Sex, Drugs and Neurotransmitters

in #science6 years ago

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Drugs. In one way or another, they’re a part of everyone’s life. Some take illegal drugs, some legal ones, some take drugs that are not necessarily considered drugs. But be it cocaine, alcohol or sugar, it all has an effect on our body, good or bad.

@techslut asked me to write a post about the endocannabinoid system and cannabis. I thought I already knew plenty about this and wouldn’t need to do much research. I was wrong.

The endocannabinoid system is incredibly complex. It influences cognitive processes, fertility, appetite, pain, memory, mood and might even contribute to what is known as “runner’s high”. At first, it was believed that there are only two receptors for the system, CB1 (found mainly at presynaptic sites) and CB2 (mainly found on immune cells). And then … they discovered more.

Isn’t biology great.

To simplify this post, I will try to concentrate on CB1 and CB2 with emphasis on CB1. CB1 is, as already mentioned, located at presynaptic sites. What does that mean? @suesa

A synapse where neurons are in contact with each other and transmit information. Usually, the order is neuron 1 releases neurotransmitters via the presynaptic side, those pass through the synapse and enter neuron 2 at the postsynaptic site. Neuron 2 then transmits that information.

For CB1, the transmission is the other way around! The transmitter, endocannabinoids, comes from neuron 2 and enters neuron 1 through the receptor. The result is that neuron one takes up less calcium, which plays a significant role in the release of neurotransmitters.

Long story short: endocannabinoids cause neuron 1 to transmit less information. That can cause pain relief. It’s no surprise that the endocannabinoid system can be found in most, if not all mammals.

Now, endocannabinoids are produced by your body (endo comes from the Greek endon which means within or internal). But they’re not the only cannabinoids, which you’re probably aware of. I’m talking about the well-beloved plant marijuana - or cannabis.

I can’t count how many times I’ve been told: “cannabis is completely harmless!”. While I agree that there are drugs much worse than cannabis, I can’t agree that it’s completely harmless for everyone. It affects the endocannabinoid system and you shouldn’t trust anything that influences a system that controls so many things in your body.

Want an example?

There have been studies that suggest that cannabis might have a negative influence on male fertility.

Sperm production and maturation are influenced by the endocannabinoid system, which means excessive use of cannabis can lead to damaged or just generally very weak sperm. And while low doses of cannabis might increase libido, higher doses are associated with a total loss of it and even erectile dysfunctions.

One study found a link between marijuana and lower testosterone, but a different study didn’t. Some studies suggest a link between the use of cannabis and more breast tissue in males (“man boobs”). None of this is certain, but it should be enough to be careful.

But what else does cannabis do? Why does it feel so great? Why are people taking it?

Like most drugs, cannabis increases the amount of dopamine released in your body while you’re consuming it. As dopamine is part of your “reward and pleasure” system, it makes you feel good. But it also affects higher cognitive functions, learning, eating habits and other important bodily processes.

And when you stop consuming cannabis, your dopamine level drops - but not to normal levels.

Significantly lower dopamine levels were found in those who use cannabis a lot, which has negative effects on everything I just named. That can lead to memory and concentration problems, just as to more impulsive behavior.

Additionally, a case study with a 38-year-old patient suggested that cannabis can cause psychotic states similar to schizophrenia in vulnerable people.

Do you know how vulnerable you are to cannabinoids? I don’t.

The amount of THC in marijuana has been increasing a lot. In 1972, it was about 1%, 3 - 4% in 1990 and in 2010 it reached almost 13%! Because of this, you can’t compare a joint today with a joint 40 years ago - and it’s almost impossible to predict the effects.

But what conclusion should we draw from this?

The human body is a complex and delicate system, especially when it comes to drugs. There is great potential for medical applications although we have to be careful, as there can be many side effects.

If you’re using marijuana or are planning to use it, you should always be reasonable. You can’t know how your body will react. You might one day accidentally consume a higher dosage than before and be left with psychological issues. You could harm your body in a way that can’t be reversed.

Or nothing might happen, and you’ll just have a good time.

I hope this post wasn’t too dry for you, there was a lot of good information I wanted to share - you can see how much I read by checking my sources.

I’m here for your questions in the comments!


