Connecting Stress and Endocannabinoids with the Intake of Cannabis

 

 Stress and anxiety are common negative feelings that many people feel on a regular basis. While some have it worse than others, no one likes feeling anxious or stressed over something they do not have control over. Although there are several healthy ways to deal with stress, some people cope in an unhealthy manner. I.e., binge eating, drugs, not eating, and more. One major coping mechanism of stress that some people resort to is cannabis. This leads to changes in endocannabinoids within our system. Endocannabinoids control important functions in our body, including stress and anxiety. 

 

In the article "Endocannabinoids at the synapse and beyond: neuropsychiatric disease pathophysiology and treatment" by Sachin Patel, endocannabinoids and their effects on the human body are discussed. The article discussed how eCB could affect stress and anxiety levels. The researchers focused synaptic eCB can affect stress levels. They focused on two main regions that are highly involved with regulating stress levels: the ventricular hypothalamus and the amygdala. They also focused on the hypothalamic pituitary axis, which is highly involved in stress levels. To complete this study, they focused on the neurotransmitters GABA and glutamate. One of the findings from this study was that cells of the PVN mediate eCB release. This allowed the further determine that stress leads to an increased release of glutamate in the body. Although not correlated with stress in this study, Dr. Sachin went into minor details about what taking cannabis does to the human body. He explained how taking cannabis on a regular basis leads to changes in broadband neural oscillations. Furthermore, THC specifically can lead to a reduction in positive psychotic symptoms. 

 

Similarly, an article discusses the correlation between stress and intoxicating oneself with cannabis. In another article, “Enhancing Endocannabinoid Control of Stress with Cannabidiol,” researchers focused on the effects CBD has on our stress levels. Many people take CBD medicinally and/or recreationally. There have been several debates if it should be legal, and in some states it it officially legal. The article discusses how stress affects every person's life differently, and in some cases, it can cause harm. To prevent harm, the researchers found the effect of cannabis on stress. They found that of the two main components making cannabis (CBD and THC), CBD is what causes a decreased level of stress. They also found that compared to THC, CBD is the more effective and safer option to decreasing stress. 

Compared to Dr. Patel’s research, this article focused on how the endocannabinoid system and stress are related. It was determined that endocannabinoids are highly correlated with stress levels. The research also studied the effect of CBD on stress and found that over 90% of those taking CBD felt lower levels of stress. Both articles also discussed how an intake of THC at a moderate level could lead to a decreased level of psychotic symptoms. In conclusion, endocannabinoids are not only related to stress levels, but also other areas like psychosis. Treatments to these can involve medicinal THC, but only with a specific intake level. 

References

Henson, Jeremy D et al. “Enhancing Endocannabinoid Control of Stress with Cannabidiol.” Journal of clinical medicine vol. 10,24 5852. 14 Dec. 2021, doi:10.3390/jcm10245852

Scheyer, Andrew, et al. “Endocannabinoids at the Synapse and beyond: Implications for Neuropsychiatric Disease Pathophysiology and Treatment.” Neuropsychopharmacology, vol. 48, no. 1, 2022, pp. 37–53., https://doi.org/10.1038/s41386-022-01438-7.