Marijuana behavioral effects

Chait LD. (1990). Subjective and behavioral effects of marijuana the morning after smoking. Psychopharmacology (Berlin). 100(3) 328-33. 

Increased appetite is frequently attributed to smoking marijuana. Cannabinoids are effective antiemetics, particularly in treating emesis arising during chemotherapy. A -THC has been reported to be as effective as codeine as an analgesic, although pronounced behavioral effects occur with analgesic doses. 

Foltin, R.W. et al., Behavioral effects of cocaine alone and in combination with ethanol or marijuana in humans, Drug Alcohol Depend., 32, 93, 1993. 

Kelly, T.H. et al., Multidimensional behavioral effects of marijuana, Prog. Neuropsychopharmacol. Biol. Psychiatry, 14, 885, 1990. 

Greenwald, M.K. and Stitzer, M.L., Antinociceptive, subjective and behavioral effects of smoked marijuana in humans, Drug Alcohol Depend., 59, 261, 2000. 

Controversy continues to surround Cannabis sativa as to whether marijuana laws should be changed. Proponents argue that marijuana is less harmful than tobacco, while opponents site undesirable behavioral effects. The dichotomy of viewpoints... 

The behavioral effects of prenatal cocaine exposure at age 5 years have been studied in 140 children exposed to cocaine, 61 exposed to alcohol, tobacco, and/or marijuana, and 120 not exposed to any drugs (290). They were evaluated with the Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist. There was no association between behavior and intrauterine cocaine exposure. However, the current behavioral health of the mother, including recent drug use and psychological functioning, did affect the child s internalizing and externalizing behavior. 

The most common behavioral effect is a generalized decrease in psychomotor activity and decrements in some domains of psychomotor performance. These effects appear to be dose related, with more pronounced changes associated with greater amounts of marijuana taken in. The general decrease in motor activity appears to be pervasive, and the state is described as associated w ith feelings of relaxation and tranquility. The only exception to this effect appears to be speech because marijuana use is associated with rapid or slurred speech, circumstantial talk, and loquaciousness. These speech effects often are observed more in the early smoking phase, followed by the more traditional relaxation. 

R. M., Nellis, M. J., et al. (1990). Motivational effects of smoked marijuana Behavioral contingencies... 

Early studies on the effects of marijuana on the immune system attributed these to the ability of THC to perturb cellular membranes since it was highly lipophilic. However, it was soon recognized that THC also exhibited specificity of action at the physiological and pharmacological levels as well as in distribution in organs and cells. Studies performed on various rodents demonstrated that THC produced a characteristic tetrad of behavioral effects that consists of catalepsy, antinociception, hypothermia, and hypomobility (see Wiley and Martin 2003). These centrally mediated effects could be elicited following intravenous, intrathecal, and intraperitoneal administration. Furthermore, use of radiolabeled THC in hybridization studies revealed a distribution of binding in rodent brain slices that was consistent with that attributed to areas in the brain that correlated with specified behavioral activities. 

I have considered lead pollution in detail, but lead is not the only villain in the prenatal environment. Others include methyl-mercury polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) dioxins pesticides ionizing radiation and maternal use of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and cocaine. These villains can cause a range of behavioral effects from severe mental retardation and disability to subtle changes in mental function that depend on the timing and dose of the chemical agent. Indeed, more than zoo industrial... 

Cone, E. J., Johnson, R. E., Paul, B. D., Mell, L. D., and Mitchell, J. (1988) Marijuana-laced brownies behavioral effects, physiologic effects, and urinalysis in humans following ingestion. J. Anal. Toxicol. 12, 169-175. 

Cannabinoid Research Methods and Protocols is to provide experimental protocols for scientists interested in marijuana-carmabinoid research from genes to behavior. Although the effects of marijuana use and its medicinal applications may be influenced by multiple genetic factors, the role of environmental factors in the behavioral and psychological effects should not be overlooked, although these may be difficult to replicate in animal models. Nevertheless, animal models are widely used to study the physiological and behavioral correlates of human disorders. Of course, where applicable, humans have been used to study the biochemical, physiological, and behavioral effects of mari-juana-cannabinoids as documented here. 

Heishman SJ, Stitzer ML, Yingling JE. (1989). Effects of tetrahydrocannabinol content on marijuana smoking behavior, subjective reports, and performance. Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 34(1) 173-79. Herkenham M, Lynn AB, Johnson, MR, Melvin LS, de Costa BR, Rice KC. (1991). Characterization and localization of cannabinoid receptors in the rat brain a quantitative in vitro autoradiographic study. J Neurosci. 11 563-83. 

Marijuana produces a distinctive behavioral syndrome that is easily distinguished from that of most other drugs. The most prominent feature is the initial period of euphoria, or high, which has been described as a sense of well-being and happiness. Euphoria is frequently followed by a period of drowsiness or sedation. Perception of time is altered, along with distortions in both hearing and vision. However, illusions and hallucinations occur infrequently. The subjective effects also include dissociation of ideas. 

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