijuana or Cannabis is a hallucinogenic drug that contains a very high amount of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). It can be used for both medical and recreational reasons, but it is currently illegal in most states in this country. This drug has been illegal for the majority of this country's history, and just recently several states like Washington, California, and New York have passed laws so that people with medical issues are able to consume this drug for their own medical needs

people who smoke marijuana 27 out of 30 days, critical skills related to attention, memory, and

Marijuana has been used in the treatment of AIDS, cancer, glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, and chronic pain ("Medical Cannabis."). Researchers have been trying to explain the negative effects that marijuana can have on the central nervous system and how it hinders memory as well. The constant reports of short-term memory loss by heavy marijuana users brings up the question, is it the most common long term effect of marijuana use? Although it is said that marijuana has many effects such as exhaustion, increased appetite, offset sense of time, and bloodshot eyes, short-term memory loss is the symptom most frequently linked with the use or ingestion of marijuana. But why? Why does using marijuana have any impact on a person’s memory at all? Countless scientists have been working tirelessly to find an answer for this question. The active ingredient in marijuana, THC, is known to attach itself to areas of the brain linked to memory. When the scientists injected lab animals with THC at Rutgers University, they found that they acted as though there was no rhythm to their thought. It affected the hippocampal circuits in the brain to produce animals that were acting normal but in a delayed or offset manor.

Marijuana does impair short-term memory, but only during intoxication. Although the authoritative studies on marijuana use seem to agree that there is no residual impairment following intoxication, persistent impairment of short-term memory has been noted in chronic marijuana smokers, up to 6 and 12 weeks following abstinence.

The increased use of marijuana within the last two years has been noted among many college students around the United States. Marijuana is a drug that is transformed, combined, and used in many ways. Marijuana is one of leading drugs used among college students according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). It was hypothesized that greater usage of marijuana would be associated with lower memory scores. Eighty college students completed the survey- questionnaire. There was a significant negative relationship between the reported marijuana use and scores on the logical memory test, r (78) = -.92, p=.00. A Pearson correlation analysis indicated that a higher degree of reported marijuana use was related to lower logical memory test scores, therefore my hypothesis was accepted.

Marijuana in the late 1960s’ had only one percent of tetrahydrocannabinol, compared to present day where Health Canada has discovered there is at least 10 percent of tetrahydrocannabinol and 30 percent in some cases. The tetrahydrocannabinol is a strong chemical and works immediately after one has inhaled it. Tetrahydrocannabinol mimics the neurotransmitter anandamide, which fills in the synapse between neurons and this disrupts the brain’s regular functions. In a normally functioning brain, anandamide activates the cannabinoid receptors but when smoking marijuana tetrahydrocannabinol activates these receptors which are in the hippocampus, cerebellum and basal ganglia. This affects the short-term memory, coordination, and learning and problem-solving skills for an individual. Brain development is also affected by the use of cannabis. Dr. Harold Kalant conducted a study in the 1980s’ with rats and cannabis use. He separated the rats into two groups; rats exposed to cannabis at adolescents and rats exposed to cannabis in adulthood. Kalant observed the rats exposed to cannabis as adolescents, had difficulty with memory and learning even after nine years of no exposure. In comparison, the rats who were adults when exposed to cannabis didn’t have long term effects. It is evident that brain development was disrupted by the use of cannabis in the growing years. Also, Dr. Andra Smith saw in her functional magnetic resonance imaging of brain activity of regular cannabis smokers and non-smokers, that the smokers had a more brain activity. She stated it was due to the brain having to work hard to “respond accurately”. It is obvious that brain function and development is harshly impacted by the use of

The teens were separated into four groups: heavy drinkers, marijuana users, heavy drinkers and marijuana users, and a control group (Brown et al 2014). The teens participated in interviews assessing demographics and academic performance and were assessed using neuropsychological tests (Brown et al 2014). Afterwards, the results show that teens with drinking problems portrayed poorer cognitive flexibility, memory, organization of information, and reading achievement compared to non-drinkers (Brown et al 2014). Marijuana-using teens showed poorer task accuracy, verbal memory, and psychomotor speed compared to non-using teens (Brown et al 2014). Teens that use both substances depicted same results as the prior teens, but showed an impairment with completing an arithmetic task that involves the working memory and use of attention (Brown et al 2014). Conclusions from research like these can contribute a big impact on

One region of the brain that contains a lot of THC receptors is the hippocampus, which processes memory. When THC attaches to receptors in the hippocampus, it weakens short-term memory. The hippocampus also communicates with other brain regions that process new information into long-term memory. In the brain, under the influence of marijuana, new information may never register, and may be lost from memory.

