What effects does cannabis have on the brain?
Recent research indicates that in common with other addictive drugs such as heroin, nicotine and amphetamines, cannabis activates the release of dopamine in the brain. Dopamine release forms part of the brain’s reward mechanism, which is involved in dependence . Some regular cannabis users become psychologically dependent and can experience a variety of withdrawal symptoms when they stop using. Cannabis is also known to act on the opioid system of the brain, which may explain its properties in common with morphine and heroin, for example pain-relief. There are conflicting findings on whether the long-term use of cannabis leads to impairment of cognitive functions of the brain. It certainly has a short-term effect, but recent research has shown that even in long-term heavy users, this disappears within seven days of stopping use. Cannabis users are often said to be lacking in motivation, but there is little research in this area. The populations that have been studied were frequently ps
