Cannabis and memory loss

 

How does Cannabis affect our memory?

One of the greatest scare tactics involving Cannabis use is loss of memory; so how do we explain this 30-second short-term memory loss in some people? However, not everyone experiences this lapse of memory when using Cannabis. Numerous scientific studies on this subject have revealed that it is now accepted by physicians and psychiatrists that the short-term memory loss is most definitely only short-lived, and will pass within a few minutes in most people. [245] (Crean et al, 2012) Just as there are no deaths ever recorded from taking whole herbal Cannabis, there is no proof of anyone ever permanently losing their memory from using Cannabis.

The truth is that Cannabis does help us to forget certain memories, because if you think of the millions of thoughts rushing through our brains then surely there must some kind of a filter system? I believe that Cannabis helps us to recycle unwanted thoughts and memories, especially the bad stuff we don’t even want to remember; for example all the negative images we have to endure on social media platforms or on the late-night news. When THC interacts with our GABAergic neurons in the hippocampus region of our brains, it acts as an inhibitor of the Cannabinoid receptors on these brain cells that affect our memory.

This Cannabis-induced inhibition of the GABAergic brain cells can, in some people, lead to changes in memory concerning painful emotions and memories, which doctors refer to as aversive memories and fear. This means that bad memories are specifically targeted by Cannabis to be shifted into our brains recycle bin. You can analyse studies by Jimok Kim and Bradley Alger in the journal Nature Neuroscience where these professors confirm that the GABAergic synapses do express Cannabinoid receptors.

Cannabis- induced inhibition and subsequent reduction in Endocannabinoid levels are precisely what allows selective modifications of aversive memories in the hippocampal networks of the brain which controls our memory centre. [246] (Nature Neuroscience, 2010)

“We propose that Endocannabinoids facilitate extinction of aversive memories through their selective inhibitory effects on local inhibitory networks in the amygdale.” ~ Giovanni Marsiacano

The memory study by Giovanni Marsiacano and fellow scientists (Marsiacana et al. Nature 2002) investigated the Cannabinoid receptors expressed in the basolateral amygdala complex, which is a region of the brain that scientists know controls the elimination of these aversive memories. [247] (Marsicano, 2002)

One of the most common side-effects of pharmaceutical drugs is memory loss

Certain pharmaceutical drugs are known to cause memory loss, as well as other intellectual and perception problems. Most of these drugs start with “anti”; for example, antihistamines, antidepressants, antibiotics, antipsychotics, anti-hypertensives, anti-epileptics, anti-cholesterol, anti-inflammatories, antispasmodics; even sleeping tablets and other sedative-hypnotics available.

The problem is that all these other drugs affect our basolateral amygdala complex, and this is what leads to symptoms resembling dementia like confusion, blurred vision, hallucinations, delirium and indeed memory loss. Acetylcholine is the main neurotransmitter concerned with memory and learning function. There is a natural decline in Acetylcholine production that is normal with old age, and this is why seniors are more at risk of memory loss.

It is not only prescription drugs that cause memory loss; a lot of over-the-counter medicines will do the same, because they block the important neurotransmitter known as Acetylcholine, which is primarily concerned with our memory. Some names you can relate to are Advil (pain and insomnia), Benadryl – Diphenhydramine generic (for allergies), Nytol (insomnia), Sominex (insomnia), Tylenol (pain and insomnia) and even good old Zantac which we use for acid reflux.

There are many reports of large research studies proving that seniors who use certain over-the-counter medicines like Benadryl are at a far greater risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s, with memory loss being noticeable within 60 days. [248] (Sunil Swarmi PhD, 2018) You can only imagine how, after a life-time of consuming these drugs, their side-effects slowly eat away at our memory. Sometimes it is simply too late, and the damage is too great.

This is why we need to teach young people the truth about Cannabis and longevity from a young age. We must not wait until we are old and sick before we start to realise the importance of the benefits of inviting Cannabis into our lives. A life time of taking pharmaceuticals lands you up with a serious Cannabinoid deficiency, which fundamentally means wrinkles and old-age diseases. [249] (Alban, 2018)