If you were to ask the stoners in your life for their reasons for smoking weed, you might hear sentiments of anxiety relief, fun and pain management, among others. Whether you’re using cannabis to have a recreationally fun night with your friends or to calm your nerves after a stressful day, the effects are undeniable. 

You might be familiar with the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program, more commonly known as D.A.R.E. It mainly consisted of law enforcement officers talking to groups of students about saying no to drugs and avoiding gang violence, and it was founded in Los Angeles. 

The D.A.R.E. program was a direct result of the infamous War on Drugs and was used as a way to keep children in the United States safe from the spooky world of drugs. In short, it didn’t work. 

Not only did the D.A.R.E. program use the same tactics that abstinence-only sex education teaches — which, of course, also does not work — it also used officers instead of addiction specialists — the people who get you in trouble, not those who help you get educated. Unsurprisingly, the PSAs and education programs of the 1980s missed some key information on what actually happens when you take drugs. 

So what really happens to your brain on drugs? It can’t just be an egg frying in a pan and destroyed neural pathways, right? 

When it comes to weed, the chemical composition of THC is similar to that of a chemical your brain already produces called anandamide, and this makes your brain recognize THC as something that can bind to your cannabinoid receptors. This is why you feel the effects of cannabis when you use it: Your brain says it can enter, and it delivers the message. When the chemical reaches the cannabinoid receptors, it affects areas of your brain that send messages to your nervous system. This can result in a change in your perception of sensory stimuli or time, your memory, coordination and more. 

“If you’re over 21 and you know the risks, it’s safe to say your egg brain won’t be frying in a hot pan anytime soon, but if you’re underage, please make sure you’re being safe and letting your brain work itself out before you dive headfirst into the cannabis world.”

Like most drugs with addictive qualities, THC tells your brain to release more dopamine and triggers your reward system, which makes you happy. Now, cannabis is not nearly as addictive as harder drugs like cocaine or heroin, and according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, “marijuana use disorders are often associated with dependence” as opposed to strict chemical addiction.

This means many people can stop using cannabis if they feel like it, but they might experience some withdrawal symptoms, like irritability, mood or sleep issues, the same way you might feel if you drink a cup of coffee every morning for a year and then skip a few days. They might be a little grouchy, but they’ll feel better after a few weeks of zero use.

The bottom line: Is cannabis bad for you? 

When compared to other drugs, not really, but the results of research done on the long-term impacts of cannabis use usually depend on when an individual began using it. According to NIDA, studies “suggest that marijuana use can cause functional impairment in cognitive abilities,” and the severity of the impairment depends on the aforementioned factor. Conversely, cumulative lifetime exposure to cannabis “was associated with lower scores on a test of verbal memory but did not affect other cognitive abilities such as processing speed or executive function.” 

Legal cannabis research is relatively new to the academic world, so there is more research to do, but overall, you’re likely fine if you want to use it as long as you’re aware of the risks.

Now, this isn’t abstinence-only education, so I’m not going to pretend people don’t smoke cannabis under 21, but know there is a reason for the age cap on when it’s legal for you to consume cannabis. Our nerve cells produce cannabinoids, which is why weed affects the brain in the first place, and those nerves are producing it for a reason. As you mature, your brain is mapping out pathways and regulating things like appetite, memory and sleep, and when you’re consuming something that’s using those receptors, your brain has to work around the weed signals. You want your brain to figure out the best way to care for you before you introduce altering substances. 

If you’re over 21 and you know the risks, it’s safe to say your egg brain won’t be frying in a hot pan anytime soon, but if you’re underage, please make sure you’re being safe and letting your brain work itself out before you dive headfirst into the cannabis world. 

Reach Bella Eckburg at cannabis@collegian.com or on Twitter @yaycolor.