Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is a psychoactive ingredient that contributes to marijuana use in college students. There is a large body of evidence suggesting that marijuana use can cause serious alterations in a person’s brain and behaviors. Further abuse of marijuana could lead to addiction, poisoning, and mental health issues, such as depression, anxiety, and suicide planning.¹² Therefore, it can be safe to say that students abusing marijuana could experience specific episodes of health problems that could be inherently hard to overcome and replace with something positive. Overall, the issue with students using marijuana is that it forces them to get used to the effects of THC rather quickly.³ The reactions within the human body cause behavioral changes that cannot be averted if no attention has been paid to marijuana use previously.
Another important question that has to be reviewed when discussing marijuana abuse in students is the fact that endogenous cannabinoids are synthesized within the human body. The cannabinoid receptors activate endocannabinoids upon binding with them, as various tissues and organs, such as muscles, brain, and circulating cells, contain endocannabinoids.⁴ It is known that one of the main functions of cannabinoids is to maintain homeostasis and keep blood sugar, body temperature, and appetite within acceptable limits.⁵ Also, it has to be noted that an underdeveloped brain could be gradually degraded by marijuana use. For THC to stimulate the endocannabinoid system, the body attaches endocannabinoids to respective receptors so that the latter can communicate the need to respond to an impulse.
Research conducted by Sagheddu et al.⁶ suggests that the firing rates of dopamine neurons tend to increase after the use of THC. It means that the brain reacts rather actively to the impulse given by the use of psychoactive ingredients. On the other hand, it is also crucial to highlight the role of synaptogenesis and its association with THC stimulation. According to Calabrese and Rubio‐Casillas⁷, THC use limits neurogenesis and reduces the overall synaptic plasticity, specifically in hippocampal regions. To study the effects of THC, it would be rather effective to compose a sample of younger individuals. It would help the researchers gain better insight into how cognitive and behavioral functioning could be impacted by marijuana abuse. It should be noted that there is a rather extensive list of psychological aspects that should be considered when dwelling on exposure to THC. Anxiety and depression cannot be discounted because they could transform into suicidal ideation with time.
Overall, it can be concluded that the use of THC poses a specific threat to a variety of gender and age groups. The changes in behavioral and physiological functioning are going to create even more challenges over time. Additional research would help me gain improved insight into the issues that can be caused by THC abuse while also highlighting the issues that may arise upon younger individuals using marijuana.
References
Dai H, Catley D, Richter K, Goggin K, Ellerbeck E. Electronic Cigarettes and Future Marijuana Use: A Longitudinal Study. Pediatrics. 2018;141(5). doi:10.1542/peds.2017-3787
Barker A, Moreno M. Effects of Recreational Marijuana Legalization on College Students: A Longitudinal Study of Attitudes, Intentions, and Use Behaviors. Journal of Adolescent Health. 2021;68(1):110-115. doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2020.03.039
Willford J, Goldschmidt L, De Genna N, Day N, Richardson G. A Longitudinal Study of the Impact of Marijuana on Adult Memory Function: Prenatal, Adolescent, and Young Adult Exposures. Neurotoxicol Teratol. 2021;84:106958. doi:10.1016/j.ntt.2021.106958
Casey J, Cservenka A. Effects of Frequent Marijuana Use on Risky Decision-Making in Young Adult College Students. Addict Behav Rep. 2020;11:100253. doi:10.1016/j.abrep.2020.100253
Maia J, Midão L, Cunha S et al. Effects of Cannabis Tetrahydrocannabinol on Endocannabinoid Homeostasis in Human Placenta. Arch Toxicol. 2019;93(3):649-658. doi:10.1007/s00204-019-02389-7
Sagheddu C, Traccis F, Serra V et al. Mesolimbic Dopamine Dysregulation as a Signature of Information Processing Deficits Imposed by Prenatal THC Exposure. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry. 2021;105:110128. doi:10.1016/j.pnpbp.2020.110128
Calabrese E, Rubio‐Casillas A. Biphasic Effects of THC in Memory and Cognition. Eur J Clin Invest. 2018;48(5). doi:10.1111/eci.12920
Footnotes
- Dai H, Catley D, Richter K, Goggin K, Ellerbeck E. Electronic Cigarettes and Future Marijuana Use: A Longitudinal Study. Pediatrics. 2018;141(5). doi:10.1542/peds.2017-3787
- Barker A, Moreno M. Effects of Recreational Marijuana Legalization on College Students: A Longitudinal Study of Attitudes, Intentions, and Use Behaviors. Journal of Adolescent Health. 2021;68(1):110-115. doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2020.03.039
- Willford J, Goldschmidt L, De Genna N, Day N, Richardson G. A Longitudinal Study of the Impact of Marijuana on Adult Memory Function: Prenatal, Adolescent, and Young Adult Exposures. Neurotoxicol Teratol. 2021;84:106958. doi:10.1016/j.ntt.2021.106958
- Casey J, Cservenka A. Effects of Frequent Marijuana Use on Risky Decision-Making in Young Adult College Students. Addict Behav Rep. 2020;11:100253. doi:10.1016/j.abrep.2020.100253
- Maia J, Midão L, Cunha S et al. Effects of Cannabis Tetrahydrocannabinol on Endocannabinoid Homeostasis in Human Placenta. Arch Toxicol. 2019;93(3):649-658. doi:10.1007/s00204-019-02389-7
- Sagheddu C, Traccis F, Serra V et al. Mesolimbic Dopamine Dysregulation as a Signature of Information Processing Deficits Imposed by Prenatal THC Exposure. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry. 2021;105:110128. doi:10.1016/j.pnpbp.2020.110128
- Calabrese E, Rubio‐Casillas A. Biphasic Effects of THC in Memory and Cognition. Eur J Clin Invest. 2018;48(5). doi:10.1111/eci.12920