Many people tend to use cannabis to relieve stress since they find an immediate sense of relaxation after smoking marijuana. For others, though, marijuana makes them more anxious. When high, some people seem to suffer from paranoia and a different set of emotions. Everyone experiences these different responses, whether the impact is evident or not. Despite this, new research shows that smoking pot can be extremely beneficial for those that suffer from anxiety.
There is a perplexing relation between marijuana and the brain, but overall complementary. For instance, some chemicals found in marijuana (cannabinoids) respond positively to some parts in our brain associated with different sectors (pain management, mood, anxiety, etc.). People naturally have “endocannabinoid systems that regulate anxiety” and when certain cannabinoids come together with these systems, anxiety may reduce significantly.
In 2014, a study was released in a journal called Neuron that proved this. At Vanderbilt University, researchers looked out to look for the benefits of smoking pot to treat anxiety. Their results led to strong reasons to infer that those who use the plant to reduce anxiety may be onto something great. In a press release about the study, researchers wrote, “Chronic stress or acute, severe emotional trauma can cause a reduction in both the production of endocannabinoids and the responsiveness of the receptors.”
Due to the fact that parts of cannabis work as endocannabinoids, the plant is capable of providing relief by having positive effects on the system that regulates anxiety. The leader of the study, Dr. Sachin Patel, said, “We know where the receptors are, we know their function, we know how these neurons make their own cannabinoids. Now can we see how that system is affected by… stress and chronic [marijuana] use? It might fundamentally change our understanding of cellular communication in the amygdala.”
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