In the 1950s and ’60s, nutritionists in the United States popularized the notion of eating lots of eggs to ensure one’s physical health. Caring parents felt guilty if they weren’t able to provide their children with at least one egg per day. Interestingly, decades later, many nutritionists actually advise otherwise. Eating eggs can be good for one’s health; however, they’re loaded with fat and should be consumed only in moderation. Still, others will tell you fat and cholesterol are good; sugar is the devil.
Such flip-flopping in scientific research also seems to be at the center of the ongoing debate about the recreational use of cannabis in the form of marijuana—or as it’s known on the streets: weed, Mary Jane and reefer. The science shifts with time, public sentiment, and on which side of the cannabis prohibition fence the study’s scientists (or financers) fall.
With cannabis now being legal for recreational and/or medical purposes in 25 US states, new science seems to pop up weekly. Much of the debate focuses on the impact marijuana may have on the brain. Detractors claim the drug negatively affects the pleasure-mediating mesocorticolimbic brain circuit that triggers cravings and the release of dopamine.
A recent report cites cannabis as being addictive and permanently harmful to the brain. Funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, researchers studied 59 adult marijuana users and 70 non-users to discern how the drug affects the brain.
Participants in the study were asked to observe photos of items related to cannabis use such as bongs, pipes, joints, and blunts. Next, the individuals were shown images of fruit they had earlier said they liked — apples, oranges, grapes, etcetera. Finally, they were asked to rate their urge to use marijuana after viewing each image.
The results of the study were published in the journal Human Brain Mapping. From this experiment, researchers concluded since the brain circuit connected to reward lit up on MRI brain scans only when images of marijuana were shown, the drug may be addictive to individuals who used the drug.
Dr. Francesca Filbey of the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences at the University of Texas at Dallas said, “We found that this disruption of the reward system correlates with the number of problems, such as family issues, individuals have because of their marijuana use,” connecting the conclusions to other personal data collected from users, including duration of use and familial issues caused by smoking. “Continued marijuana use despite these problems is an indicator of marijuana dependence.”
While some may find this information quite interesting and compelling, according to the Daily Mail, Dr. Filbey also believes solid information on the addictive nature of marijuana remains scant.
This ongoing debate is important as it relates to the nation’s rising legal cannabis industry. Cannabis is the most commonly used illegal drug in the US. According to the Daily Mail, around 22.2 million Americans admit to having used marijuana in the past month alone.
What do you think of this study? Real science or fluff?