Sources:

Endocannabinoids and the Cardiovascular System in Health and Disease

The role of the endocannabinoid system in pain

The Endocannabinoid System and its Modulation by Phytocannabinoids

Marijuana, phytocannabinoids, the endocannabinoid system, and male fertility

Endocannabinoid system

Marijuana: Effects of Weed on Brain and Body

Cannabis induced dopamine release: an in-vivo SPECT study

Heavy cannabis use associated with reduced dopamine release in brain

A Brain on Cannabinoids: The Role of Dopamine Release in Reward Seeking

The Effects of Dopamine on the Brain


Pictures taken from pixabay.com


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Great information!

Yes it's a very interesting artikel

Wow! I am finishing a Master's in addiction counseling and I've got to say that this article is on point and well written! It isn't judgmental at all and simply states the facts all the while keeping things interesting! Simply well done! I have a professional Facebook page for high school addiction counselor's and I will definitely post this article. Everyone (users and non users) should read this! However, I live in Québec, Canada, and most of my readers are french. Would you be open to translating this article? I could help you with that and more people could get this information! Let me know what you think please!

I usually don't like people translating my articles but if you're sharing it on Facebook and linking back to me I'm fine with it! My French is really bad so I can't do it myself.

Awesome! Thank you! I'll work on the translation tonight! I'm perfectly bilingual, so it will be well done!

Magnifique lecture. Je parle Francais, meme si c'est pas ma langue native. Je vais appuyer sur le button "follow" de suite.

I'm looking forward to it! Drop me a link when you posted it, reading French works half-ok :)

@suesa when I finish the translated document, how do I link you back to it? I am still new here and unfamiliar with certain things. Do you simply want me to state you are the original author in my post? I just want to be sure I am respecting your wishes...the entire article will be exactly as yours is except translated in french, I will include your english sources...just confirm if this is fine. Thank you.

A link to this post or my profile would be great :)

Alright perfect!

@suesa here is the translation!! (In case you haven't seen it yet ; ) Thanks again!!

https://steemit.com/fr/@parlonsdrogues/sexe-drogues-et-neurotransmetteurs

In high school I was repeatedly told to not smoke pot because it was bad for me, I was encouraged to play football because I was good enough to get a scholarship. The amount of brain damage I received playing football from age 15-20 is ridiculous. Luckily I smoked enough back then to help with brain trauma & to help me see the cultural programming & quit that bullsh$t. I’m grateful for weed, also helped me quit chewing tobacco, cigarettes & drinking at a young age. Of all the drugs hi school kids will do, marijuana is the least harmful by far & much healthier than school & state sponsored brain damage that people support every weekend.

Although I am very happy to know you found a way to cope with difficulties and that you are happy. From my experience with students, cannabis use is not for everyone, but I am very aware it has helped many in different ways.

Yes, I wouldn’t recommend everyone use it, but it has been vilified for many years & more people could receive greater benefit from it without all the negative stigma.

Oh yes, I definitely agree!!

I suggest you look at the latest information on addiction coming from the legalized states. The truth is quite contrary to what your education consists of. :(

Everything is beneficial in the right dosage. Most of the times, you don't need more than what you can barely feel for your body to feel healthy. Weed is just like any other substance, a chemical that can give you euphoria in small doses and addiction or worse in large doses. Just like sweets, you don't need much sugar everyday because in large amounts you get fat from it.

Yep, intake of 1000 litres of pure water per second will kill you, alright.

Although sometimes, the right dosage is "none" :P But yes, moderation is key in most cases.

Couldn't agree more! The toxicity of a compound is always described qualitatively by the nature of its effect, and quantitatively by the dose at which the toxic effect appears.

I think even less does the trick xD

Really good explained. I would add the difference between THC and CBD and take a closer look at CBD in medical terms. Also interesting would be hear about differences between natural cannabinoids and synthetic ones. Nice post!

Very interesting article. While I’ve never physically taken cannabis in any form, I’ve been to enough rock concerts to know how it interacts with my body. MIGRAINE the next day EVERY TIME. It’s awful, so I just stay away from it. Also, a close friend of mine is bipolar and it send him into crippling depression for almost a week after. It has also sent him into a psychotic episode twice. While I am all for legalization, you should definitely use it responsibly and learn how your body interacts with it and LISTEN TO YOUR BODY!

