I have an acquaintence here in Portland who claims knowledge of “addictionology”. When I have mentioned that marijuana use causes dependence in a few, not addiction, he’s quick to correct me by saying that marijuana use causes the release of dopamine in the brain, just like any other addictive drug, and that is how we can consider marijuana to be physically addictive. I’ve always believed that correction to be faulty, but lacked the knowledge of brain functioning to offer a strong rebuttal.
Now it looks like I have a new study to back me up:
Background: Cannabis use in early adolescence may be a risk factor for development of schizophrenia. In animals, Delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) increases the rate of dopamine neuronal firing and release in the striatum. Thus cannabis use may increase dopamine release in the human striatum leading to vulnerability to psychosis
Aims: To investigate whether THC, the main psychoactive component of cannabis, can produce dopamine release in the human striatum.
Methods: 13 healthy volunteers, with previous cannabis experience, underwent two [11C]-raclopride positron emission tomography (PET) scans to indirectly measure striatal dopamine levels following either 10mg THC or placebo.
Results: Although THC markedly increased psychosis-like symptoms on the Psychotomimetic States Inventory (PSI), there was no significant effect of THC on [11C]-raclopride binding
Conclusion: In the largest study of its kind so far, we have shown that recreational cannabis users do not release significant amounts of dopamine from an oral THC dose equivalent to a standard cannabis cigarette. This result challenges current models of striatal dopamine release as the mechanism mediating cannabis as risk factor for schizophrenia.
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that study doesnt have significant enough numbers to even support an argument, let alone prove anything. i dont know much about addictive properties, ill admit but it does increase dopamine. THC does nothing to directly increase dopamine, you are right there but it blocks the receptor that inhibits dopamine, meaning that more dopamine will be produced. this should cause addiction (not sure) but it also increases the chances that psychosis will occur. excess dopamine causes hallucinations and delusions and can lead to things like schizophrenia. one in a hundred people have this happen to them and cannabis increases the chances of it, so for everyone doing cocaine, cannabis and marijuana (only drugs i know that increase dopamine). addiction isnt your only problem. your sanity is too.
[...] biscuits of course it does, hence psychological dependency for a lot of users. no it doesnt Study: Cannabis use does not increase dopamine release | The NORML Stash Blog __________________ check out what im smokin' in my stash jar [...]
This isn’t really surprising news to anyone who works in heroin rehabs. Just look at the withdrawal processes (if we even want to call it withdrawal with respect to marijuana). It’s clear that any dopaminergic effects that marijuana has are indirect at best and certainly not enough to cause the addiction that other, powerfully dopamine-releasing drugs can. Studies have been around since the 1990′s showing that animals administered continual doses of marijuana are not induced to self-administer the drug even once they’ve been habituated to it. So clearly we aren’t dealing with the kinds of dopamine effects that truly generate addiction. Great post — this is information that people need to know! “The more we know” the better after all — then we can better address the _true_ substance abuse problems that plague addicts.
Was it a intentional unintentional joke, “Conclusion: In the largest study of its kind so far…” Well its not really joke.
[...] Re: is there anyway to replenish dopamine Read this Study: Cannabis use does not increase dopamine release | The NORML Stash Blog [...]
WHAT. Why can’t I be so lucky as to be a test subject in a marijuana study?!
[...] inhibiting natural dopamine? THCs main mechanism of action has nothing to do with dopamine Study: Cannabis use does not increase dopamine release | The NORML Stash Blog Opiates actually do act on dopamine, which is an effect of their binding to proteins on opioid [...]
you’re a smart man.
Thats why they call it……dopamine.
Ha. Ha. Ha. Take that Anslinger. (did I spell his name right, who cares ?)
lol Your friend needs to catch up Russ!
Jon Gettman was publishing papers on this back in ’95. http://tr.im/pvxO
well duh!!!! lol like russ i never knew for sure but i figure that anything that slanders the name of cannabis is probably bullshit EXCEPT cough, munchies and possible laziness lol. because like the majority of you ive been smoking for a while and know and met MANY smokers and the last i checked were not all schitzi loonies who are dropping dead left and right from the supposed lung cancer that plagues cannabis users to losing our balls and heads from neck and testicular cancer to being so psycotic that we beat and murder people..wait a minute i think someone might have misplaced the original studies on cannabis and alchol cuz all these minus the lung cancer which then transfers to liver cancer are associated with heavy long-term alochol use! im in favor for whatever you put in your body but seriously it sometimes seems like they take all the bad shit you get from alochol and tobacco consumption and apply it to cannabis. i guess its all politics folks
and so 