Marijuana and the Brain (S2E27)

Mandyland

In a (school) year when marijuana became legal, how could we resist the temptation to discuss the neuroscience side of this popular drug. With this change in legislation here in Canada, it granted us the ability to have an open conversation about it, including some of our own personal experiences along with research related to two psychoactive ingredients: CBD (cannabidiol) and and THC (tetrahydrocannabinol). We covered both sides of this in terms the benefits and the negative side effects.

References:

Jager, G., Kahn, R. S., van den Brink, W., van Ree, J. M., & Ramsey, N. F. (2006). Long-term effects of frequent cannabis use on working memory and attention: An fMRI study.Psychopharmacology, 185(3), 358-368. doi:10.1007/s00213-005-0298-7

Nestoros, J. N., Vakonaki, E., Tzatzarakis, M. N., Alegakis, A., Skondras, M. D., & Tsatsakis, A. M. (2017). Long lasting effects of chronic heavy cannabis abuse: Heavy and chronic cannabis abuse and memory effects. The American Journal on Addictions, 26(4), 335-342. doi:10.1111/ajad.12529

Waddington, G. S. (2017). Cannabis, exercise performance and sport. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 20(9), 807-807. doi:10.1016/j.jsams.2017.07.017

Wong, A., Montebello, M. E., Norberg, M. M., Rooney, K., Lintzeris, N., Bruno, R., . . . McGregor, I. S. (2013). Exercise increases plasma THC concentrations in regular cannabis users. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 133(2), 763-767. doi:10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2013.07.031