Merci pour ces informations. J’ al resteemé ce message 👌🏼

I appreciate the sensibility of your article! Its very easy to jump on one side or the other of a topic and forget that there is much more to it. I was happy to learn from you about the potential connection between fertility and cannabis usage. Diving a bit deeper into that myself!

Cheers!

This is one of those posts that leave you with more questions. Weed is still very illegal in Africa regardless of it still being grown. I have always been curious about it's advantages especially medicinal use. But Africa being the continent it is, I bet none of that will come to pass.

Thank you for laying out it's downside though. It is always an advantage to understand the disadvantages of anything :)

what are your questions?

Just overly curious if it's benefits are risk free. If one can be affected by it if they are living with a daily smoker. If so, how?

in small doses anything can be beneficial

Medical marijuana has been legalised here in South Africa, though the law will take about another year to fully come into effect, and it will be heavily regulated, which is a good thing I believe. Hopefully more African countries will allow it in the future, especially for those who suffer from chronic and terminal conditions and with whom the benefits outweigh the disadvantages.

Good news. I didn't know that. This can be a way out for so many africans but embracing it is a different struggle all together. It's best if its heavily regulated.

Huh, I learned something new. Didn't know these neurons go in reverse, which sort of explains how we manage pain in itself, come to think of it. Would it then, based on this information, be one of the variables that make some people more resilient to pain and, likewise, resilient to anaesthesia? I figure there are many other factors to take into account, of course.

Pain is the result of nerve stimulation. What mostly affects stimulation is the built-in chemical immunity some people are born with, as well as a lesser number of neurons. Those who feel less pain are most liking feeling less of everything else.

Might be? I'm not that informed about neurobiology, my studies focus mainly on genetics. That's why it took me a while to research info for the post ^^

Ah, I see. I'm still stalking... I mean looking through your posts. It's all so fascinating!

I hope you enjoy reading them ^.^ And if you feel like upvoting something, please check the post's age first. It wouldn't be the first time that someone upvotes something older than 7 days. While it's really nice, it's just a waste of voting power.

Yeah, I learned that the hard way in my first week. So far, I'm really enjoying everything, especially your at-work posts and your fiction.

Thank you @suesa ! <3

I learned a lot from this post and also the comments. I love that your posts usually lead to interesting and insightful discussions. Upvoted and resteemed with love.

Always a pleasure! Thanks for giving me the topic :)

One of the most well researched, articulate and balanced posts on a fascinating topic I've seen in a long while. Read it with intense interest. How captivating the more you learn about the body and how it can be influenced for better or worse. Thanks kindly for such an engaging writeup @suesa!

Great post @suesa! It is especially interesting to me since I am from a country where it is 'legal' (The Netherlands). I never smoked myself since I always had some doubts about the effect of soft drugs on our brains, but the amount of people that do smoke cannabis is very high over here.

I am a very boring person the only drugs that I ever have taken (I think this are technically classified as drug like substances) is alcohol and cigarettes, and only have done it in extremely limited fashion.

Yes Ladies and Gentlemen I have always been HIGH on LIFE!!!(Yes I am boring) The problem now I think I have developed a tolerance for it...

:p

There have been studies that suggest that cannabis might have a negative influence on male fertility.

This may probably be an old wives' tale, but have you come across any research or mention on cannabis use having a hand in the gender of children from a user?

I've seen several guys say if you use cannabis a lot that there is the high tendency that your children (if you have any) would be female.

As a student of science I do not believe things unless proven somehow. Ever heard such?

I'm glad you cleared the air on cannabis being "harmless". I had always known that it is not.

Hm, I haven't read anything about that specifically. I've read that Y sperm swims faster (seems to be wrong tho) and that X sperm is more durable, but the place I got that info from wasn't the most scientific one so take it with a good grain of salt.

Ok. It may be an old wives' tale till otherwise proved. Thanks a lot.

That reminds me of the Asian myth of veggies giving you girls while meat gives you boys. There is no official way to increase the odds significantly. Unless you count the lab method of shaking the sperm and scraping the surface as significant.

@thatanimesnob, I guess the myths are simply endless.

