According to a Canadian researcher, the effect of heavy doses of cannabis on young brains is more severe than expected.
Dr. Gabriella Gobbi, a psychiatric researcher from the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre has completed a study that suggests smoking pot on a daily basis can cause depression and anxiety.
Notably, the activity can have an irreversible long-term effect on the brain.
“We wanted to know what happens in the brains of teenagers when they use cannabis and whether they are more susceptible to its neurological effects than adults,” explained Dr. Gobbi, who is also a professor at McGill University.
Her study points to an apparent action of cannabis on two important compounds in the brain – serotonin and norepinephrine – which are involved in the regulation of neurological functions such as mood control and anxiety.
“Teenagers who are exposed to cannabis have decreased serotonin transmission, which leads to mood disorders, as well as increased norepinephrine transmission, which leads to greater long-term susceptibility to stress,” Dr. Gobbi stated.
Canadian teenagers are among the largest consumers of cannabis worldwide.
Previous epidemiological studies have shown how cannabis consumption can affect behavior in some teenagers.
“Our study is one of the first to focus on the neurobiological mechanisms at the root of this influence of cannabis on depression and anxiety in adolescents,” confirmed Dr. Gobbi.
It is also the first study to demonstrate that cannabis consumption causes more serious damage during adolescence than adulthood.
Source: McGill University Health Centre
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