The teenage level is a very crucial stage of life. There are a lot of changes people go through during these years, not only in the physical, emotional and social aspects but also the mental aspect. These changes occur to help us prepare to be independent and mature.
By placing ourselves in challenging situations, different parts of our brain learn to work together and form a brain circuit that communicate with each other rapidly that makes us respond in different ways. It is important for us to have strong and healthy brain circuits to help us function better in the future. Some of the most important circuits that are developing during this stage of life are involved in learning and memory, motivation and mood.
These brain circuits are responsible for some of the very important processes in our body. Making sure that these brain circuits wire in the right way during our teenage years is the endocannabinoid system. This is complex and delicate system which helps with the communication between these circuits ensuring that it continues to work properly and doesn’t get damaged.
Scientists found that our body produces chemical that is similar to cannabis named anandamide and concentration of this chemical in our body is delicately calibrated for it to accomplish its delicate role. This is why when we add cannabis to the brain, this causes the endocannabinoid system to be flooded with cannabis chemical. It’s a bit like dumping a bucket of salt on your chips instead of a pinch or a studio speaker being plugged into your iPod.
Constantly disrupting the brain with cannabis impacts how your brain develops particularly how the mood, motivation and memory and learning circuits get wired. That is why marijuana use can affect your short term memory, it can also reduce your ability to focus, it can make you disinterested in the things you liked before and can lower your self-confidence.
Research shows that these effects can be greater on those who started using marijuana during the time their brain was still developing. So if you want to take marijuana, make sure as well that you enjoy your teenage years and take good care of your brain. After all, it’s the only one you’ve got.
