I smoked pot for a month one night. Or so it seemed like it.  What is it about marijuana that gets people high?  Why do different people have different reactions to smoking marijuana?  How does it affect the brain?

Marijuana affects a person’s memory and central nervous system.  Marijuana affects the central nervous system by attaching itself to the brain’s neurons and interfering with the communication between the neurons thus changing the behavior pattern of the neurons.  If the neuron is supposed to retrieve something from the short term memory then the cannibinoids make it do the opposite causing the individual to experience short term memory loss as opposed to the quick retrieval of information about something that happens just a short while ago.

Cannibinoids are one of the chemicals present in marijuana.  There are approximately 400 chemicals in marijuana and 60 of them are cannibinoids.  The most potent of these cannibinoids is delta – 9 – tetrahydrocannibol, commonly referred to as THC.  THC binds to the brain’s cannibinoid receptors and these particular receptors control your concentration, memory, thought patterns, time and depth perception and coordination.  It may also increase your heart rate.  THC also affects the neurotransmitters in the brain.  These are molecules that relay signals between neurons.  Because THC affects these neurotransmitters, it may trigger depression, anxiety and personality changes.  Psychiatrists who treat people for schizophrenia will often advise their patients not to use marijuana because it can trigger severe mental disturbances and affect the progress of their treatment.