Marijuana_Effects_On_Brain

Marijuana Effects On Brain Marijuana has been illegal for years because of the thought that it was a drug similar to cocaine, or heroin. Drugs such as cocaine and heroin affect the neurotransmitter dopamine. Dopamine is the neurotransmitter associated with extremely pleasurable sensations. If a drug interferes with its production and causes too much to be produced the result is extremely pleasurable and can lead to severe abuse and addiction. It has recently been proven that marijuana is not a drug that affects the production of dopamine. The average marijuana plant contains over 400 chemicals and when the plant is smoked or vaporized the heat produces many more. Receptors in the nerve cells of the brain receive these chemicals and the chemicals cause the nerve cell to change in some way. The chemical in marijuana that has the biggest impact on the brain is THC (tetrahydrocannabinol). THC receptors are abundant in the brain but they are concentrated in certain areas. One region of the brain where THC receptors are highly concentrated is the hippocampus. The hippocampus is the area of the brain that processes memory. When THC attaches to receptors in the hippocampus, it weakens short-term memory. The hippocampus also communicates with other regions marijuana, brain, receptors, heart, thc, memory, hippocampus, effects, cause, one, drug, dopamine, dangerous, chemicals, causes, area, victims, very, user, smoked, production, pleasurable, plant, new, neurotransmitter, nerve, medulla, information, illegal, highly, heroin, extremely, dependent, coordination, concentrated, cocaine