A new study suggests that smoking high-potency marijuana may damage the nerve fibers responsible for communication between the two hemispheres of the brain. The study included magnetic resonance imaging of 99 people, including some who were diagnosed with psychosis, HealthDay reports. The effects of cannabis extend throughout the central nervous system (CNS). Cannabis is believed to relieve pain and inflammation and to help control spasms and seizures.
However, the potential long-term negative effects on the CNS must be taken into account. Although cannabinoid-based drugs have demonstrated some therapeutic activities against neurological and psychiatric disorders, the effect of cannabis on the neurological system cannot be denied. The endogenous cannabinoid system of mammals plays a regulatory role in the development, homeostasis and neuroplasticity of the central nervous system. The widespread availability of cannabis or synthetic cannabinoids and their legalization worldwide may be the underlying reasons behind this.
Because of the alarming effect of cannabinoids on public health, several population studies have been conducted to correlate the relationship between exposure to cannabinoids and cerebrovascular disease. All trials used a whole cannabis plant provided by NIDA, and the main results were the pain scales reported by patients. Because of the deficiencies created in the body by the drug, marijuana smokers experience pain, depression, lack of ability to concentrate, anxiety, drowsiness, rapid heart rate and disorientation, among a number of other side effects. Smoking a 500 to 1000 mg cannabis cigarette provides a THC dose of 0.2 to 4.4 mg, while the pharmacological effect of cannabis requires a dose of 2 to 22 mg.
In addition to being used as a medicine, cannabis or marijuana are the most commonly used recreational drugs worldwide. Treatments included an oromucosal spray with a combination of plant-based THC and CBD, nabilone, inhaled herbal cannabis and plant-based THC. The activation of cannabinoid 2 receptors protects against cerebral ischemia by inhibiting neutrophil recruitment. Along with cannabinoids, other predominant risk factors were also considered in the evaluations; however, these studies have several limitations.
No matter how cannabis is consumed, it can cause immediate and long-term effects, such as changes in perception and increased heart rate. Cannabis or marijuana is the most commonly used recreational drug and around 181 million people use it worldwide. When you eat or drink products that contain cannabis, the compounds must first pass through the digestive system and liver before reaching the bloodstream. Wilsey et al25 conducted a double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study evaluating the effects of cannabis smoking in 38 patients with central or peripheral neuropathic pain.
Since these studies were conducted in different animal models that included different experimental configurations, cannabinoid molecules and their respective doses, it is difficult to reach a conclusion (Richter et al.
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