What’s up with motivation and marijuana?

Anecdotally, people tell how marijuana turned a high-performing, eager human into a snail. Images of a consumer lying on a couch with empty bags of chips fill images of people who appear to be a “normal” attendee. But is that true? Does science support this impression? Globally, marijuana is the third most commonly used controlled substance, behind alcohol and nicotine.

Like alcohol and other intoxicants, early use of cannabis results in less development of brain function. It is generally accepted in the medical world that in order to allow the brain to function properly, one should stay away from intoxicants until the age of 20.

Drinking alcohol during the day can make you feel sleepy or lethargic. If you didn’t get a good night’s sleep the night before, just one drink can make you drowsy, especially if you drink at one of your usual low-energy times, such as in the afternoon or late evening. Alcohol causes chemical imbalances in certain neurocircuits and can be neurotoxic.

For example, chronic heavy drinking can damage brain regions involved in memory, decision-making, impulse control, attention, sleep regulation, and other cognitive functions.

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Like alcohol, occasional marijuana use can have short- and long-term effects on the brain and behavior. Few studies have examined the relationship between cannabis and motivation using performance-based measures. However, there is a difference between occasional and heavy use.

A study by University College London, the University of Cambridge and the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience at King’s College London found no major differences with occasional, short-term use.

But there is a key element. Cannabis use in humans is associated with decreased dopamine in the striatum. Dopamine is responsible for making you feel joy, satisfaction, and motivation. When you feel good that you’ve accomplished something, it’s because your brain has a dopamine rush. PET studies have shown reduced striatal dopamine synthesis and release capacity in cannabis users.

Alcohol consumption overloads the brain with dopamine while simultaneously reducing the brain’s dopamine receptors. This makes it difficult to quit alcohol.

RELATED: 5 Signs It’s Time for a Cannabis Detox

Scientists from Imperial College London, UCL and King’s College London conducted a study funded by the Medical Research Council and published in the journal Biological Psychiatry. According to a study, long-term cannabis users tend to produce less dopamine.

Researchers found that dopamine levels in a part of the brain called the striatum were lower in people who smoked more cannabis and in people who started using the drug at a younger age.

They suggest that this finding may explain why some cannabis users appear to lack motivation to work or pursue normal interests.

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It seems that causal use has little effect, but addiction can create long-term problems that would need to be addressed. This is not unlike alcohol.

RELATED: New study on marijuana and the creative/programmer kit

Like most things, cannabis should be used in moderation and with caution over a long period of time. Use it wisely.