The science behind cannabis: What happens in your brain?

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Did you know that cannabis changes your brain? It can impact memory, concentration and even brain development.

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00:00Smoking weed became too expensive and I had to find ways of supporting or

00:11sustaining my addiction. I was in a dark place. One night I smuggled weed into

00:18school. Someone was caught. My name came up. The next thing I know I was sent to rehab.

00:30Cannabis is the drug obtained from the dried leaves and flowers of the hemp plant, which

00:43is smoked or consumed for its psychoactive or medical properties.

00:47My name is Frank. I'm 24 years old. I started smoking weed at the age of 11.

00:58Around 10 percent of cannabis smokers become addicted to the drug. Early use increases

01:02the risk significantly. One in six teens who start using cannabis will eventually develop

01:07an addiction.

01:08I was raised by a single mother in a family of three. I was the youngest and an elder brother.

01:15When I was five, my brother was diagnosed with sickle cell anemia. Before he was hospitalized,

01:21my mother would leave me with him alone. It was that typical African setting where there

01:28are some things that can't be spoken about. You can't tell your mom that. I don't feel

01:33like being the bigger brother. After a couple of years of dealing with that, the pressure

01:38mount, you need an escape. And eventually I turned to weed because it offered solace.

01:50My first weed smoking experience with a group of friends at a soccer field, a friend kind

01:55of jokingly forced me along with the rest into taking a puff.

02:00Using cannabis is particularly risky while your brain is still developing, a process that

02:04lasts until your mid-twenties. In those who are younger, frequent use can lead to problems

02:10with learning, memory and attention span.

02:12THC is the main psychoactive compound in cannabis. It triggers a high that's often described as

02:34a euphoric or relaxed feeling, but it can also negatively affect your mood, thoughts and perception

02:41of reality. A place I'd get weed was an ice cream shop. It did help with my day in school.

02:49Sometimes in class, I'd lose my concentration. I'd start thinking about other situations in

02:56life and I'd realize that weed would make the distractions go away.

03:00If cannabis is consumed regularly, the brain comes to rely on the drug, making it harder to

03:05function without it. If use stops suddenly, it can then cause cravings, mood swings,

03:11restlessness, focus issues and other withdrawal symptoms.

03:15Denial of pain, denial of emotions, denial of experiences. I was in a dark place. At the

03:25prime of everything, I smoked seven joints in a span of 30 hours.

03:30Cannabis can ease anxiety in the short term, but constantly using it to cope with these kinds

03:35of feelings can lead to psychological dependence. And long term, the drug can actually increase the

03:41risk of anxiety, depression or psychosis, especially if you are already predisposed to

03:46mental health problems.

03:47I'd have to find ways of financing my addiction, which is where I'd have to sell drugs to other

03:53students and anyone really. One of the students I sold weed to, gave it to the junior boys, which was not

04:01supposed to happen. My name came up. The next thing I know, I was sent to rehab.

04:10Most of our problems, they start from that child. Cannabis addiction is not easy to kick, but it's

04:15possible. And you start by looking within yourself. What is really paining you? And how do you overcome that?

04:22It's triggered this process of me recognizing that it's going to last a lifetime. There are strategies I

04:29use in situations where I would rather use weed. I engage in deep focused work. I exercise, I meditate.

04:38It frees my mind of clutter and increases my focus. So I have people who when I'm like totally distressed

04:45or depressed that give them a call. I'm so, so, so proud of Frank. My addiction spun over 20 years.

04:54Can you imagine an 18, 19 year old kicking a habit? Every day he has to wake up and he has to make

05:02those difficult decisions. Who do I surround myself with? And what kind of life do I actually want to live

05:08and lead? You cannot completely heal from being an addict, but you work towards being free from your

05:16drug of choice. I fought it and so far I've been able to live a life free of drugs and it's a good one for me.

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