I know that some people are more susceptible to addiction than others so nobody can claim marijuana is not addicting.....Pepsi is even addicting yet not all Pepsi drinkers are addicted!
I know that the psychoactive chemicals in marijuana interfere with the balancing process that antidepressants work toward. Depression is a biochemical illness -- an imbalance in chemicals in the brain. Antidepressants help things become better balanced, but they can't if one is smoking marijuana. Which many people who take antidepressants and other psychotropic drugs DO smoke marijuana.
in the know zone - marijuana
The affects of marijuana the brain's Anandamide, dopamine and other receptors
Marijuana causes some people to be paranoid.
(I have known some of them) LONDON (AP) - New findings on marijuana's damaging effect on the brain show the drug triggers temporary psychotic symptoms in some people, including hallucinations and paranoid delusions, doctors say.
British doctors took brain scans of 15 healthy volunteers given small doses of two of the active ingredients of cannabis, as well as a placebo.
One compound, cannabidiol, or CBD, made people more relaxed. But even small doses of another component, tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, produced temporary psychotic symptoms in people, including hallucinations and paranoid delusions, doctors said.
Doctors: Pot Triggers Psychotic Symptoms
anandamide
In higher doses, marijuana can cause delusions, hallucinations, and impaired memory.
While marijuana use may seem like a soother to your girlfriend, she may need to know about the negative effects:
Addictive effects
Marijuana use affects dopamine, a neurotransmitter involved in the brain's pleasure producing or reward mechanism, which explains its
potential for dependency.
Memory impairment
Marijuana use can negatively affect short-term memory, especially memories trying to be recovered during the time when one was using this drug.
Amotivational syndrome
Since testosterone levels are temporarily lowered, users of marijuana don't feel like doing much besides eating and hanging out with the small group of friends with which they are most comfortable.
Disease
Long-term marijuana use can cause irreversible changes in both male and female reproductive organs, such as lowered sperm count in men and altered shape of the uterus in women. Lung cancer, emphysema, and lowered immune system responses, such as decreased white blood cell count, could also result from extended marijuana use.
Mental health
Marijuana appears to increase the risk of developing depression and/or schizophrenia the more that one uses it.
This last negative effect should serve as a red flag, as your girlfriend believes that she is self-medicating, when she may be contributing to her depression. Her depression could manifest itself in the future, since marijuana users typically withdraw from social situations, adding to depression.
Also consider what it is about antidepressants that are so abhorrent to your girlfriend. Why would marijuana, an illegal substance, be preferable to a controlled medication taken under medical advisement to manage her stress and depression? These are issues you, as someone who cares for her, could explore with her. At the least, she may agree to see her medical or primary care provider for a medical exam and evaluation. If she then has a diagnosis of depression and/or anxiety, or is referred to someone who specializes in working with people with these conditions, then chances are she will feel better than when she "prescribes" marijuana for herself.
Perhaps if you share this information with your girlfriend, showing your caring and concern, she may see that there are healthier, legal ways to manage her stress. If you suggest that she visit a mental health care provider, you could offer to go with her, so that she gets the help and/or medication that she needs and deserves.
Go Ask Alice!: Marijuana: Does it produce serotonin? Marijuana's Adverse Effects -- familydoctor.org
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