Addicted To Marijuana? Know The Chemical Effects Of THC On Your Brain And Nervous System
THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, is the chemical responsible for most of the marijuana's psychological effects. It acts much like the cannabinoid chemicals made naturally by the body. Cannabinoids are chemical compounds found in the cannabis plant that interacts with receptors in the brain and body to create various effects. There exist dozens, and potentially more than 100, cannabinoids in the cannabis plant, but THC is most widely known among these due to its abundance and psychoactive attributes.THC’s chemical structure is similar to the brain chemical anandamide. The similarity in structure allows the body to recognize THC and to alter normal brain communication. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) adds psychoactive (mind-altering) properties that target the central nervous system and alters the brain's ability to communicate between neurons, which is the body's information processing system. It affects the brain regions of the cerebellum, hippo-campus, cerebral cortex, nucl...