{"id":5577,"date":"2025-11-09T04:22:25","date_gmt":"2025-11-09T04:22:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/storytimebuzz.com\/?p=5577"},"modified":"2025-11-09T04:22:25","modified_gmt":"2025-11-09T04:22:25","slug":"doctor-warns-about-the-surprising-effects-marijuana-can-have-on-the-brain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/storytimebuzz.com\/?p=5577","title":{"rendered":"Doctor Warns About the Surprising Effects Marijuana Can Have on the Brain"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>While marijuana is often seen as harmless or even therapeutic, doctors are beginning to reveal some of the <em>less-discussed<\/em> ways it can affect the brain \u2014 and the findings are raising eyebrows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to neurologists, frequent marijuana use can alter the brain\u2019s chemistry, especially in areas responsible for <strong>memory, focus, and emotional regulation<\/strong>. THC \u2014 the main psychoactive compound \u2014 interacts directly with the brain\u2019s endocannabinoid system, which controls mood, motivation, and learning. Over time, this constant stimulation can dull the brain\u2019s natural response to pleasure and reward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One doctor explained that chronic marijuana use may also cause changes to the <strong>hippocampus<\/strong>, the region responsible for forming new memories. This can make it harder for users to retain information, focus during conversations, or recall details from recent events. Some studies even suggest that long-term use can <strong>slow reaction times<\/strong> and impact decision-making abilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While occasional use is unlikely to cause serious harm, experts warn that <strong>daily or heavy use<\/strong>, especially among teens and young adults whose brains are still developing, can have more permanent effects. \u201cThe biggest concern,\u201d one neurologist noted, \u201cis how it affects the brain\u2019s motivation center \u2014 making users feel less driven or emotionally detached.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Doctors emphasize moderation and awareness, urging users to understand that marijuana, though natural, is not without risk. The brain\u2019s chemistry is delicate \u2014 and once altered, it may take years to fully recover.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>While marijuana is often seen as harmless or even therapeutic, doctors are beginning to reveal some of the less-discussed ways it can affect the brain \u2014 and&#8230; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3087,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5577","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/storytimebuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5577","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/storytimebuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/storytimebuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/storytimebuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/storytimebuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5577"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/storytimebuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5577\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/storytimebuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3087"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/storytimebuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5577"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/storytimebuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5577"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/storytimebuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5577"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}