People who use marijuana heavily appear to have blunted brain responses to dopamine, a chemical messenger associated with pleasant feelings, motivation and reward.
This diminished response might help explain why some people abuse cannabis, scientists write July 14 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse in Rockville, Md., and colleagues tested brain and body responses of 24 heavy marijuana users.
On average, these people smoked nearly five joints a day, five days a week and had been using marijuana for a decade.
These marijuana users had weaker responses to the stimulant methylphenidate, which is used to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, than nonusers, the team found. Users reported a less intense “high” from methylphenidate, which increases dopamine in the brain.
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6 comments:
What a waste of time and resources. DUH.
In other news, seeing lightning precedes hearing thunder.
If they drug-tested the federal government workforce and fired the failures - we could cure the national debt and have lots of job openings for capable people that would actually be productive for a living!
Long term use of pot causes mental issues ask any doctor.
Compared to the hazards of alcohol, marijuana is relatively harmless. Abuse or excessive use of any substance can be detrimental.
All things in moderation.
Freedom means that I get to choose - not the government, nor my fellow citizens.
Same study, different headline:
Pot found to inhibit possible addictive effects of stimulants such as cocaine and Ritalin(methylphenidate). Putting "blinders" on govt scientific studies is not the way to help people.
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