Subtitles section Play video
-
For centuries, humans have been using substances to alter their state of mind.
-
From caffeine, cigarettes and alcohol, to more extreme drugs.
-
But as the most commonly used illicit drug in North America, where does marijuana fit in?
-
And how exactly does it effect your brain?
-
First, we need to understand how the brain functions.
-
Your neurons are the cells that process information in the brain,
-
by releasing chemicals called "neuro-transmitters" from the axon of one neuron to the dendrite of another.
-
They change the electrical charge of the receiving neuron, consequently exciting or inhibiting it.
-
If excited, the signal is passed on.
-
Though it sounds simple, these signals work together and the effect is quickly compounded into complex configurations within milliseconds, flushing over the entire brain.
-
This is what happens every single time you think, breath, or move.
-
So what is going on inside your brain when you are smoking marijuana?
-
Well, unlike alcohol which contains molecules nothing like those in our body.
-
Cannabis contains molecules that resemble those produced in our very own brains.
-
Cannabinoids, though naturally these cannabinoids circulate in much lower quantities compared to the large influx imposed by smoking.
-
Specifically the chemical Tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, resembles a natural transmitter called Anandamide.
-
These cannabinoids are specialized neurotransmitters released by neurons having just fired.
-
Neurons temporarily becomes unresponsive after firing, to prevent them from overreacting or being to dominant.
-
This allows your brain to function in a calm and controlled manner.
-
But cannabinoids interrupt this approach in some parts of the brain.
-
Instead, they remove the refractory period of neurons, that are already active and cause your thoughts, imagination and perception to utterly magnify itself.
-
This means once you begin your train of thought, it becomes the most significant and profound thing ever.
-
You can't see the big picture or even recall your last epiphany, because you are caught up in the momentum of a particular idea, and your neurons keep firing.
-
Until a new idea takes hold, and you go off on a new tangent.
-
These cannabinoids also effect the levels of dopamine and norephinephrine in your brain.
-
Often leading to a sense of euphoria, relaxation, pain modulation and general enhancement of an experience, though sometimes causing anxiety.
-
Furthermore, there are cannabinoid receptors in areas controlling short term memory, learning, coordination, movement control and higher cognitive functions.
-
Got a burning question you want answered? Ask it in the comments or on facebook and twitter.
-
And subscribe for more weekly science videos.