Not sure about fertility, but it definitely prolong coitus significantly, sometimes you can not come at all, altough still have strong erection.

@sversus, that is a news to me. Wow.

any substances in moderate amounts are of benefit, but when you start taking manic drugs, plants, alcohol, then you get problems ... that's what you should be afraid of ... and the article is very interesting.

Wow, so much more information then I thought I actually knew .. Really interesting about the dopamine fact. I know someone who was taking anti depressives (SSRI) which never worked for her. After a few months she started smoking cannabis which she claimed to work and really made her feel better (she didn't smoke a lot I think). Could it be possible that she actually needed anti depressives that affected the dopamine level instead of the serotonin ?

Possibly! It's not easy to get something like this right.

True, she went doing several tests and the only thing the doctors did was increasing the dosage ... unfortunately

The cause of depression is not mostly chemical. It's psychological. The chances of getting over it are higher if the patient is given something positive to focus on or find the event that caused the depression to be not as important as he thought. Drugs do not solve depression as much as numbing negative emotions. They never solve the problem.

If the cause is a disturbance in the serotonin or dopamine system, "positive things to focus on" don't do shit. It's similar with a thyroid hypofunction. I suffered immensely before I got my meds, slept 16 hours a day, unable to concentrate and incredibly depressed/suicidal.

As soon as I got a replacement for my missing hormones, it became better.

Please tell me again how drugs do not "solve depression" and just "numb" it.

Sure, there are cases where it's psychological, but it's by far not all or most of them.

This is why i said "mostly". I don't believe most depressed people have disturbance in their systems.

If we can we consider cigarettes and alcohol a kind of drugs, as they intercource with neurotransmitters, why it is relatively easy to stop drinking and almost impossible quit smoking?

It's very hard to stop drinking if you ever get a habit, you can put it away for a few days only. I anyone can get an addiction to any kind of drug, be it even food.

Food does not intercource with neurotransmitters directly, like nicotine or alcohol. So it can not be considered as the drug. Relatively it is more simple to stop drinking and almost impossible to stop smoking. I have know lots of people who can control alcohol addiction, but cant stop smoking. Although both are harmfull, but smoking kills more.

The problem about drinking is that alcohol has a social influence and more aceptance than other kind of drug, and you have might be more in touch with alcohol than with other substance like THC or any other. by that reason drinking will never be consider like a adicction like it is with smoking. You will always drink and it'll appear to be soccial not like smoking.

Some substances are far more addictive than others. Nicotine is one of them. In fact, it's more addictive than some illegal drugs.

It isn't easy to stop drinking, not if you have actual alcoholism. But I guess nicotine is more addictive than alcohol. I haven't looked into it yet, but that'd be my educated guess.

Not easy, but relatively easy comparing to stop smoking, when we talk about common people, not alciholics.

Oh I got stories and stories about disasters of marijuana. Most recently severe alveolar hemorrhage. We were able to save the person. I people could only see what I see.

What other variables were present? How do you know it was cannabis & not something else? How much do you know about contributing factors?

As a critical care physician, when something like this happens there many tests, there are drug screens and a lot of blood tests to look for the cause. We actually put our scopes into the lungs and take a lot of samples. It is a very extensive and thorough process to get to a diagnosis. And that is how we did it. Moreover there are other case reports published.

I just read three, the first had huge complications with other diseases at work & many other medications.

The second was under anesthesia & reads a whole lot like drs trying to blame cannabis because it was present in his system instead of blaming sevoflurane.

The third was a 38 year old with no known medical history & no other useful info...

Just because something is present doesn’t necessarily make it the cause but it is an easy scapegoat given the research prohibition & reefer madness type propaganda campaigns.

Do you ever test for other chemicals that are not drugs present? Perhaps some nasty pesticides commonly used in poor quality cannabis?

Do you ever understand the persons lifestyle? There work environment, home environment, environmental factors, chemical exposures over there lifetime etc....

Yrs all that information that you seek to know is standard for us. Of course there are limits as all science has. I am happy that we were able to have a good outcome based on the diagnosis. It is rare to see this simply based on number of cases and widespread use of marijuana. You will notice these issues with many chemicals. I mean side effects that happen rarely in some individuals in idiosyncratic fashion.
People don’t argue about health effects of cigarettes now. Once they did.

