The Effects of Cannabis (Marijuana) on the Brain & Body

In this episode, I discuss cannabis (aka marijuana), including the biological mechanisms underlying its effects on the mind and body, its known medical applications, its impact on libido, creativity, hunger, hormones and more. I also cover the known adverse health consequences of chronic and even acute (one-time) use and the factors that determine if cannabis is helpful or harmful. Additionally, I detail how the various strains of cannabis: sativa, indica and hybrid strains, can produce such divergent effects depending on the strain type, THC-to-CBD ratio, total dosage, and frequency of use. I review why cannabis can impact speech patterns and one’s propensity to develop anxiety/depression during and after use and, in some individuals, paranoia. As the legal landscape for cannabis is rapidly evolving, this episode should interest a wide audience, including former/current cannabis users, those in the medical, sports, law enforcement, and educational communities and, of course, children, teenagers, and parents. #HubermanLab #Science #Health Thank you to our sponsors AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman Levels: https://levels.link/huberman Thesis: https://takethesis.com/huberman InsideTracker: https://www.insidetracker.com/huberman Supplements from Momentous https://www.livemomentous.com/huberman Huberman Lab Premium https://hubermanlab.com/premium Social & Website Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hubermanlab Twitter: https://twitter.com/hubermanlab Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hubermanlab TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hubermanlab LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-huberman Website: https://hubermanlab.com Newsletter: https://hubermanlab.com/neural-network Articles Inspired by Mary Jane? Mechanisms underlying enhanced creativity in cannabis users: https://bit.ly/3UWZzqT Adults with a history of recreational cannabis use have altered speech production: https://bit.ly/3RDBeDS Individual prolactin reactivity modulates response of nucleus accumbens to erotic stimuli during acute cannabis intoxication: an fMRI pilot study: https://bit.ly/3y9EcZR Bayesian causal network modeling suggests adolescent cannabis use accelerates prefrontal cortical thinning: https://go.nature.com/3CrNToT Association of cannabis potency with mental ill health and addiction: a systematic review: https://bit.ly/3ycIwrg Other Links and Resources NSDR Protocol with Dr. Huberman on YouTube: https://youtu.be/AKGrmY8OSHM Timestamps 00:00:00 Cannabis (Marijuana) 00:04:46 New Huberman Lab Premium Membership 00:07:03 Tool: Non-Sleep Deep Rest (NSDR), Sleep & Anxiety 00:10:08 Levels, Thesis, InsideTracker 00:14:01 Momentous Supplements 00:15:08 Cannabis Strains, Psychoactive Compounds: THC & CBD 00:19:34 Sativa vs. Indica, Stimulant vs. Relaxation Effects 00:25:55 Hybrid Cannabis Strains, Type 1, 2 & 3 Strains 00:30:41 AG1 (Athletic Greens) 00:31:56 Naturally Occurring Receptors: Nicotinic & Cannabinoid Receptors (CB1) 00:40:35 THC, CBD vs. Endogenous Cannabinoids, Dependence 00:43:14 Endogenous Cannabinoids, Cannabinoid Receptors & Nervous System Function 00:53:07 Biological Effects of Cannabis 00:56:29 Cannabis Sativa & Subjective Effects: Mood, Stress, Alertness, Paranoia 01:04:58 Cannabis Indica & Subjective Effects, Memory, Dosage 01:09:41 Brain Areas Affected by THC & CBD, Side Effects 01:16:08 Creativity: Convergent vs. Divergent Thinking & Dopamine 01:26:41 Does Cannabis Increase Creativity? 01:35:08 Chronic Cannabis Use & Changes in Speech Patterns 01:46:46 Cannabis & Libido, Dopamine & Prolactin 01:56:55 Cannabis & Hormones: Prolactin, Testosterone, Estrogen & Fertility 02:06:53 Smoking/Vaping Tobacco or Cannabis & Negative Health Consequences 02:10:06 Avoiding Cannabis During Pregnancy/Breastfeeding, Fetal Neural Development 02:18:13 Negative Health Consequences of Cannabis, Anxiety & Depression, Tolerance 02:25:57 Cannabis Use & Adolescence/Young Adulthood, Predisposition to Psychosis 02:34:36 Adolescent Cannabis Use: Brain Development & Mental Health Disorders 02:41:44 Cannabis & Pain Management, Divergent Effects of Cannabis 02:44:54 Zero-Cost Support, YouTube Feedback, Spotify & Apple Reviews, Sponsors, Premium Channel, Momentous Supplements, Neural Network Newsletter, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn Disclaimer: https://hubermanlab.com/disclaimer Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac - https://www.blabacphoto.com