Marijuana, best-known for
its "feel-good" effects and touted for its ability to relieve
various symptoms of illness and disease, can also be damaging, especially when
overused.
When weed's active ingredient, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), hits the brain, it causes
brain cells to release the feel-good chemical dopamine. Dopamine is a part of
the brain's reward system — it's the same chemical that makes us feel good when
we do enjoyable things such as eating and having sex.
Pot also contains cannabidiol (CBD), and this chemical — while
not responsible for getting you high — is thought to be responsible for many of
marijuana's therapeutic effects.
Most of THC's effects take place in the brain, where
it interacts with receptors on brain cells called cannabinoid receptors.
Our bodies naturally produce compounds that activate these same receptors,
but THC co-opts these pathways to produce its effects. Depending on how much
and how often you use, marijuana's effects can vary widely.
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