There’s no denying that marijuana makes its users feel good. But
what’s behind the euphoria and what happens to those who smoke frequently?
As it turns out,
marijuana causes the brain to release a chemical known as dopamine. This
chemical plays a role in many essential functions, and is actually related to
marijuana in more ways than you might think.
What is Dopamine?
Dopamine is one of many
chemicals in the brain that help to regulate its activity. These chemicals are
known as neurotransmitters. As the name implies, neurotransmitters work to
transmit signals across brain cells, also known as neurons.
But dopamine is an
especially important neurotransmitter. It is often called the ‘feel good’
chemical, because it is directly responsible for feelings of pleasure and
reward. Dopamine neurons are highly concentrated in a part of the brain called
the nucleus accumbens, which is sometimes referred to as the brain’s reward
center.
Many biological functions
involve the reward pathways of the brain, including appetite, attention,
learning, sleep, sex, movement and mood.
Does Marijuana Increase Dopamine?
Yes! All drugs that
people take for recreational purposes act to increase dopamine levels, and
research shows marijuana is no exception.
Just like caffeine,
alcohol, tobacco and cocaine, use of marijuana is associated with a release of
dopamine. The temporary rise in dopamine levels is responsible for the euphoria
that users of marijuana and other substances experience.
How It Works
While marijuana is
similar to other drugs when it comes to raising dopamine levels, the way it
works is somewhat unique.
Chemicals in marijuana,
called cannabinoids, indirectly increase dopamine by blocking the action of
another neurotransmitter called GABA. GABA normally acts to dampen the amount
of dopamine released in the nucleus accumbens. However, when GABA is blocked by
marijuana compounds, such as THC, the result is an increase in the amount of
dopamine released.
Interestingly, it’s not
just chemicals in marijuana that have this effect. GABA is naturally inhibited
by other cannabinoids produced by the brain. The action of natural
cannabinoids, known as endocannabinoids, is believed to play an essential role
in the release of dopamine in day-to-day functions.
A study published in 2013
confirmed this fact by showing that mice born without cannabinoid receptors ran
on their exercise wheels 20 to 30% less often than healthy mice.
The researchers concluded
that the cannabinoid system may help facilitate dopamine release during
exercise, and probably other reward-related functions as well. In other words,
without the activity of the body’s cannabinoid system, dopamine release in the
brain is suppressed.
Long-Term Effects
Since marijuana changes
dopamine levels temporarily, many have wondered whether this might lead to
long-term effects. A 2012 study set out to investigate this and concluded that
unlike users of other common drugs, frequent cannabis users do not suffer from
lasting changes in dopamine levels.
On the other hand,
studies suggest that dopamine levels may be affected for a brief period after
quitting marijuana. Users may experience a period of withdrawal during which
dopamine levels fall below normal levels.
A study published in 2013
also found that cannabis users might have lower levels of dopamine than the
average person. One explanation for this is the ‘self-medication’ hypothesis,
which describes the tendency of individuals who suffer from dopamine abnormalities,
such as people with ADHD, to use substances that increase dopamine.
Source:
leafscience.com