Cigarettes had & still have huge money influencing corrupt drs to downplay the risks, they also add a lot of chemicals that are terrible for you. Cannabis has had big money & corrupt drs lobbying against it trying to prove how bad it is for a century. Still cigarettes are legal & cannabis is not, & drs are still biased, uninformed, & making a lot of money treating symptoms instead of causes with chemical pharmaceuticals known to do much worse than cannabis. They constantly downplay those risks, & prescribe multiple pills because that’s what the pharmaceutical company has trained them to do.

I think I am not taking sides here. I am in the field of medicine and marijuana is accepted treatment in medicine. Hard to find something which in one way or another cannot be harmful. Water can cause a lot of damage if used improperly. There is nothing without risk. Marijuana is not the holy grail neither is it innocent. That is all there is to it.

Wow! Great information. Though lengthy but it was worth reading. I'm not a science freak but I would not mind stopping by to read your post everyday. You share a lot of great information that a lot of us prolly do not know. Thanks for taking your time to do this research work on this topic. I learnt something new. Thanks also @techslut

Cannabis is such a fast-growing industry. The trend of legalising this substance in many areas is spurred on by financial gain. I'm convinced of this.

At the same time, we are seeing tons of studies on the 'benefits' and medical usage of marijuana being published.

Is it a coincidence that weed is given a good 'rep' around the same time of legalisation?

For these reasons, I'm glad you that 364 people, at the moment, have read your post. The information you have provided is not blinded or biased by financial gains. You have shown that every single drug has some benefit, but ,side effects at the same time.

When you pass that point of diminishing returns (abuse), the harms could outway the benefits. The trouble with addictive substances is that it is incredibly easy to abuse them.

Moderation, moderation, moderation! Thanks for the post, nice title. I think people have gone a little too deep in terms of finding every last benefit in a drug they are clearly biased towards because they love being high!

Great post! Magic mushrooms are my favorite "drug." Would love to see an article about psychedelics! Thanks. New follow.

Very clear article! I work in the aera of addiction prevention more than 20 years and many of your conclusions i can underwrite. My goal in my workshops and seminars with students ist to look for more sensibility in triggering endogenous drugs by creativity, relationship, sex, sport, beeing in nature, deprevation of senses, meditation, relaxation and finding your inner balance from within. This would be the first way. the second way could be using special drugs in a low concentration as enjoyment trigger, but not every day and not out of a bad condition.....

Wauhhh....wauhhh.....great post. If cannabis or marijuana have negative effect to the human system, I believe also that in one way of an other it also affect the body positively.
However, in my view excessive use of these substances explained above are the major reason of the above cited issues such as fertility, cognitive processes, appetite, and others.
However, how should you advice a drug addict as I way to measure the positive and negative effects of these drugs, especially marijuana?
What about huge industries which produce and manufacture these types of products?
Which reasonable action should we take to eradicate this behaviour that affects the environment especially among the youth?

I believe we still have a chance of changing this world if we wish so.
Everyone is free to provide answers please

Thank you a lot.

This is really great info, I've been using marihuana daily regular for the last ten years, I must say the short term memory is one of the most affected parts of the system. Thanks for sharing this awesome article, also thanks for making my christmas hat :)

Amazing how many people have an opinion on cannabis but have never tried it. It can have a powerful effect on some people so it’s important to be safe. I have been smoking it regularly for decades & have paid close attention to other variables present. The quality of cannabis is very important, the effects of fertilizers & pesticides & molds in my experience create many undesirable side effects where as smoking natural healthy plants creates a much more pleasant effect with very few side effects. Low dopamine levels with a lot use feels true in my experience. Another very important thing to keep in mind when reading studies about cannabis is the fact that the usa has outlawed all studies on cannabis having a beneficial effect for a very long time. So if it’s research from the USA it is very biased, as is the culture, unfortunately. For people that are sick cannabis can be the healthiest possible treatment & can actually help with the cause of many diseases not just symptoms. I don’t trust any dr that prescribes pills with countless side effects designed to hook people forever. I’ll stick with plants & continue encouraging people to do the same.

You had me until "I don't trust any dr that prescribes pills [...] I'll stick with plants".

