The hashish and marijuana craze is back , and you just have to look at social media to understand how true this is. We speak of joints as if they were a medicine capable of treating pain, and we avoid commenting on the extent to which this type of substances ends up causing the deterioration of the brain of those who consume them regularly. Whether we are talking about marijuana or hashish, joints have many counterproductive health effects that are sometimes not taken into account.

We are not talking only about the symptoms that occur right at the time of consumption of the joints, but about something that goes further, which ends up affecting the brain after prolonged consumption. At the moment in which marijuana or hashish is consumed, what the person usually notices is a kind of sedation and, at the same time, a euphoria; they work as painkillers, and this is mainly noted in psychomotor coordination. In addition, the appetite may increase at first, but in the long term it ends up decreasing.

There is a very famous myth that neither marijuana nor hashish causes any kind of addiction, and this is completely false . Little by little, the body gets used to these substances , and when they suddenly disappear, a kind of withdrawal can end up being noticed, as well as a physical and psychological dependence. But, did you know that there is a greater damage? That the continued consumption of joints causes a very marked deterioration of the brain?

Yes, these substances do affect the brain

The main problem with substances such as marijuana, hashish or cannabis, is that they have a great social acceptance . The true symptoms are not generally known; The deterioration that it can end up producing in the health of the person who consumes it is ignored, and it is believed that it only causes positive changes, when nothing is further from reality.

The joints directly affect the neurotransmitters in our brain , these being the ones in charge of controlling our nervous system; altering them, in any way, causes our brain to end up with very important failures. If we add to this that marijuana use usually begins during adolescence, when the brain is more sensitive, the deterioration will be even more evident.

At the moment in which these substances are consumed, the active component of them quickly reaches the bloodstream and the brain; This ends up stimulating the release of dopamine and opioids , which create a false sense of well-being (hence why people consume these types of substances). This is what ends up causing addiction, since, as human beings that we are, we constantly seek pleasure ; When we notice that a product gives it to us, it is very difficult for us to separate ourselves from it, and all we want is to continue consuming it. That is to say: yes, they cause addiction, and also this affects us in a negative way.

They can cause psychiatric and psychological disorders

In addition to the damage to neurotransmitters, which we have already talked about, joints can end up leading to a multitude of psychiatric and psychological disorders . If its consumption is regular (and normally it tends to become regular, due to the addiction it causes and of which we have just talked about) it can end up causing a great deterioration in the brain, and a multitude of changes. The injuries that occur are often referred to as “cognitive” and act as triggers when it comes to causing psychiatric problems, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, anxiety, depression … Or even problems that we could consider minor, but that are also present, such as lack of concentration or memory problems.

The “good name” of marijuana and hashish, or the fact that they are considered “recreational” drugs, should not detract from the fact that they are still drugs and, as such, cause health problems if used, whether in habitual or sporadic. Because not all brains work in the same way, and there are those who can be affected much more quickly.