We all grew up listening to everyone telling us to avoid marijuana, with unfounded claims of it killing brain cells, even causing brain damage. Turns out, this is untrue and science proves it. Abundant evidence already exists showing how phytocannabinoids, that in cannabis, help with epilepsy, post-traumatic stress disorder, sleep disorders, anxiety, creativity problems, even cancer.
However, emerging evidence is giving credence to the role marijuana can play in boosting brain development, with more folks ordering marijuana delivery than ever. In fact, recent studies provide very promising data only cementing the benefits of cannabis, especially concerning cognitive function, concentration difficulties, such as attention-deficit disorder and hyperactivity, as well as neurogenesis.
Neurogenesis: What Is It?
Neurogenesis the process of growing new neurons. This happens all the time and scientists believe it is responsible for improving cognitive function, especially around memory and learning. Most neurogenesis occurs in the womb, while you are still growing, but research shows this process continuing throughout the lifecycle, just at a slower pace and lower level of intensity than in youth.
When you reach adulthood, neurogenesis happens inside the sub-ventricular zone of your brain. This is where the lining of lateral ventricles occurs, and it houses the sub-granular zone too, a crucial part of the brain’s hippocampus. The sub-granular zone has the job of differentiating between spatial orientation and similar memories, which is the reason you need a high cell turnover and regular neurogenesis.
The human brain needs neurogenesis to survive. It is an important part of successful brain development, function, and cognitive ability. This discovery changed the way scientists study the human lifecycle, as well as how we will treat drug addiction and mental disorders in the future. New neurons improve all processes, not just learning and memory while lowering stress and boosting mood significantly.
Effect of Marijuana on Neurogenesis
The process of neurogenesis has its humble origins in the body’s own endocannabinoid system, or ECS, which, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, is the facilitator for neural growth. When the endocannabinoid system malfunctions, your brain goes through major changes overall. For example, patients with Huntington’s, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s diseases all have weakened ECS.
This is where marijuana proves so effective. When you consume tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the psychoactive cannabinoid in weed, it activates the CB1 receptor within your brain and central nervous system, stimulating healthy neurogenesis again. The effect of cannabis on the CB1 receptor stops neuro-inflammation too, a major contributor to neurodegenerative diseases.
THC and other phytocannabinoids, meaning those from plants, have anti-aging properties able to stimulate the brain and trigger the sub-granular zone, the modulator of neural activity. Cannabidiol, or CBD, another primary cannabinoid, also has powerful therapeutic properties. Scientists now believe that CBD is even capable of counteracting the short-lived memory loss associated with THC consumption.
According to a study published in the U.S. National Library of Medicine, “cannabinoids appear to be the only illicit drug whose capacity to produce increased hippocampal newborn neurons is positively correlated with its anxiolytic- and antidepressant-like effects.” That is an incredibly promising finding, even hinting that cannabis may have the capability of reversing some forms of brain damage.
What is more, Scientific American explains how the human endocannabinoid system keeps the body in balance, so it will suppress neurotoxicity and excessive neural activity where necessary. Despite all these promising findings, there is not enough data to reach definitive conclusions. For this reason, researchers are hard at work conducting further studies to understand these mechanisms of action.
Debunking the Myth
Several studies now show that marijuana does not, in any way, cause permanent changes to the brain in longtime consumers. Yes, it will make you incredibly forgetful in the short-term and then only directly after using it. However, these temporary lapses in memory do not last very long, and they certainly do not alter your brain chemistry in any dangerous way.
A study published in the Journal of Neuroscience back in 2015 found “no association between marijuana use and standard volumetric or shape measurements of subcortical structures.” Instead, studies are finding cannabis improving both the manner in which we acquire knowledge and how we process information. All good news for brain development.
Furthermore, a study in 2016 at Mclean Hospital showed marijuana actually improving executive brain function in adults. It analyzed cognitive function prior to cannabis therapy and again at 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months consecutively. This study is a first, investigating the effects of cannabis on cognitive performance, finding folks doing much better on certain cognitive tests after treatment.
Finding Los Angeles Dispensaries
A simple Google search for “marijuana delivery near me” will return several Los Angeles dispensaries catering to either medical or recreational consumers, perhaps even both. You can feel safe ordering marijuana delivery, knowing you will not suffer any serious cognitive disability. Instead, learning will be easier, memory stronger. You might even grow some new neurons in the process.
