Final exam - Cannabis

Question 1

Brain development - prenatally (7 steps)

Answer 1

Neurogenesis, cell migration, cell differentiation, cell maturation (dendrite & axon growth), synaptogenesis (formation of synapses), synaptic pruning, myelination (last 2 in teen years)

Question 2

Brain development - teen years, 2 critical phases of brain development occur

Answer 2

1. PRUNING - streamline the good connections, making the brain more efficient
2. MYELINATION - polishes off these connections, making them quick and efficient
   - Development of the prefrontal cortex is the most dramatic

Question 3

Executive Functioning

Answer 3

• The ultimate mental activity
• Judgement, planning, decision making, social conduct, organization, anticipation, goal establishment, monitoring results & use of feedback
• The PFC (prefrontal cortex) is the dashboard of the brain

Question 4

Endocannabinoid System

Answer 4

• Helps to regulate : sleep, appetite digestion hunger, mood, motor coordination, planning or starting a movement, immune function, reproduction & fertility, pleasure & reward, pain, memory & learning, emotion regulation, temperature regulation

Question 5

Impacted Behaviour

Answer 5

• Academic & Employment successes
• Motivativation, Reward, Emotional Regulation
• Risk taking behaviour : driving under the influence, unprotected sex, other drug use
• Cognition : processing speed, attention, memory, impulsivity = executive functioning

Question 6

Misperceptions

Answer 6

1. Our endogenous cannabinoid system was made for exogenous cannabis
2. Cannabis is a natural plant so must benign
3. Everyone is doing it
4. It is not addictive
5. Cannabis is medicine so I will feel better if I use it
6. The research is inconsistent

Question 7

Addiction

Answer 7

• 9% of users overall are addicted, 19% of those who begin in adolescence, 25-50% of those teens are daily users
• Cannabis use disorder develops faster than for alcohol or tobacco
• Withdrawal = irritability, anxiety, restlessness and sleep problems
• Youth adults with cannabis dependance report : persistent desire, unintentional use of cannabis, spending excessive time obtaining and using it, continued use of it despite health problems, experiencing tolerance and negative social consequences

Question 8

Increased Potency of Marijuana

Answer 8

4% in 1995 and almost 14% in 2014

Question 9

What we know about cannabis and the brain

Answer 9

• Most consistently alterations exist in the hippocampus, cerebellum, amygdala, striatum, prefrontal cortex = regions high in cannabinoid receptors
• Executive Functioning is impacted
• Younger initiation > older initiation
• More frequent use > less frequent use
• Higher THC dose > lower THC dose