Marijuana Memory Loss?

• By Cali Shaye
• Growing Marijuana
• 14 years ago
• 0

A discovery made by scientists during the 1990’s reveals cannabis-like molecules and are an important part of the normal chemical balance within our brains.  We all have a system of nerve cells that produce naturally occurring cannaboid neurotransmitters that closely resemble thc found in marijuana. Because thc mimics these cannaboid neurotransmitters, our brains are prewired to react to the thc in pot. New neurotransmitter system found in THC Distribution Study.  Scientists attached radio active markers to the THC molecules that enable them to be photo graphed. THC carried by the blood separates evenly throughout the brain, but surprisingly, the THC molecules quickly come to rest in specific areas of the brain.  Why do our brains produce a natural receptor site for the THC? (All mammals have natural receptor sites for THC) There is barely a physiological system in which endocannaboids (natural) are not involved. The hippocampus (an enfolding of cerebral cortex into the lateral fissure of a cerebral hemisphere, having the shape in cross section of a sea horse) plays a critical role in short-term memory, advancing events in our immediate awareness into long-term memories.  Appealing research discovered a new chemical, SR141716A, in a mouse marijuana study.  SR141716A does the opposite of the THC in the memory part of your brain.  It occupies the cannabinoid receptors that would normally be disrupted by THC.  The study revealed elder rats  blocking normal enocannabinoid activity prolongs their memory.  Our cannabinoid system is designed to modulate the amount of short-term memory we have.  Too little short-term memory an we wouldn’t be able to learn anything new.  A healthy cannabinoid system is essential for learning and memory. In another study the cannabinoid blocker SR141716A was administered to rat babies with-in the first 24 hours of life. The baby rats turned off all natural occurring cannibinoid activity.  As a result they failed to suckle and eventually died.  Apparently one function of our brains endocannabinoid system is to promote the suckling and bonding critical to a mammals survival.  Munchies sound familiar? These are linked with comfort foods and emotional experiences from the past.