Grass in the law: how smoking marijuana affects your body

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On November 8, five states, including Massachusetts and California, will vote on the recreational use of marijuana. Four more states, including Florida, are for medical use. ForumDaily decided to remind you about the influence of “weed” on the human body.

Few medical issues are as hotly debated as marijuana—whether smoking it is harmful to your health or not. The newest study of “weed” by scientists from the University of Michigan medical program showed that regular smoking of “weed” dulls emotional reactions and causes addiction, the resource writes. Men's fitness.

The study involved 108 people aged 20 with a small age (69 men and 39 women), who were also studied for consumption of other drugs. During 4 for years, 3 used their brain scans for MRI, during which participants had to play a game. The essence of the game was to press a button on the computer screen. Before each round, they were told how much they could win or lose - for example, 20 cents or $ 5. Scientists measured the moment of anticipation, when volunteers knew that they could get rich by a few dollars.

In theory, the ability to win money should make a person happy. But the study found that the more marijuana volunteers consumed, the less their pleasure centers became more active.

Photo: depositphoto

“We found a relationship between smoking marijuana and a weaker response to monetary rewards that developed over time,” said study author and neuroscientist Mary Heitzeg. - This means that what makes other people happy does not seem joyful to them. This suggests (but does not prove) that their pleasure centers have been “stolen” by the drug and they now need the drug for satisfaction. Or that their emotional responses have become dulled.”

And that's not it. Smoking marijuana can be more addictive than it seems.

“Some people believe that marijuana is not addictive or that it is ‘better’ than other addictive drugs,” Heitzeg says. “But our research shows that weed affects the brain in a way that makes it harder for the brain to quit. It changes the brain in a way that changes how you behave and what you get pleasure from.”

Photo: depositphoto

Below are other ways, good and bad, how cannabis affects your health.

May damage blood vessels.

Secondhand smoke doesn't seem all that dangerous, but it can affect your blood vessels, according to a study from the American Heart Association. After rats inhaled someone else's smoke for one minute, their arteries carried blood less efficiently for at least 90 minutes. “This effect can be temporary for both cigarette and cannabis smoke, but even temporary problems can become long-lasting if you expose yourself to it too often. This increases the risk of artery blockages,” says study author Dr. Matthew Springer.

Can to enlarge risk hand testicle

Researchers at the University of Southern California have found that smoking weed may increase the risk of testicular cancer. Study participants who had male germ cell tumors were more likely to have previously used marijuana than those who did not have tumors. Experts from the American Cancer Society say the finding of a link between cancer and pot smoking is interesting, but more research is needed to confirm it's not a coincidence.

Affects short-term memory

Marijuana smokers are notoriously forgetful. It turns out that this stigma may not be a myth. Scientists at Northwestern University have discovered that pot smokers develop abnormalities in the areas of the brain responsible for short-term memory. Study participants performed worse on memory-related tasks. Even more disappointingly, the brain of a marijuana smoker took on an unusual shape and resembled the brain of a person with schizophrenia. (This does not mean that smoking weed causes schizophrenia.)

Slows down creativity

Artists, musicians and other creative people sometimes cite marijuana as their source of inspiration. However, a study by Dutch scientists proves the opposite. During the study, some volunteers were offered “weed” with a high content of tetrahydrocannabinol (the active ingredient in marijuana), while others were given a placebo. The first group could not come up with as many solutions to the problem as the second group. Therefore, it is better not to smoke marijuana if you are about to have a brainstorming session.

Can destroy brain cells

Jokes about pot smokers killing their brain cells may not be a joke, a 20-year study of cannabis smoking shows. Evidence suggests that marijuana reduces cognitive function and increases the risk of psychotic symptoms and disorders.

Can help splice broken bones.

There is good news for marijuana smokers. Tel Aviv University scientists have discovered that “grass” helps bones heal faster and better. The cannabinoid cannabidiol, found in the leaves and stems of hemp, helps mice with broken bones recover faster. Researchers believe that this substance promotes faster penetration of minerals into bone tissue, which makes bones stronger, more resilient and reduces the risk of fractures in the future.

Can turn you into a poor and socially unadapted person

If you want to be successful, it is better to give up weed, say scientists from the University of California at Davis and Duke University. “People who smoked cannabis 4 or more days a week over many years ended up in a lower social class than their parents, and had lower paid, less skilled, and less prestigious jobs than those who did not smoke cannabis regularly,” says study author Magdalena Cerda. The scientist and her colleagues also found that marijuana smokers were more likely to get into financial trouble, exhibit more antisocial behavior at work, and have more relationship problems.

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