Thu, 17 Dec 2009 12:09:4
Ayinde O. Chase - AHN Editor
Quebec, Canada (AHN) - According to new research the harmful effects of cannabis on the brains of young people is worse than previously thought. A recent study suggests that daily consumption of cannabis in teens can cause depression and anxiety, and have an irreversible long-term effect on the brain.
Dr. Gabriella Gobbi, a psychiatric researcher from the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center who led the study says, "Teenagers who are exposed to cannabis have decreased serotonin transmission, which leads to mood disorders, as well as increased norepinephrine transmission, which leads to greater long-term susceptibility to stress."
Serotonin and norepinephrine are involved in the regulation of neurological functions such as mood control and anxiety.
The study published in Neurobiology of Disease is one of the first to focus on the neurobiological mechanisms at the root of this influence of cannabis on depression and anxiety in adolescents. It is also the first study to demonstrate that cannabis consumption causes more serious damage during adolescence than adulthood.
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