How Casual Marijuana Usage Affects The Brain

Any kind of drug consumption can damage the body and other vital organs.

Marijuana is a brown, green, or gray mix of dried, crumbled leaves. It can also be eaten in food. It makes you feel relaxed, sleepy, silly and happy as well. In some cases it makes you feel scared and nervous.

Some slang names for marijuana are: Boom, Herb, Grass, Pot and Weed.

Marijuana, if even consumed in a limited quantity and casually, will have adverse effects on the brain. The nucleus accumbens and amygdala are the parts of the brain where abnormalities have been reported in those who consume marijuana casually. These regions of the brain are responsible for motivation, making decisions and processing emotions. This part of the brain is a delicate part and one needs to avoid doing things that may produce harm here. Depression, bi-polar disorders and anxiety are a few things that may result from even casual use of marijuana.

To measure the effect of using marijuana, a study was performed on patients between the age of 18 and 25. There were 40 patients in total. Half of these were marijuana users while others were regular under control subjects. The first group consumed marijuana on a varied scale from low to high. The study concluded that the brains of those which consumed marijuana in high volumes differed significantly from those who did not consume marijuana at all.

The two parts of the brain discussed earlier had seen significant changes once the subjects consumed marijuana. The volume, density and shape of these parts were all affected depending on the intake of marijuana.

Detailed studies are still to be performed and are underway to determine the effects of marijuana use for the long term users. How would the parts of the brain respond when marijuana is used over a length of time? What are the effects of the changes in the brain on the behavior and physiology of the individual under the effect.

Researchers at Harvard Medical School also performed the study and obtained similar results. However, the young generation thinks at this point that marijuana usage in moderation does not affect their health, which is a wrong assumption.