Marijuana and Addictive Behaviors

Physical Health

100

What is a negative impact on the lungs of a chronic marijuana smoker?

Asthma, COPD, other breathing issues

200

What is 1 negative impact on a growing child that can result from using Marijuana while pregnant?

-increase miscarriage rate 

-low birth weight leading to health problems

- potential to cause brain damage in the fetus.

300

What is one way marijuana use negatively impacts fertility?

Chronic marijuana use has been found to decrease the amount of sperm produced (roughly a 29% decrease)

Chronic marijuana use has also been found to lead to irregular and/or painful menstrual cycles

400

Aside from mental health reasons, why might someone need to seek hospitalization after abusing marijuana? 

CARDIAC ISSUES! Heart rates can rise and stay high for 3-4 hours after smoking. Heart attacks and strokes have been recorded, particularly in younger people who use too much on one occasion

500

Does marijuana have a positive or negative impact on the body's immune system?

NEGATIVE! Marijuana speeds up the programmed cell death (apoptosis) of our defensive white blood cells, so our immune system is diminished with continued use

Marijuana and the Brain

100

What are 2 symptoms people might experience when ceasing Marijuana use?

Could include:

1. Irritability, anger, or aggression.
2. Nervousness or anxiety.
3. Sleep difficulty (e.g., insomnia, disturbing dreams).
4. Decreased appetite or weight loss.
5. Restlessness.
6. Depressed mood.
7. Physical symptoms causing significant discomfort: abdominal pain, shakiness/tremors, sweating, fever, chills, or headache. 

200

What are two indicators that someone might be addicted to marijuana? 

Increased tolerance, compulsive craving and drug seeking, continued use despite negative consequences, ETC.

DSM Criteria:

A problematic pattern of cannabis use leading to clinically significant impairment or distress, as manifested by at least two of the following, occurring within a 12-month period:

1. Cannabis is often taken in larger amounts or over a longer period than was intended.
2. There is a persistent desire or unsuccessful efforts to cut down or control cannabis use.
3. A great deal of time is spent in activities necessary to obtain cannabis, use cannabis, or recover from its effects.
4. Craving, or a strong desire or urge to use cannabis.
5. Recurrent cannabis use resulting in a failure to fulfill major role obligations at work, school, or home.
6. Continued cannabis use despite having persistent or recurrent social or interpersonal problems caused or exacerbated by the effects of cannabis.
7. Important social, occupational, or recreational activities are given up or reduced because of cannabis use.
8. Recurrent cannabis use in situations in which it is physically hazardous.
9. Cannabis use is continued despite knowledge of having a persistent or recurrent physical or psychological problem that is likely to have been caused or exacerbated by cannabis.
10. Tolerance, as defined by either of the following:
    1. A need for markedly increased amounts of cannabis to achieve intoxication or desired effect.
    2. Markedly diminished effect with continued use of the same amount of cannabis.
11. Withdrawal (Cannabis (or a closely related substance) is taken to relieve or avoid withdrawal symptoms.)

300

What is one reason why marijuana abuse has a negative impact on learning/memory?

Neurotransmitters delivering messages to the hippocampus, the area for learning and memory don’t receive enough stimulation, so signals can be lost. This can structurally change the hippocampus, which can potentially be permanent and be classified as brain damage.

400

What is one adverse consequence of excess dopamine at the brain's receptors?

Excess dopamine is found in psychosis and individuals with schizophrenia

500

Name one neurotransmitter in the brain that marijuana impacts

ANANDAMIDE: The neurotransmitter, anandamide, an endo-cannabinoid (made in body) whose job is to control by suppression the levels of other neurotransmitters (like dopamine) is mimicked and so replaced by a cannabinoid (not made in body) in cannabis called THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol).

GABA and DOPAMINE: The Dopamine neurotransmitter has no receptor sites for anandamide and so THC doesn’t affect it. BUT the inhibitory GABA neurotransmitter does. (This is important because GABA normally suppresses dopamine but since it is suppressed by THC, levels of dopamine quickly increase.)

Mental Health

100

Besides schizophrenia, what is a mental illness someone receiving treatment for cannabis use disorder might receive therapy to address?

Literally any mental illness- marijuana is very commonly used to self-medicate by the general population which can lead to dependency and addiction

200

Can someone develop schizophrenia from long-term marijuana abuse? Why or why not?

Long story short- they don't know yet due to lack of adequate research!

Existing research highlights a correlation between marijuana abuse in adolescents to the later development of psychosis and then schizophrenia. There has also been research that highlights a specific gene that makes one more at risk for developing schizophrenia from marijuana abuse if you have it.

