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Today, a new study published in the journal Addiction found that living near a marijuana dispensary increases the likelihood of marijuana use and frequency of use among young people aged 18-22.
“This study proves if you live near pot shops and their ads, you’re more likely to use marijuana,” said Dr. Kevin Sabet, president of Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) and a former senior drug policy advisor to the Obama Administration. “It proves what parents and teachers have been saying for decades: commercialization increases drug use.”
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- Cannabis users found to be 5 times more likely to develop alcohol problem
- Marijuana use also increases likelihood of drug dependency, experts say
- They warn pot smokers will also be more likely to develop a smoking habit
- Experts say 'adverse psychiatric outcomes' should be considered by doctors when considering the best treatment for patients Alcoholics, who did not use the drug, were significantly more likely to be seeking treatment in rehab, within three years, according to scientists at Columbia University and the City University of New York.
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Earlier this year, our laboratory published work demonstrating that rats whose mothers were given low-dose THC (or an analogous synthetic cannabinoid) while pregnant showed significant changes in synaptic plasticity and altered levels of several important proteins lasting well into adulthood. We found that the consequences of these changes manifested as a reduced sociability in the exposed offspring. Male rats in particular were much less likely to approach, play with, or sniff other rats.4
These findings parallel sociobehavioral changes seen in young adult humans exposed to cannabis during gestation. And scientists are now linking those effects to changes in the brain that are similar to what we observed in rats. Using functional MRI technology, for example, researchers participating in the Ottawa Prenatal Prospective Study observed a reduction in activity in the prefrontal cortices of adult offspring of mothers who smoked marijuana during pregnancy. This drop was associated with decreased working memory, echoing the attentional problems and memory dysfunction seen as early as infancy.5
Cannabis is also likely to affect the amygdala, which is critical for emotional development. In 2004, Yasmin Hurd of the Karolinska Institute and colleagues identified a significant reduction in dopamine D2 receptor mRNA in the amygdalae of fetal brains that correlated with the reported quantity of cannabis consumed by their mothers.6 (The fetuses were all between 18 and 22 weeks of gestation and donated by women who underwent voluntary abortions.) Given the known role of amygdala dopamine signaling in the regulation of mood and emotion, these findings could explain the increased depressive-like symptoms observed in children following cannabis exposure in utero, as well as these kids’ propensity towards inattention and impulsivity.
The problem of infant cannabis exposure extends well beyond pregnancy. THC and its lipophilic cannabinoid analogs are readily transferred through breast milk of humans and other mammals, and animal studies have pointed to these compounds’ influence on development throughout the pre-weaning period. Worse yet, given that these cannabinoids linger in the body for weeks, the “pump-and-dump” approach often employed to avoid feeding alcohol-laden milk to an infant isn’t as effective for cannabis users—a Friday night joint can continue to deliver active cannabinoids through breast milk throughout the weekend and into the next week.
For complete study and comprehensive analysis go to THE SCIENTIST 2019 and Marijuana for Morning Sickness a Mistake!
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Conflict-related neural activations. Between-group t-map of conflict-related activations (voxel-wise cluster-defining threshold of p
The development of neural circuits in youth, at a particularly important time in their lives, can be heavily influenced by external factors—specifically the frequent and regular use of cannabis. A new study in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (JAACAP) reports that alterations in cognitive control—an ensemble of processes by which the mind governs, regulates and guides behaviors, impulses, and decision-making based on goals are directly affected.