Smoking the well-known “joints” has short, medium and long-term effects on our brain and psychological health.
Although its use has been very normalized for centuries in various cultures and in certain regions it has been consumed for millennia, today we know that its abuse or habitual use for long periods has detrimental effects on most people.
- It may interest you: “The 10 main benefits of quitting smoking (and its effects)”
In this article we will focus on finding out which psychological effects of marijuana are most common or important due to their implications for the mental health of those who use this drug.
The main psychological effects of marijuana
THC is the most important psychoactive component of marijuana, although there are other cannabinoids in the plant that directly or indirectly influence the nervous system. These molecules interact with receptors that are present in some cells of our body, thus triggering chain reactions that can have effects on the way we think, act and feel.
That is why the reason why these drugs are used for recreational purposes gives rise to various psychological “side effects”, some of which are capable of generating many problems and discomfort, and even long-term alterations (this is, they do not disappear after stopping using cannabis).
Here we will see, as a summary, what are the most important psychological effects that marijuana consumption entails , but it is important to bear in mind that its appearance depends on the amount consumed and the characteristics of each person: not everyone has what to develop these symptoms.
1. Drowsiness and analgesic effect
Drowsiness is one of the fastest appearing psychological effects of marijuana. In addition, its analgesic effect is what causes the therapeutic use of cannabis to be debated against certain diseases such as chronic pain or epilepsy.
2. Intellectual impairment
Under the effects of marijuana, it is more difficult to spin thoughts through the rules of reason. It is common to get confused during relatively simple mental operations, such as arguing an opinion on any topic, or making decisions about what to do to solve a daily problem.
In other words, psychological abilities linked to intelligence are affected while the drug’s effect on the brain lasts. In addition, many times the feeling arises that thought is going too slowly, that everything is processed with a certain delay of several seconds or fractions of a second.
3. Loss of ability to concentrate
Linked to the above is the phenomenon of problems when trying to concentrate on a task. In other words, a person who has consumed a sufficient amount of cannabis finds it difficult to focus their attention on a specific aspect, and it tends to “disperse”.
This is one of the longest lasting psychological effects of marijuana, as it can persist noticeably for several days. In cases where this drug has been abused for a long time, sequelae of this type may remain in the long term, possibly due to the brain wear it produces, since it contributes to the death of neurons.
4. Memory impairment
Under the effects of marijuana, the ability to create and retrieve memories is impaired. It is common for the person who has been smoking cannabis to realize that several minutes have passed in which they cannot remember exactly what happened.
5. Dependence
Contrary to what many people think, marijuana is a drug capable of generating addiction, although it is true that its effects in this sense are not as powerful as those of substances such as alcohol or heroin. In any case, many people face a difficult challenge when trying to stop using cannabis.
6. Affective lability
Another of the psychological effects of cannabis that attracts the most attention is the lability of mood, that is, the instability of emotions. A person who has been smoking marijuana may begin to laugh almost maniacally and for no apparent reason, only to be crying or feeling intense anxiety a few minutes later.
7. Propensity for anxious and paranoid type thoughts
It is relatively common for people who have used marijuana to feel strong anxiety when considering the idea that there is a threat hovering over them. For example, they may believe that there are undercover police officers chasing them, that someone is going to rob them, or even that they are going to have a cardiovascular accident.
Are you looking for psychological support against the effects of cannabis?
If you use or have been using marijuana and are looking for psychological support to manage the symptoms it produces, I invite you to contact me .
I am a psychologist specialized in the cognitive-behavioral intervention model, and I attend both in person in Madrid and through online sessions by video call.
Bibliographic references
- Caudevilla Galligo, F. & Majada, AC (2008). Psychological effects of cannabis. FMC – Continuing Medical Education in Primary Care, 15(5): pp. 282 – 290.
- Colizzi, M., Iyegbe, C., Powell, J., Blasi, G., Bertolino, A., Murray, R. M. y Di Forti M. (2015). Interaction between DRD2 and AKT1 genetic variations on risk of psychosis in cannabis users: a case–control study. npj Schizophrenia 1, 15025.
- Curran, H. V.; Freeman, T. P.; Mokrysz, C.; Lewis, D. A.; Morgan, C. J. A.; Parsons, L.H. (2016). Keep off the grass? Cannabis, cognition and addiction. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 17(5), pp. 293 – 306.
- ElSohly, M.A. (2007). Marijuana and the Cannabinoids. Berlin: Springer Science.
- Filbey, F. M.; Aslan, S.; Calhoun,V.D.; Spence, Jeffrey S.; Damaraju, E.; Caprihan, A. & Segall, J. (2014). Long-term effects of marijuana use on the brain. PNAS. vol. 11;47. Center of BrainHealth. University of Texas.
- Hall, W. & Liccardo Pacula, R. (2013). Cannabis Use and Dependence: Public Health and Public Policy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
To the classic question “what do you do?” I always answer “basically I am a psychologist”. In fact, my academic training has revolved around the psychology of development, education and community, a field of study influenced my volunteer activities, as well as my first work experiences in personal services.