New research has revealed altered brain activity in young adults with cannabis addiction. The findings suggest a mechanism that may explain why the risk of depression and other mental health issues is higher among those who use the drug.
The study was carried out by Dr. Peter Manza, Dr. Dardo Tomasi, and Dr. Nora Volkow, of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism in Bethesda, MD.
The findings have been published in the journal Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging.
As Dr. Manza and his colleagues explain in their paper, heavy cannabis use has been linked with a higher risk of psychosis, depression, and schizophrenia.
Additionally, here at Medical News Today, we have reported on studies pointing to a link between marijuana use and bipolar disorder.
That being said, the precise mechanisms underlying such associations have remained unclear. So, the new research helps to illuminate these links, as the study examines what goes on inside the brains of heavy cannabis users.
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