Positive Effects of Weed –
- Increased Dopamine Levels – Dopamine is an essential chemical produced by the brain that gives you a sense of joy and happiness. Often times, it is referred to as the “reward” chemical, meaning when you do an activity that produces dopamine (such as having sex or eating something delicious) then you will be rewarded by the feeling dopamine gives you. Dopamine produces a euphoric response, and in turn, helps reinforce the behavior that caused the dopamine release. As far as positive effects of weed go, this is most likely the number one reason weed is a popular drug of choice. Be aware though, many studies link consistent dopamine release with psychological addiction. Please refer to the negative effects of weed for more on this.
- Pain Relief – In the past couple decades, the effects of weed on the brain and body have gained a lot of attention from medical researchers. Numerous studies have now shown one of the most promising positive effects of weed is its ability to reduce pain in users. The human body has a natural receptor system called the cannabinoid system, which responds to THC and induces pain relief, much like endorphins.
- Increased Appetite – This particular effect of weed is closely tied with pain relief as well because it is another response of the body’s natural cannabinoid system to THC. Obviously, peaks in appetite can be one of the positive effects of weed or negative depending on whom you are speaking to. For medical use, it can be a life saver as food sustenance is crucial when patients are dealing with wasting syndrome from AIDS or going through chemotherapy. These ailments often cause a loss of appetite and weed can be a saving grace for these individuals. Alternatively, if someone is plagued by obesity, they may want to use caution in using weed as it will inevitably give them an unyielding urge to gorge themselves on food. Lastly, this should not be confused with an increase in metabolism as weed has not shown to have any substantial effect on the body’s ability to metabolize.
http://www.nationalpainfoundation.org/articles/112/marijuana-and-pain-management
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2451/how-does-marijuana-cause-the-munchies
The Effects of Weed Network
