What does cannabis do to the brain?
It's all about receptors
The compounds in cannabis are able to interact with our bodies through the endocannabinoid system. This is a system of receptors in our body that is specifically designed to bind with cannabinoids such as those found in cannabis. In fact, apart from several similar chemicals that we naturally produce, cannabis is the only major source that humans have found to contain cannabinoids - hence the name endocannabinoid system. All of us have this system - it's as if we evolved specifically to use cannabis! Although we focus on the brain, the endocannabinoid system is distributed throughout the body and its receptors are present almost everywhere in the central nervous system. This explains why the different cannabinoids in cannabis have different effects throughout the body. The receptors are divided into two different categories, CB1 receptors, which are found in the brain, and CB2 receptors, which are found in the rest of the body.
Cannabis: From the blood to the brain
Now that we've covered how cannabis compounds interact with the brain, it's time to look at what it actually does specifically. Let's say the user smokes it - when they inhale the smoke, cannabinoids like THC or CBD pass through the lungs and directly into the bloodstream. From there, they are sent to the brain, where the cannabinoids begin to bind to receptors.
A caustic mood: It's all in the mind
One of the most well-known effects of cannabis on the brain is the illusion of hunger, known as the "corrosive" mood. THC binds to CB1 receptors in the hypothalamus, the area of the brain that regulates appetite. This causes the brain to send signals that tell the body it is hungry and needs more food. The thing is, the body isn't actually any hungrier or in need of more nutrition than usual - it's just the cannabinoids that make your mind think it is. While this may add an extra pound or two of weight to a normal, healthy person, it is an extremely good thing for those who are trying to gain weight, such as those who are suffering from loss of appetite due to chemotherapy or an eating disorder.
Time: A lifetime in the blink of an eye
Another effect of cannabis on the brain is time distortion. As many of us have experienced firsthand, cannabis can have a stimulating effect on the brain. This is because cannabis affects the dopamine system in the brain. This chemical is one of the main reasons why smoking cannabis is pleasurable, but it also makes events seem faster than they actually are. The combined effect of cannabis on immediate memory (see below) can make hours seem like minutes and minutes seem like hours.
Memory: did it really happen?
The last major effect of cannabis on the brain is its ability to disrupt and erase memory. Now don't worry, despite what is generally believed, cannabis use will not permanently destroy your memory, but it can severely impair it during the periods when a person is under its influence. That's because the hippocampus - the area of the brain associated with short-term memory - has a very high concentration of CB1 receptors. While this is not the long-term impact of cannabis use, as function is restored when its effects wear off, it is a way of showing how some strains, such as Amnesia Haze, got their names!
All together, it helps the human race
While these effects may or may not look individually as desirable, when viewed as a whole they have great potential to help those in need. They also go a long way towards explaining why cannabis use makes people feel good. Of course, we haven't mentioned how cannabis affects the body, but just looking at how cannabis interacts with the brain can provide a lot of information about its potential.
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