Marijuana was classified as a Schedule 1 drug in the United States in 1970 - the strictest definition, meaning it was completely illegal and had no recognized medical use. For decades, this opinion persisted and postponed research on the mechanism and effects of the drug. Today, the therapeutic benefits of cannabis are widely recognized, and some countries have either legalized or are moving into that direction for medical use, but the growing recognition of its medicinal value cannabis does not answer the question: is recreational use of marijuana harmful to the brain? 

Marijuana also known as Cannabis act on  the cannabinoid system of the body, whose receptors are located in the brain and other part of the body. Molecules originating in the body called endocannabinoids also act on these receptors. Scientists and Doctors don't fully understand the cannabinoid system, but it has a feature that gives great clues about it function. Most neurotransmitters travel from one neuron to another across the synapse to transmit a message, but hormone transmitters move in the opposite direction. When a message is passed from one neuron to another, the receiving neuron releases endocannabinoids.These endannabinoids return to act on the transmitting neuron, essentially giving it feedback from the receiving neuron. This actually leads scientists to believe that the endocannabinoid system serves primarily to modulate other types of signals, amplifying some and weakening others.

Endocannabinoid feedback slows down the speed. However, this does not necessarily mean that behavior or cognition is slowing down. For example, slowing down the inhibitory olfactory signal can intensify the odor, what I mean is that slowing down a signal that inhibits smell could actually make smells more intense. 

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Cannabis contains two main active compounds, tetrahydrocannabinol or THC, and cannabidiol or CBD: THC is thought to be primarily responsible for the psychoactive effects of cannabis on behavior, cognition and cognition, while CBD is responsible for the non-psychoactive effects. Like endocannabinoids, THC slows down signaling by binding to cannabinoid receptors, but it binds to all receptors too. This system simultaneously expands and spreads, while hormonal stimulants are released at a specific location in response to a specific stimulus.

This shared activity, combined with the fact that the cannabinoid system indirectly affects many other systems, means that each person's specific brain chemistry, genetics, and previous life experiences greatly determine how they perceive drugs.This is more true of marijuana than other drugs that act in one or more specific pathways, so the harmful effects of marijuana, if any, varies greatly from person to person, and although we do not know exactly how  marijuana tend to produce harmful side effects.

The obviously common and know factor is age, In people under the age of 25, cannabinoid receptors are more concentrated in the white matter than in people over 25. These white matters  deals with communication, learning, memory and emotion. Regular use of marijuana can disrupt the development of white matter areas as well as affect the brain's ability to make new connections. This can reduce the ability for long-term learning and problem solving. It is currently unclear how serious this damage is and whether it is reversible. And even among young people, the risk is higher for a young person, much higher for a 15-year-old than for a 22-year-old, for example

Marijuana can also cause hallucinations or paranoia. These symptoms, called cannabis psychosis, usually resolve when a person stops using marijuana. But in rare cases, psychosis does not go away, and can result to persistent mental disorder. Family history of mental disorder. Like schizophrenia, this is the most obvious, but not the only risk factor for this effect. Marijuana psychosis is also more common in young adults, although it is worth noting that psychosis is more common at this age. What is not clear in these cases is whether psychosis develops without cannabis use: does cannabis use cause it to prematurely, is it a catalyst for a tipping point, if not, or a reaction to marijuana is simply a symptom of an underlying medical condition. The role of cannabis can vary from person to person. 

At any age, as with many other drugs, the brain and body become less sensitive to marijuana after repeated use, which means more is required to achieve the same effects. Fortunately, unlike many other drugs, there is no risk of fatal cannabis overdose, and even excessive use does not result in debilitating or life-threatening withdrawal symptoms when you stop using it,however, including sleep disturbances, irritability and depressed mood, which usually subside within a few weeks after stopping use. 

So is marijuana bad for the brain? It depends on who you are. But while some risk factors are easy to identify, others are not are well researched, which means negative effects are still possible even if you don't have any known risk factors.