Heavy cannabis use associated with reduced dopamine release in brain
Saturday, April 16, 2016 - 03:02
in Health & Medicine
Evidence of a compromised dopamine system has been found in heavy users of marijuana. Lower dopamine release was found in the striatum -- a region of the brain that is involved in working memory, impulsive behavior, and attention. Previous studies have shown that addiction to other drugs of abuse, such as cocaine and heroin, have similar effects on dopamine release, but such evidence for cannabis was missing until now.