Have you heard about dopamine? What is the connection between weed and dopamine? Why do you feel a happy feeling effect when you consume cannabis? Let us find it out through this article. 

 There are lots of processes that are happening in the user’s body when they consume weed. It is important for you to understand everything about taking weed. If you are able to understand how chemicals work in our body and mind, you will be more careful about taking marijuana, and you will be able to avoid the unnecessary situation that may happen. 

Though weed can’t be more addictive in a physiology part, the aftereffects of taking weed can cause dependency. It might make the user’s to be more dependent on cannabis, which will result in them taking it every day or daily. Some users may find it hard to stop consuming weed once they get dependent on it. The reason for this is the link between the weed and the chemical element that can be found in our brain, which is called dopamine. 

By this article, we will be able to determine what dopamine is and to understand the link between the marijuana and dopamine, as well as the effects of it in our body and mental state. 

What is Dopamine?

It is a kind of chemical and a neurotransmitter that can be found in our brain. It works in the reward method of our brain. There will be a release of dopamine when good things happen to us, or there are pleasurable things we do, such as sex, eating, as well as sleep. There are lots of drugs that will surely add to the level of dopamine due to the happy feeling effect, and one of it is cannabis. The increase of dopamine will be helpful in controlling your mood. 

If users take weed, they will feel a satisfaction of achievement when they are high. This is because of the increase of dopamine level. It will make you realize that you did a good thing and you will be satisfied with what you did. However, there is a negative thing about dopamine. When there is an insufficient level of dopamine, there might be a very dangerous result. 

There are some users who will become an addict to dopamine that they will only get a small amount of it. By this, it may result in a very dangerous situation or you may cause harm to yourself as well as to the people around you. Aside from that, the insufficient level of dopamine may cause an illness which is called Parkinson’s disease. 

The Link Between the Weed and Dopamine

Taking marijuana for short term use will result in an increased level of dopamine, but it will only be in a short period of time. If you smoke cannabis, it will create a good feeling. This is one of the reasons why marijuana can be addictive due to the feeling and effect it offers. 

The short term usage of marijuana will increase the dopamine level in the user’s brain. However, the cannabinoids that can be found in cannabis will not process on the neurons of dopamine; cannabinoids will act to the endocannabinoid system or also known as ECS, which will put down the inhibitors GABA. GABA is the neurons that are responsible in inhibiting the production of dopamine. 

There are some studies and reports that prove about how effective THC is compared to the affectivity of CBD when it comes to the positive impact of dopamine in the short term. The positive feeling that the users will feel during smoking weed and after smoking it, is the aftereffect of THC on the dopamine. 

Effects of the Long Term Use of Marijuana

Using marijuana on a regular basis with a long period of time will result in a decrease of dopamine levels in the user’s brain. The decrease of the dopamine will be on the part of the brain, which is responsible for some essential functions, just like, for example, planning, memory, and making of decisions.  Hence, this explains the risk of experiencing some health problems, specifically in the mental state to those long term cannabis users. There is a big possibility that it will lead to anxiety and depression. 

However, if you are one of those long term marijuana users, you should not get scared just because of the recent studies. All you need to do is to be more responsible when it comes to smoking weed. Make sure you follow the necessary steps to avoid future problems. You can prepare some foods or drinks that you may need during your smoking session. Aside from that, you can play good music to listen to when you are smoking cannabis. Remember, the increase in the level of dopamine will happen in short term marijuana use. 

Conclusion

If you are not so familiar in the world of cannabis and if you are new to it, you must do your research and study it well before consuming it. The reason for this is for you to avoid any troubles and avoid regrets in the end. However, if cannabis is not new to you, you should always be a responsible user. Before taking cannabis, you should keep in mind, and you should prioritize your safety. 

The relationship between weed and dopamine can lead to a positive effect if an increase of dopamine takes place. It will take place for short term use. However, it is important that you know when will the decrease of dopamine takes place so that you will be prepared for the effects it may cause. The most important thing that you should remember, especially if you are planning to take cannabis, is that you should know your limitation, and you should know when to stop and what dosage to take. There is a big chance of getting not so good effect if ever you will not follow the right dosage, especially if you are a new marijuana user.