Many, most! Meds are based on plants (aspirin for example). In the form of medicine, the dosis of active substances is very specific and the effects a lot more controlled than in any naturally grown plant.

Yes, it sucks that research with cannabis has been limited and I think its potential should be used more but that doesn't make existing medicine bad.

You’re right, cannabis prohibition alone hasn’t made modern medicine bad. What makes existing medicine bad in the US health system is profit seeking. Pills & treatments are designed to treat a symptom & weaken the host at best. At worst they create many more problems & are prescribed many pills at a time with no contraindication studies. The prices of everything are unfairly inflated to enrich insurance companies who charge more & more to an increasingly sick population. Drs prescribe treatments based on what they can legally profit off & not what is best for the patient. Elective surgeries are treated as no big deal, where did the opiate crisis come from?

Here is the a side effect list of aspirin

https://www.drugs.com/sfx/aspirin-side-effects.html

Was going to copy & paste but it is way too long. I wouldn’t take it because the companies who make it have a long history of medical fraud for profit.

How can you trust a system that provides zero nutritional training for drs. The single most important thing anyone can do to improve health is improve diet but this is intentionally ignored in the us healthcare system because it doesn’t keep patients coming back again and again.

How can you trust a nutritionist to know that your systemic imbalance isn't lupus? People today are specialists (even nutritionists) and to some extent that adds a lot of value to the advice they can give because a generalist can't know all the various things that a specialist takes years to learn inside-out and upside-down. As long as you can trust your generalist and specialist to understand the extent of his/her knowledge and be willing to send you to the correct specialist you've got a better shot than they did back in the 1940's or 50's when there was almost no specialists but a huge number of generalists.

You can't tell me that a just-let-me-die migraine that lasts 3 days should be treated completely by a special diet. I have a family full of people who've been-there done-that. I'll take the aspirin and narcotics, plus the nutritional directives, plus my own research after seeing that specialist. My nephew's life has also been saved by a specialist that told him to have his stomach surgically removed despite him not having any symptoms of problems (a genetic defect). They found cancer in his stomach wall but only after it was removed. I've never been more happy that someone disregarded my advice to only have surgery if it was known to be absolutely necessary.

I agree that nutrition and preventative health care can play a large part in a person's health but medicine definitely has it's place.

Note:
That may sound like I'm a bit cranky but I just want to explain my own experience on this problem.

Understandable, We all have different bodies & experiences so we will respond differently to things & should have the right to choose what works best for us

I did a little research on lupus & that honestly seems like it is a disease caused by a weakened overall immune system. Modern medicine wants to give people steroids for lupus which sounds terrible to me. I would go the natural route. This guys gives a quick break down of both

https://www.drweil.com/health-wellness/body-mind-spirit/autoimmune-disorders/lupus/

Glad to hear your nephew is better! Knowing only what you have told me about this case I shouldn’t comment on it. But I used to be a surgical tech & a few main things I learned is that surgeons rarely agree among each other, there is much grey area, & they will legally cover there ass above all else.

I would love to see a study about lupus incidence & exposure to antibiotics. I would bet there is a correlation there as there is with number of surgeries & opiate addictions, but I know big companies wont pay for a study like that.

I’ve never had a migraine. The only girl I know who gets bad migraines tells me cannabis is the best cure for her!

Thanks for your perspective 🙏

Cannabis certainly can make a large difference when used properly. My brother died of cancer last year and when the meds weren't working well enough he tried edibles (no smoking allowed in the hospital). He believed it made a good deal of difference in his pain.

Sorry to hear about that. Must be difficult

Ok I guess being from Germany and having a different Healthcare system gives me a different view.
Ofc medicine has side effects (cannabis does too), it's practically impossible to change something in your body without damaging something too. The question is always how willing you are to accept the side effects?

My mom beat cancer but was utterly miserable during chemotherapy. Still, she believes it was the right thing to do. And she's someone who usually prefers homeopathy and home-made remedies over medication. I tool antibiotics a whole of three times while growing up because she was very, very careful with medication.

And she still chose chemo.

Because you need to understand sometimes that the side effects are necessary to save your life. Might be a bit over dramatic to compare that with aspirin tho.