However, this research is not causal, as there are many other factors at play for the development of a severe mental illness like schizophrenia. It is CORRELATION 

300

Define the phenomenon of "cannabis personality"

Something that occurs in certain individuals who abuse marijuana. Characterized by a struggle to think logically and a general apathy for life, goals, introversion. Can sometimes include Anxiety, panic and paranoia.

400

What are two symptoms of cannabis-induced psychosis?

The most prominent symptoms elicited are auditory hallucinations, paranoid feelings, depersonalization, derealization, anxiety, grandiosity, irritability.

500

When marijuana was being legalized, New Jersey hospitals set up emergency protocols because they were anticipating an increase in what?

Hospital admissions for cannabis-induced psychosis (which there were!)

True/False

100

TRUE OR FALSE: Marijuana today is less potent than marijuana 20 years ago.

FALSE! Marijuana today has higher THC content today which is a predominant reason why researchers believe there has been an increase in cannabis-induced psychosis.

200

TRUE OR FALSE: Smoking marijuana can help you correct sleep issues if you use an indica strain for its relaxing properties.

FALSE! You may sleep more HOWEVER the use of marijuana impacts your brain's ability to go through the stages of sleep as normal, generally suppressing REM sleep. This is why there is often a rebound with REM sleep after marijuana cessation and individuals can experience an increase in nightmares from REM rebound

300

TRUE OR FALSE: Your body naturally produces THC, such as when you are exercising 

FALSE! Your body produces chemicals that are similar to THC called endocannabinoids but they are different from THC found in marijuana.

400

TRUE OR FALSE: A marijuana blunt has more tar than a cigarette

FALSE: Blunts and cigarettes contain roughly the same amount of tar (dependent on specifics of cigarette/blunt)

500

TRUE OR FALSE: Impacts on one's ability to perform certain tasks that involve attention and memory can persist after one is no longer high from marijuana 

TRUE! 

• Significant impairments in attention and memory tasks have been demonstrated among heavy marijuana users (daily smokers) twenty-four hours after they last used the drug and some important aspects of behavior can be impaired following marijuana smoking, even when an individual is not aware of it.
• This effect is likely to be result of the very slow rate at which marijuana is eliminated from the body

Addictive Behaviors

100

What is one sign that an individual might have an internet gaming disorder?

Persistent and recurrent use of the Internet to engage in games, often with other players, leading to clinically significant impairment or distress as indicated by five (or more) of the following in a 12-month period:

1. Preoccupation with Internet games. (The individual thinks about previous gaming activity or anticipates playing the next game; Internet gaming becomes the dominant activity in daily life.)

   Note: This disorder is distinct from Internet gambling, which is included under gambling disorder.

2. Withdrawal symptoms when Internet gaming is taken away. (These symptoms are typically described as irritability, anxiety, or sadness, but there are no physical signs of pharmacological withdrawal.)
3. Tolerance—the need to spend increasing amounts of time engaged in Internet games.
4. Unsuccessful attempts to control the participation in Internet games.
5. Loss of interests in previous hobbies and entertainment as a result of, and with the exception of, Internet games.
6. Continued excessive use of Internet games despite knowledge of psychosocial problems.
7. Has deceived family members, therapists, or others regarding the amount of Internet gaming.
8. Use of Internet games to escape or relieve a negative mood (e.g., feelings of helplessness, guilt, anxiety).
9. Has jeopardized or lost a significant relationship, job, or educational or career opportunity because of participation in Internet games.

200

TRUE OR FALSE: Internet gaming disorder has been added to the DSM

TRUE, however, it is not yet diagnosable and is in the section "areas for further study"

300

What is one documented distortion in thinking that occurs in individuals with gambling disorder?

denial, superstitions, a sense of power and control over the outcome of chance events, overconfidence 

Many individuals with gambling disorder believe that money is both the cause of and the solution to their problems. Some individuals with gambling disorder are impulsive, competitive, energetic, restless, and easily bored; they may be overly concerned with the approval of others and may be generous to the point of extravagance when winning. Other individuals with gambling disorder are depressed and lonely, and they may gamble when feeling helpless, guilty, or depressed

400

TRUE OR FALSE: Researchers have found that it is easier for gambling addicts to succeed in treatment after they have lost a bet

FALSE: Studies have shown the reward pathway in someone who has gambling addiction lights up the same (if not more) when the individual LOSES 

500

What addiction has been found to have some of the highest rates of suicide?

Gambling addiction