Dank Reviews of Marijuana Increases Brain Cell Formation in the Hippocampus
Marijuana Increases Brain Cell Formation in the Hippocampus
Published: 12/13/2011 by David A in Medical Marijuana
A Nugs.com exclusive article from David A. on the positive neurological effects of marijuana.
a good starting point. . .
lonny due from los angeles, ca - 01/04/2012 - 05:26 pm
This article is a great beginning in what will be a long waged war in performing the act of legalizing marijuana. However more and more articles such as this need to be written and more importantly they news to be read. There is a national misinterpretation of what and who cannabis users are and why we smoke. It is our responsibility to educate those who do not understand.
This is very good information
Javier Tenorio from Los Angeles CA - 01/04/2012 - 03:35 pm
There is more what MMJ can do than brain cell formation, it can boost creativeness.
Hippocampal Neurogenesis
DM Shake from Los Angeles, CA - 12/30/2011 - 09:18 pm
This article makes valid assertions in support of marijuana’s positive effects on brain cell growth in the hippocampus, especially compared to the effects of nicotine and alcohol on hippocampal neurogenesis. While the author brings up good talking points, he does not address in enough detail the crux of the issue presented in Professor Xia Zhang’s scientific paper* about the effect of cannabinoids on brain activity.
It is true that the hippocampus plays an important role in short and long term memory formation, but it is also well-associated with both causing and relieving anxiety and depression, which is what Dr. Zhang’s paper addresses. The goal of study was to test the hypothesis that the synthetic cannabinoid HU210 is able to promote hippocampal neurogenesis, leading to the anxiolytic (anxiety relieving) and antidepressant effects of cannabinoids. Nowhere in the paper is it claimed that marijuana makes users more or less “lazy” or “stupid,” although there are several studies that suggest marijuana use correlates with lowered cognitive abilities compared to non-use (this is a topic of conversation for another post, however).
Further, the claim that marijuana increases brain activity must be clarified. “Brain activity” in the sense described in Dr. Zhang’s paper refers to the role of HU210 (the synthetic cannabinoid) on formation of newborn neurons. HU210 specifically promotes cell proliferation, but not differentiation, meaning HU210 activity increases growth of “blank” cells in the brain, which ultimately reduce anxiety and depression. While some of these blank cells may be functionally integrated to increase hippocampus-dependent learning and memory processes, this paper considers the role of these cells in anxiolytic and antidepressant capacities, not in terms of learning ability.
The results of this study are a little too simplified in this article, as well. Dr. Zhang’s group tested more than just one group of mice for different amounts of time, and considered the acute and chronic effects of HU210 in high and low doses. As presented in the paper, “it has been shown that acute, high doses of … cannabinoids produced anxiety-like effects in rats or depression-like effects in mice. We observed here that chronic administration of high, but not low, doses of HU210 exerts anxiolytic- and antidepressant-like effects. To make things more complicated, acute, low doses of cannabinoids have been found to induce anxiolytic-like effects in rodents.” These results suggest that chronic use of high doses of marijuana, as well as acute use in low doses, reduces anxiety and depression while high dosage, acute use causes increased anxiety and depression.
The claims made in this article of reduced neurogenesis from alcohol and tobacco smoke are well-founded. It is not so important that brain cell formation increased by 40%, however, rather that cannabinoids are the only illicit drug that can promote adult hippocampal neurogenesis following chronic administration. Increased hippocampal neurogenesis appears to underlie the mechanism of anxiolytic- and antidepressant-like effects produced by a high dose of chronic HU210 treatment, while chronic administration of the major drugs of abuse including opiates, alcohol, nicotine, and cocaine has been reported to suppress neural growth in the hippocampus in adult rats and lead to increased anxiety, depression and physical addiction to the drugs.
It is interesting to note that hippocampal neurogenesis was not the outcome of hippocampal neuronal death, as Dr. Zhang et al did not detect neuronal loss or dying hippocampal neurons following chronic HU210 injection.
Lastly, it is important to make the distinction between the synthetic cannabinoid used in this study and the slurry of cannabinoids present in natural cannabis; while HU210 may indeed affect hippocampal neurogenesis, the effects of naturally occurring cannabis might be different due to the presence of the different cannabinoids. Also, since this study administered the drug via injections, the typical route of administration for human users, ie smoking, may present different results.
*Xia Zhang, et al. “Cannabinoids Promote Embryonic and Adult Hippocampus Neurogenesis and Produce Anxiolytic- and Antidepressant-like Effects.” The Journal of Clinical Investigation, 2005, Volume 115, Issue 11. (http://www.jci.org/articles/view/25509)
Vapor Clouds
Zach Abeyta from Denver, Colorado - 12/29/2011 - 04:49 pm
I'll agree with the detrimental effects that smoke has on the lungs, I don't care how many people have argued the different ways to smoke that doesn't effect the lungs AS BAD, but it still causes harm. Vaporizing though, gives you all of the positives without the lung damage. Sadly, it seems this "Next-generation" smoking utensil is still unknown to a majority of people. Odorless, convenient, harmless and cleanly. Granted, it's not a cheap tool, but there is way more bang for your buck. This also leads me to believe that not only is the idea of increased brain activity true, considering only someone baked out of their mind intending to make a space age tool could think of applying such a concept to smoking Marijuana. In my experience(Either being under the influence of or being around those under the influence of marijuana), the creativity factor becomes exponential. I've seen as well as participated in making some of he most ingenious creations with the bare essentials, which I see as commonplace around any smoker I know. Granted, there is also the failed projects too, granted, sometimes more so then successful, but if the creative juices are flowing, that's got to count for something.
What About the Smoke?
Eliza from Arvada, CO - 12/29/2011 - 03:35 pm
While I don't classify marijuana smokers as "lazy" or "stupid", this article gives me pause. Despite the potential benefits outlined by the study, users still have to take into consideration the smoke factor. Smoke is smoke and regular inhalation into your lungs increases the risk of lung cancer. In this case, perhaps eating it is the answer. The brain benefits without the lung risk!
