Effects of Marijuana on Mental Health: Anxiety Disorders

Carola Salvi and her research drew me to the question of the effects of marijuana, specifically the cannabinoids of THC and CBD and their effects on mood, specifically anxiety. In her paper, it states that mood influences the likelihood of insight by modulating attention or cognitive control, which in turn modulates semantic processing or in simpler words: mood . Furthermore stating, positive affect enhances insight and other forms of creativity, both when positive mood (or reduced anxiety) occurs naturally and when it is induced in the laboratory. Therefore, leading me to wonder how the effects of cannabis would affect the components relating to insight and mood. I was able to find this article of the effects of cannabis on anxiety.

Cannabinoids apply their effects through the endocannabinoid system which includes cannabinoid receptors throughout the both and endogenous cannabinoids, which modulate the effects of neurotransmitters and other cellular mechanisms that are not yet fully understood. It is found in all the regions of the brain imperative for the processing of anxiety, fear and stress. The endocannabinoid system is perceived to guarantee an appropriate reaction to stressful events and serve as a regulatory buffer system for emotional response. 

The two main active ingredients, cannabinoids, that impact anxiety discussed are THC, the psychoactive component, and CBD, the non psychoactive component of marijuana. Findings show that THC seems to decrease anxiety when administered at low doses but actually increased anxiety at higher doses. In contrast, pure CBD has been shown to decrease anxiety at all doses that have been tested. Stated in this research, marijuana intoxication correlates with euphoria, subjective quickening of associations, relaxation, decreased motor activity, a sense of calm, increased awareness of sensory experience and internal sensations of the body, transient sensory experiences, synesthesia, craving of sweet and salty foods, enhanced perception of current activities, increased salience of stimuli, simultaneous focus on multiple things, impaired shifting of focus, fantasies of power, and belief of having arrived at a transcendent insight. Additionally, the neuro-cognitive effects of marijuana found are associated with deficits in processing speed, attention, working memory, decision making, motivation, time perception, and reality testing. 

Of course due to the legalities surrounding marijuana and its medical uses, research is limited and difficult to work with, although a lot more research must be done before deeming the effects of marijuana as a medicinal solution for insight control and regulation. I would be very interested in looking further into how marijuana can impact our daily lives and problem solving processes and hope this article I found was interesting and that you gained knowledge from reading it. 

Sources: 

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/yrruoccwcc8fc6i/AAAt1sOFdEa5cLzrRhIITP0Wa/(02.12.19)%20-%20Carola%20Salvi?dl=0&preview=The-cognitive-neuroscience-of-insight-1jie1hg.pdf&subfolder_nav_tracking=1

http://adai.uw.edu/pubs/pdf/2017mjanxiety.pdf