Does smoking marijuana foster a more laid back personality? Does it have post-high personality effects?

Question

Or does it simply bring out the smoker's naturally laid-back personality?

Answer 1

The effect of marijuana is varied from individual to individual. This is because of the variables in route of administration, the mood of the user, the environment in which marijuana is smoked, the amount smoked, the body's ability to absorb, previous use, and the potency of the drug (U. S. Department of Health and Human Services 1995). The human body has cannabinoid receptors, which respond to THC and absorb and distribute THC to the nervous system. THC is rapidly distributed throughout the body starting with the brain, liver, and kidneys, and later distributes right through to the extremities with less blood flow (Liston 1998). THC levels peak at 30 - 40 minutes after smoking marijuana, and within 2 - 3 hours if ingested orally. The THC will have a half-life of 20 - 30 hours for daily (chronic habitual) users and a half-life of 50 - 70 hours in occasional (recreational acute) users. This slower release of THC and it's metabolites is due to their high fat solubility and the consequent slow release back into the blood from the 'storage' areas, namely the fat supplies, of the body. (National Health Strategy 1994). Harmful effects of Marijuana can be divided up into 2 groups: biological and psychological effects. Both the biological effects and the psychological effects can be divided into short term and long term damage. In other words, from the use of marijuana short term, and long term damage has been found in individuals. This damage is psychological damage, physical damage, or both. Short-term damage is only temporary, and the individual will recover some weeks after cessation of taking marijuana. Long term damage, on the other hand, will last a lifetime (Mathre 1997).

Initially, within a few minutes of inhaling marijuana smoke, users likely experience dry mouth, rapid heartbeat, some loss of coordination, a decreased sense of balance, and slower reaction times. Blood pressure is likely to increase and, in some cases the heart rate can double the baseline rate. Marijuana smokes regularly encounter many of the same biological respiratory problems that tobacco smokers have. These individuals may have daily coughs and phlegm, symptoms of chronic bronchitis, and more frequent chest colds than non-smokers. Continuing to smoke marijuana can lead to abnormal functioning of the lungs and airways. Nahas (1992) agrees with this, and elaborates further on the harmful biological effects of marijuana use. Chronic use of marijuana can (by inhalation) causes some mutagenic effects, and hence, be of possible danger to having carcinogenic properties. Hence, it can be concluded that chronic use of marijuana can have the harmful biological effect of causing lung cancer (Nahas 1992). Also, on the topic of mutatious damage from the effect of marijuana on human genetics, chronic use may also lead to decreased testosterone concentrations (M.mol/L in the blood stream) and cause impermanent, or inhibition of spermatocytes. Nahas (1992) Furthermore, THC suppresses the neurones in the hippocampus. The hippocampus is the part of the brain responsible for information processing, learning, memory, and the integration of sensory experiences with emotions and motivation.

McCance and Huether (1998) state that the neurones of the hippocampus are suppressed in chronic schizophrenics as opposed to in control groups of studies where the neurones are considered 'normal' and not suppressed. So, assuming that the facts of the American National Institute of Drug Abuse are correct, the suppressed neurones of the hippocampus caused by marijuana use, and McCance and Huether's (1998) research into the suppressed neurones of the hippocampus the following can be concluded. Presence of suppressed neurones in schizophrenia patients clearly links the common theory of a cause of drug induced schizophrenia as being contributed to by marijuana use/abuse. According to Continuing Medical Education, Inc. this is the reason as to why marijuana had the harmful psychological effect of contributing to drug induced schizophrenia on some individuals who are chronic smokers of marijuana. Chronic abuse of marijuana is also associated with the harmful psychological effects of impaired attention span and memory.

Prenatal exposure to marijuana has been associated with the psychological effects of impaired verbal reasoning and memory in preschool children. Of possible relevance are findings from animal studies showing chronic exposure to THC, biologically affects the animals because THC damages and destroys nerve cells and causes pathological changes in the hippocampus. This form of damage is irreversible and long term. This illustrates the theory that the same damaging biological effect that marijuana has had on these animals' nerve cells probably also occur in human beings. Hence, it can be reasoned that marijuana had the harmful biological effect of destroying nerve cells which, in turn, causes the psychological damage of impaired memory, and attention span of individuals using marijuana.

Answer 2

THC affects the nerve cells in the part of the brain where memories are formed. This makes it hard for the user to recall recent events (such as what happened a few minutes ago). It is hard to learn while high - a working short-term memory is required for learning and performing tasks that call for more than one or two steps. Among a group of long-time heavy marijuana users in Costa Rica, researchers found that the people had great trouble when asked to recall a short list of words (a standard test of memory). People in that study group also found it very hard to focus their attention on the tests given to them. Smoking marijuana causes some changes in the brain that are like those caused by cocaine, heroin, and alcohol. Some researchers believe that these changes may put a person more at risk of becoming addicted to other drugs, such as cocaine or heroin. It may be that marijuana kills brain cells. In laboratory research, scientists found that high doses of THC given to young rats caused a loss of brain cells such as that seen with aging. At 11 or 12 months of age (about half their normal life span), the rats' brains looked like those of animals in old age. It is not known whether a similar effect occurs in humans. Researchers are still learning about the many ways that marijuana could affect the brain.

Answer 3

First of all, there has NEVER been a case of a violent act induced by marijuana. There have been violent acts committed by people that use marijuana, but those acts were not the result of using the drug. Marijuana is a downer, so to speak, it reduces the brains intake of oxygen and usually makes them lazy. That is to the normal person. There are those, like the ones with ADD (attention deficit disorder) who are naturally hyperactive and have trouble focusing because their brain will pay attention to every little thing going on at once. When those people take marijuana, the THC will slow them down a little, making them able to focus on one thing more easily. It usually doesn't make those people lazy but just brings them down to a normal level of activity. Basically marijuana will affect people differently depending on the person and what state they are in before they take marijuana. It never though, and I repeat NEVER caused a person to commit any act of violence.

Answer 4

I don't know about immediate post-high effects, but once you start smoking daily for a couple years, it has a definite effect on the personality. I've seen more than one person damn near literally smoke themselves retarded. And I've seen more become empty husks of people; nothing there worth calling a personality anymore. I'm not anti-pot, but I think too many people take it too far, and it's really friggin' sad to watch.

Answer 5

what people percieve as a laid back personality is actually laziness. thc robs you of oxygen, making your reflexes and thought process slow and making you much less motivated to do anything. and if you smoke alot, the times that you are not high, you will be very moody, so that "laid-back personality" goes out the window when your not stoned.

Answer 6

It causes mental illness. Sometimes SEVERE mental illness. I saw that quite clearly working inpatient community mental health. Most if not all of those patients only developed their mental illness after they started doing drugs. The most common drug was pot (pot is the number one drug people seek treatment for).

Oh, and as another respondent mentioned, it tends to make them violent. Many of the people I worked with had criminal histories related to pot induced violence. Our prisons are filled with these people. Pot smokers who decided to stab someone when they were high.

Answer 7

I don't think either. My brother-in-law is violent when he's high.

Answer 8

ACTUALLY IT DEPENDS ON HOW MUCH SOMEONE SMOKES IT BUT IT CAN GIVE YOU A BAD CASE OF THE "LAZIES AND MUNCHIES".

Answer 9

Definitely dude........... I have no idea what is going on.........