Marijuana is the most consumed illegal drug in the world, and the third drug only behind tobacco and alcohol. The cannabis business moves a lot of money around the world, both illegal and legal in more and more places.
There are more and more companies that profit from selling marijuana or products related to its consumption (pipes, self-cultivation materials, etc.). For this reason, social networks are increasingly flooded with false information about recreational cannabis consumption, minimizing its risks and exaggerating its supposed benefits.
The reality is that intense marijuana use can cause brain damage of all kinds, and worsen any previous psychological problem. There are many studies that show how THC (and other substances present in the cannabis plant) change the way the brain works, in many cases for the worse.
The main harmful effects that marijuana has on the brain
In this article I am going to talk about the possible effects of marijuana on the brain, the negative ones, although companies that profit from marijuana are not interested in publicly discussing the risks of frequent or excessive cannabis consumption.
1. Amnesia
Excessive marijuana use can cause memory problems, difficulties accessing certain memories
It is common to talk to some people who use marijuana daily and find that they lose the thread of the conversation. Although it may seem like a stereotype, it is based on reality, and many people who consume it often will have verified it.
2. Concentration problems
Other negative effects of cannabis use tend to be concentration problems. These brain damages become more evident and obvious when we talk about adolescents or very young people consuming since their brains are still developing, so early cannabis use limits their intellectual and emotional development.
3. Schizophrenia and psychosis
Symptoms of schizophrenia or psychotic breaks are usually the most dramatic consequences when we talk about excessive marijuana use. Episodes in which the person loses connection with reality and puts his life and the lives of people around him at risk, in many cases ending up in the emergency room at a hospital, or under psychiatric medication for a long time.
It is important that we clarify that not all people who use marijuana will suffer psychosis. It is a complex issue that depends a lot on genetics. Frequent smoking of joints can “activate” psychosis in some people with a certain genetic vulnerability. In some people it can happen very soon, within a few months or weeks of starting to use, and in others it can take years.
The reality is that no teenager who starts smoking joints comes with a genetic analysis in hand, so no cannabis user can really rule out the possibility that sooner or later their use will cause brain damage and serious psychiatric problems. Episodes of “paranoia” are frequent among people who have smoked marijuana (depending on the amount, variety, frequency of consumption, genetics, etc.). Most of the negative effects of marijuana are related to THC (its main active ingredient, and responsible for the “high” that people look for when smoking a joint).
Some studies report up to a 40% greater chance of suffering from psychosis among marijuana users.
4. Sleep problems
Sleep problems are extremely common among people who smoke marijuana.
Many begin to escalate and increase their frequency of consumption because they notice that it helps them fall asleep more easily. But they pay the price of having much poorer quality sleep with much shorter REM phases (without dreams), limiting your rest.
It is also common for people to be afraid of giving up joints because they think that without smoking marijuana they will not be able to sleep, that they will suffer from insomnia. Here we are talking about a clear dependence, and an important part of any psychological treatment to quit marijuana involves helping the person improve their sleeping habits so that they no longer need to smoke a joint to sleep.
Not only is cannabis use related to depressive symptoms, but many people who suffer from depression turn to the use of marijuana (or other drugs) to try to deal with daily discomfort. Marijuana use for depression represents a vicious circle in which the person, the worse he feels, the more he smokes, and the more he smokes, the worse he feels when he does not smoke.
6. Anxiety and irritability
Regular cannabis use is also related to anxiety, irritability or outbursts of anger.
Many people use marijuana daily because They don’t know how to deal with anxiety and stress on a daily basis The person who smokes frequently becomes more and more disconnected from what they feel, and ends up using joints as a way of self-medicating. So when he tries to quit smoking, he panics thinking about all the anxiety he will experience and that he won’t know how to deal with it without smoking a joint.
7. Loss of motivation
Amotivational syndrome is another of the most frequent negative effects of cannabis My psychotherapy office is filled with people who smoke several joints a day and who don’t feel like doing anything, have dropped out of school, or have a hard time going to work without having smoked before.
This is why cannabis is an addictive drug. Because like any other drug, it directly affects the brain reward system, the dopamine circuits and other neurotransmitters related to motivation and reinforcement of behavior or habits.
The person’s brain becomes accustomed to regular marijuana use and ends up overshadowing everything else. Activities that previously motivated and excited now become gray and the person loses interest in anything other than smoking joints.
8. Disconnection from relationships
Smoking joints daily also limits a person’s social interactions, makes them “lock in themselves”, and lose interest in spending time with people who don’t smoke joint. Family members and close people often report how it is very difficult for them to enjoy conversations or contact with other people.
9. Addiction
Marijuana is an addictive drug, no one can deny that at this point Brain damage caused by marijuana causes people to feel anguish or even terror when thinking about living without smoking a joint.
As with any other drug, the person who enjoys consumption begins to escalate and smoke more and more frequently. He develops a tolerance (marijuana doesn’t have as much effect as before), so he starts smoking more and more. Until there comes a point where their life revolves around smoking joints, and they increasingly lock themselves in environments that promote their consumption (groups of friends who also smoke joints, or online communities that encourage them to continue using, making them think that marijuana is harmless and does not cause problems).
How to quit marijuana
If you have tried to quit joints and have not succeeded, you need professional help.
My name is Luis Miguel Real, and I am a psychologist specializing in addictions. Over the years, I have helped many people quit marijuana. If you need help, contact me as soon as possible and we will get to work on it.
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This article has been reviewed by our editorial team at PsychologyFor to ensure accuracy, clarity, and adherence to evidence-based research. The content is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.