I can't take aspirin, it makes my stomach feel awful. But I'm getting horrible migraines (seems to be genetic) so you can prey my ibuprofen from my cold, dead hands.

Choose your risks.

But yes the health care system in the USA is majorly fucked up and I believe that a lot of bullshit is prescribed.

Glad to hear your mom is doing good! A lot of my bias comes from helping my dad with early onset Alzheimer’s for about a decade. It’s very sick what the medical system tries to do to people who have no voice if you don’t stick up for them. Very scary. One of the things my dad used to take a lot of was ibuprofen. I suspect this as being one of the potential causes of his dementia. There seems to be studies claiming ibuprofen lowers the risk of Alzheimer’s but I would bet those studies are funded by the pharm industry. I just found this article pertaining to aspirin use & Alzheimer’s you might find interesting.

https://www.dddmag.com/article/2015/04/strong-link-found-between-dementia-common-anticholinergic-drugs

The last neurologist I talked to used aspirin as an example of how pharmaceuticals are safe & great while trying to push Alzheimer’s medications that do nothing, but cause terrible side effects. I told him he was a corrupt drug pusher, who intentionally ignored the truth because of his giant paychecks. He had no retort because he knew I was right. We haven’t been back since.

In truth, I have a stomach condition too and must use ibuprofen-based painkiller. My neurologist said he had a peer who was studying how stomach issues often occur in concert with migraines. Some side effects are good.

Because I have such low blood pressure and stomach issues I'm pretty limited on the meds they can give me. In this instance my neurologist suggested I combine ibuprofen with an anti-nausea med that he was willing to perscribe (but I already had one that was perscribed for my stomach issue). I only need to take a fraction of the full dose of antiemetic to boost the ibuprofen to make a very significant difference.

I'm very glad your mother is still with you and I hope for many more happy and healthy years for both of you.

Great one. There is truly a beauty in biology

You are right, we don't know how our body will react to Weed, and thats the reason i'm scared to smoke. alot of times when i sat with my friends they had weed, and i could've smoke if i wanted, But it's too dam scary for me, even tho i really want to try it out

If you've been around your friends smoking, you've likely had a contact high. I wonder if there are any studies on contact highs... But if you really want to try it out, just take a small hit with one of your best friends. Be in an environment you trust, and just remind yourself that you're on a substance that is making you think differently. There isn't a whole lot to be scared of when it comes to a little bit of weed. The first time can be scary for some, but the whole experience doesn't last too long anyway. Just be smart and you'll have a great time.

I didnt really dig deeper in that, but I've read somewhere there is a pretty strong connection (correlation) between THC and development of schizofrenia. The risk was higher even after one THC experience. Which is... well pretty bad news. But I agree, THC is probably less harmful than for example ethanol. Though I hate the argument "A is worse than B, therefore A is good".

Yeah, that's what I meant in the post with "vulnerable people". If you're already genetically vulnerable to something like schizophrenia, smoking weed might not be the smartest choice.

drugs are not helpful for our body..we should be aware about this..

thank's for sharing...

@Resteem

Cannabis isn't a drug. It's a plant.

and licking poisoned frogs is not making you a junkie, you are just an animal lover

The poor frog

So glad to see that your dissection experiences haven't hardened you! 😉

Hey, I don't enjoy inflicting pain on animals, I just understand when it's necessary 😔

Yeah, I can understand that. I'm really pleased when my cat catches mice but not so pleased when instead of being hungry she decides to play with it... then I interfere, she gets confused, and the mouse gets free and what's the point in her catching them? We still have a free-roaming mouse in our house. Sometimes it's necessary to have a dead mouse and sometimes they just get knocked around, though that really isn't part of the analogy I think.

with this definition, there are no drugs.^^

I am a dualist: Cannabis is a drug AND a plant.

Well, there are helpful drugs. Cannabis can be great to treat pain. It's all about dosage and responsible use. I mean, sugar is also really bad for you if you consume too much of it. But your brain runs on glucose.

don't forget hemp products XD

I'm all for growing hemp to make paper and other stuff from it. I also support medical applications ^^

Tbh, I don't really care what people do with drugs, as long as I'm not affected. That's why I despise smokers in most cases. I don't want to inhale that shit, but they often don't care.

