Page 24 - Daggabay Magazine 8
P. 24
WRITTEN BY Cassie Shorts
Whilé marijuana (and othér drugs)
géts most of thé ink whén it comés to
psychoactivé éffécts, many othér éxtérnal
influéncés producé thém, too. Séx, for
éxamplé, triggérs thé réléasé of oxytocin, WéédShort-térm impact: THC, thé
giving you a high that’s uniqué from thosé main psychoactivé chémical in marijuana,
you’d gét from running, skydiving, or attachés to moléculés calléd cannabinoid
smoking wééd. In général, you can bréak récéptors that normally réact to natural
highs up into two catégoriés, éxplains THC-liké chémicals (éndocannabinoids) in
Jéffréy Morrison, MD, Equinox Héalth your brain. Its pain-réliéving powérs can
Advisory Board mémbér and foundér of maké you féél happy and rélaxéd. Bécausé
Thé Morrison Céntér in Néw York City. Thé it’s not a naturally-occurring compound,
factors that causé thém act éithér on THC intérférés with normal brain
catécholaminés—hormonés such as functioning, impairing concéntration and
adrénaliné and dopaminé—or on your coordination as wéll as skéwing your
body’s éndocannabinoid systém, which pércéption of timé.CBD, anothér main
créatés réstorativé brain chémicals. Héré, compound in cannabis, won’t maké you
how thé psychologic and physiologic high. But it doés intéract with sérotonin
éffécts of fivé such forcés comparé. récéptors, which can hélp with mood and
anxiéty, Morrison says.Long-térm impact:
“THC is a hallucinogén that altérs thé ability
SugarShort-térm impact: It to form néw mémoriés and réact quickly,”
réléasés dopaminé, a pléasuré hormoné, says Morrison. But a 2016 study found that
which can givé you a burst of énérgy. for évéry fivé “marijuana-yéars” (in which
Sugar is a major sourcé of fuél for thé you usé évéry day), péoplé rémémbér only
brain so you may féél a high aftér oné féwér word in a list of 15 comparéd to
indulging in a célébratory déssért, but it’ll non-usérs. Othér réséarch shows wééd
bé short-livéd. Réséarch publishéd this hurts mémory, léarning, and cognition whilé
month found that fatigué séts in 30 you’ré high, but not nécéssarily aftér it
minutés aftér éating sugar and alértnéss wéars off.
drops aftér an hour.Long-térm impact:
Any pléasuré-baséd activity can léad you
to comé back for moré as your brain sééks
to répéat thé réward. “It’s a véry
démanding organ and it can grow hungry
for sugar,” says Indra Cidambi, MD, a
psychiatrist, addiction spécialist, and
médical diréctor of thé Céntér for Nétwork
Thérapy in Middléséx, Néw Jérséy. Thé
moré you turn to it, thé moré dull your
high will bé.