Marijuana continues to be the most widely used drug in the Western Hemisphere, its cognitive effects robustly revolve around memory. There have been many studies done on the chemical effects that marijuana has on the brain centers concerned with memory and learning. There are more productive studies relating to the effects of cannabis on short-term memory that show different memory processes effected by this drug. Though there is not much knowledge on the effects the drug has on long-term memory due to suspected confounds that temper with the process of collecting proper data, there have been studies showing lasting effects in adolescents and chronic users (Schoeler and Bhattacharyya, 2013). More research should be done on the long-term processes in order to better understand the lasting effects of cannabis use. Marijuana causes these adverse effects on memory by first altering chemical processes in the brain.

     Short-term memory is very important in our everyday lives. It is what allows people to remember many various things such as, phone numbers, directions to a friends house, and so on. Short-term memory impairment is fairly obvious with marijuana users. Many of the times users frequently forget the beginning of a conversation, or even the beginning of a sentence, but regularly they are still able to complete what they were saying without any knowledge of the topic (Tart, 2001). It is still unknown why this happens, but it is feasible that it relates back to the problem of too much information being processed faster then usual, allowing for distractions to take over the person’s mind, making them forget what they were originally talking about.

The article, “Marijuana and the Teen Brain”, from the Scientific American journal, Claudia Wallis, argues that marijuana negatively affects the teenage brain. Wallis begins her argument by stating her viewpoint on the drug and then proceeds to provide information to support her stance. Multiple studies by scientists/researchers are cited in this article including those based on x-rays of a marijuana user’s brain and others that tested marijuana users on their cognitive skills. Wallis additionally mentions a study on rats which tested the effects of THC. The author provides background information on marijuana to give the reader a better understanding of the concept. This source supports the argument that marijuana use has negative impacts on the human brain because the author also stands behind that argument. Wallis discusses these negative impacts and provides evidence to support her claim. This source cites various studies in which researchers tested the effects of marijuana on the brain which reinforces the argument that marijuana has abnormal effects on the human brain.

Day et al. (2012) explains that marijuana can cause individual differences in vulnerability among others, such as shortages in working memory and high trait impulsivity. The research study conducted an experiment that consisted of 104 frequent marijuana users; they examined the associations of working memory and trait impulsivity with marijuana-related problems. Results suggest that marijuana users with concentrated management, mental ability are more vulnerable to emerging complications associated with their use. They also found that trait impulsivity and executive working memory appear to be independent and may be experienced due to marijuana-related problems.

Cannabis, commonly known as marijuana, is a hemp plant that originated from Asia. At first sight of the plant it looks quite bizarre and unusual. Cannabis can grow up to twenty feet tall with at least five leaflets that have sharp teeth like edges. Although the leaflets make the plant appear unappealing, the flower gives off a different message with its vibrant colors, ranging from light green to dark purple. Before any part of the cannabis can be absorbed into the human body it must first go through a process called “curing.” Curing is the process of drying out the leaves and flowers of the plant. Once absorbed into the body, you get a sudden feeling of relaxation and happiness, medically known as euphoria. The use of cannabis has been

This prefrontal cortex disinhibition due to impairment of GABAergic transmission explains exactly how Δ9-THC causes long-lasting deficit; however, it is important to note that the deficits are strictly age-dependent, as the disinhibition was shown only in the early and mid-adolescent rats. The study concludes that any mechanism that interferes with regulations of CB1R signaling could potentially contribute to cognitive deficits later in life; it also infers that because there are other compounds such as previously mentioned CBD in cannabis, the beneficial effects of cannabis could possibly arise from the result of other constituents acting in a CB1-independent