Experts Discuss The Good And Bad Effects Of Marijuana Use In The Brain

The legalization of the use of  Medical Marijuana has been growing in number in places around the world including Canada, Israel, ten European Countries, and 25 US states. Now, researchers gave their judgment regarding the long-term effect of Marijuana in the brain.  

The call for legalization of Marijuana has been increasing. The report which called the government to address the issues as a matter of "compassion and human rights show that a group of Medical Practitioners based in UK has wanted an access to medical marijuana. The All Party Parliamentary Group on Drug Policy Reform found "good evidence" that cannabis can help ease several health conditions.

Professor Mike Barnes, neurologist and leading consultant that has contributed to the report, points out that the use of medical marijuana for some health conditions. He said in an interview with IBTImes, that the human brain can produce natural endocannabinoid system which is chemical found in cannabis. His team was trying to figure out the importance of this system for the humans.

He added that the endocannabinoid system has a role in movement control, modulation, brain adaptability and memory, as well as various endocrine, metabolic and immune functions. Thus, their research confirms that the natural cannabis or synthetic products can manage nausea and vomiting during chemotherapy and the CBD component of cannabis helps anxiety chronic pain, and spasticity (muscle spasm).

Among their result, Barnes disagrees that the medical use of cannabis is only dangerous. He states that it is "safe and well tolerated" and only 10% of users report side effects. But, he warns that "a vicious cycle" can increase marijuana use that some could lead to addiction.

In line with this, separate researchers investigate the long-term cause of marijuana. A team of experts from the University of Texas at Dallas' Center for Brain Health uses MRI techniques and found that long-term use influence a smaller orbitofrontal cortex which is the region of the brain connected to addiction. It also showed that the greater these brain connects of the heavier the usage are.

The result was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.  Thus, marijuana affects the brain depending on the duration of usage and the age of which cannabis was consumed, as reported by The Tech Times.