Marijuana, whether smoked or eaten, can be relaxing but also cause anxiety, panic, and paranoia. Despite its popularity, scientists know little about why these negative emotions occur. Sachin Patel, a neuroscientist at Northwestern University, and his team studied mice to understand these effects. Their research, published in Nature Communications, found that a specific group of neurons in the central amygdala, a brain region linked to fear and anxiety, becomes hyperactive when exposed to cannabinoids. The study used CP55940, a synthetic cannabinoid, and observed that mice showed heightened anxiety when exposed to fox urine. This reaction was linked to the suppression of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a neurotransmitter that usually calms brain activity. By silencing certain neurons, the researchers reduced the mice’s anxiety responses, highlighting a potential cause for cannabis-induced paranoia in humans.
QUESTION: How might understanding the biological effects of marijuana on the brain change the way society views its use?
Why does weed cause anxiety? A new brain study investigates cannabis paranoia