It's usually too late if you wait to be affected before you do something about it. If you know there is a junkie in the hood but nobody does something about it, it's silly to complain once the robberies begin.

Hi suesa! Thanks for sharing the info. I'm not really aware about the effect of taking cannabis coz I haven't tried it even once and I doubt I'll try it ever in my life. Haha it's good to be back in steemit :)

as narcotic bisah destroy the generation of the nation

Hi, nice post. Since it looks like you have good knowledge of this, And i don't i want to know if there is any difference in hasjis the marijuana?

The difference is mainly which part of the plant it's made from and how it's been processed (see wikipedia). The drug effect shouldn't be different.

Thank you:-)

About this part

Sperm production and maturation are influenced by the endocannabinoid system, which means excessive use of cannabis can lead to damaged or just generally very weak sperm. And while low doses of cannabis might increase libido, higher doses are associated with a total loss of it and even erectile dysfunctions.

I hear, read and saw a complette different thing. Also you can see the "Super Hig Me" documentary film (faster example that you can check) where the test in sperm production and movement and count of the spermatozoids were incress because of the weed.

With that say ... OF COURSE, anything in excess can harm you. But for sure Weed, Cannabis, Marihuana or whatever you want to call it is 1000 times better that any medicine you will get for many sicknnes around.

I'm sure you as a video editor, designer and photographer know a lot about medicine.

Oh not for sure but I smoke since more than 27 years now and for your info I study Science before Art so I go into everything (even Art projects) with a scientific method.

Vey good comment anyway from you, very "scientific" ;)

Edi: I just told you my opinion, did not knew will make you so mad just beacuise I am not a "doctor"

If you want to know how much I know about science and all this stuffs make a real comment that I can answer ... dp not try to patronizme because of what I have written on my Steemit profile.

Hey bro good job and good post so my VP is done please vote later

Oh!I think I learned something new

Yea it’s interesting what’s your saying , I think it’s all a matter of quantity and intention , in what way we consom it , and more important is the “why” .
And I’m not going to say what’s is the right “why” it’s a personal choice
I also don’t believe that something can be purely good or purely bad I think we are equally both and also everything else as well.

it always makes me wonder why alcohol and cigarettes are legal and everything else isn't. and which is truly harmful in which circumstances.

I guess it's cultural.

Thanks for posting such in depth info. It really explains cannabis in depth I appreciate people who spread good info!!

Wow! I love how informative this post is. I thought i knew alot about cannabis, until I read this post. Thank you for this.

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I'm highly amused

Awesome cannabinoids, ECS Science

Wow!.... Thank you for the information,. I use CBD a lot. Oils to edibles,. THC i have really cut down. Getting off track here, simply put, Great Post!

ahhh we all love our sweet, sweet marry jane... but sometimes she's just gotta blow

Would love to see an article about psychedelics!

Your post about marijuana makes me interested to read and depth, there is little injustice in your writing that you very strongly affect the negative effect, whereas from positive very much fortunately and it really depends also method of processing, purpose and how. Other benefits of marijuana come from the trunk of the tree that the fiber can be used as the best raw material of clothing and this is the result of research from one of the universities in Aceh Indonesia, success is always for you and thank you for sharing your knowledge

These Studies Were Done With LOW-CBD Strains

and, from the sounds of it, dysfunctional strains as well.

CBD is AWESOME!

The high CBD (20%+), Moderate THC (8-9%THC) strain I have has the opposite effect. I grow extremely cleanly and my wife uses it to control her asthma and RAD episodes. The mental effects are a non-stone, non-high, cognitive improvement. Greater memory, focus, mood-control, anxiety control and more. ;)

CBD is AWESOME!

Easily test the cannabis you're using for CBD content, with this...

8-Minute DIY Home Test!! Clear and Accurate results!.

Best results from CBD usage kick in at about 3 weeks of daily usage!

Can Also Be Used on Vegging Plants! Accurately!!!

Save Yourself Time and Resources!
Easily test the cannabis you're using for CBD content, with this...

8-Minute DIY Home Test!! Clear and Accurate results!.

Best results from CBD usage kick in at about 3 weeks of daily usage!

Can Also Be Used on Vegging Plants! Accurately!!!

Save Yourself Time and Resources!

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