Marijuana is making headlines these days as a cure-all for a wide range of common issues, such as stress, anxiety, depression, sleep problems, and pain management. Marketers are aggressively pushing this message to consumers, encouraging the use of cannabis as a natural treatment. The message appears to be working, as a national survey in 2018 found that 81% of Americans believe marijuana possesses at least one health benefit. This same survey reported that nearly 30% of adults in the U.S. believe that smoking weed helps prevent certain health issues.
But that is only one side of the story. Marketers neglect to mention that a wealth of research shows that marijuana also poses a variety of risks to users. This blog explores 7 common myths about cannabis and presents scientific evidence that gives you the real facts.
To help you be more informed about marijuana, it’s essential to understand that it contains two active compounds:
- THC (the primary psychoactive compound that causes a high)
- CBD (a non-psychoactive compound)
The myths explored in this blog are largely related to the psychoactive component of marijuana.
Some people may get the giggles while smoking pot, but the happy high doesn’t last. Research shows that cannabis use during adolescence increases the likelihood of depression.
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Myth: Marijuana makes you happy.
Fact: Marijuana increases the risk of depression and suicidality.
Some people may get the giggles while smoking pot, but the happy high doesn’t last. In 2019 JAMA Psychiatry published a review of 11 studies involving 23,317 people. This review found that cannabis use during adolescence increases the likelihood of becoming depressed, having suicidal thoughts, or attempting suicide in young adulthood.
Myth: Cannabis helps you sleep better.
Fact: Cannabis can disrupt sleep.
For some people, cannabis induces sleepiness, however, as the drug wears off it has the reverse effect, causing some individuals to awaken in the middle of the night and have a hard time going back to sleep. According to a 2022 study in Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, adults who had used cannabis in the previous month were more likely to sleep less than 6 hours or more than 9 hours. Those who used the drug most frequently tended to be at the extremes of sleep duration—getting too little or too much sleep.
Myth: Weed is a natural way to calm anxiety.
Fact: Weed can make some people more anxious.
In the field of psychiatry, the use of marijuana and CBD oil as treatment options for mental health issues like anxiety is becoming more common. Although many people do find temporary relief from anxiousness, not everyone does. In fact, it makes some people feel worse. Research in the journal Neurology shows that higher concentrations of THC are associated with increases in anxiety. Racing thoughts and a fast heart rate, common symptoms of anxiety, have been noted in THC users.
Myth: Cannabis makes you more creative.
Fact: Cannabis can induce psychosis.
Although you may feel more expressive while high from marijuana, you are also at increased risk for psychosis, according to research. Just look at the findings of a 2019 study in The Lancet Psychiatry, which suggests that 10% of new cases of psychosis may be linked to high-potency cannabis. The study also found that daily users of high-potency weed were 5 times more likely to develop a psychotic disorder.
Myth: Marijuana doesn’t affect memory.
Fact: Marijuana may impair short-term and long-term memory.
Using marijuana temporarily interferes with thinking and negatively impacts short-term memory and working memory. This occurs because THC, the psychoactive compound in marijuana, attaches to receptors in the brain’s memory centers, including the hippocampus. A growing body of research points to a link between cannabis use and memory problems later in life. A 2016 study in JAMA Internal Medicine found that past use of the drug is associated with a decline in verbal memory. Animal research shows that exposure to THC during adolescence is linked to memory problems later in life. In addition, the brain imaging work over the last 30 years at Amen Clinics shows that marijuana use negatively impacts brain structures involved with memory. A 2017 study by Amen Clinics published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease on more than 1,000 marijuana users found that a decrease in blood flow was most pronounced in the hippocampus, one of the brain’s major memory centers.
Myth: Cannabis is an innocuous substance.
Fact: Cannabis use negatively impacts the brain.
The Amen Clinics study mentioned above found decreased blood flow in nearly every area of the brain in marijuana users. In the world’s largest brain imaging study based on 62,454 SPECT scans, marijuana use was associated with accelerated aging in the brain. You don’t want a brain that is older than you are.
Myth: Smoking pot doesn’t affect your kids.
Fact: Smoking pot can harm future generations.
According to a 2017 report in JAMA, the percentage of women who are smoking weed while pregnant has increased from 2.4% to 3.9%, and it can have disturbing consequences for their offspring. A 2018 review of existing research shows that prenatal exposure to marijuana can impact fetal brain development, lead to cognitive deficits, and increase the risk of neuropsychological problems. In three large-scale longitudinal studies from the U.S., Canada, and the Netherlands, the children of marijuana users exhibited greater impulsivity and hyperactivity, were more likely to have memory issues and had lower IQ scores compared to the offspring of non-users. Other research shows that as adolescents, the kids of pot smokers are at a much greater risk of having attention problems, depressive symptoms, and delinquent behavior.
When it comes to marijuana, caution is advised because we need to protect our own cognitive function and psychological health as well as that of future generations.
Addictions, anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues can’t wait. At Amen Clinics, we’re here for you. We offer in-clinic brain scanning and appointments, as well as mental telehealth, clinical evaluations, and therapy for adults, teens, children, and couples. Find out more by speaking to a specialist today at 888-288-9834 or visit our contact page here.
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