Marijuana and Neurotransmitters: Why Weed Makes Us Feel Happy and Why it is Not as Addictive as Other Drugs

Marijuana, cannabis, mary-jane, pot, whatever your preferred term for the most controversial drug in the world, weed has been causing much debate globally for the past few years now. Although marijuana has been used for thousands of years as a medicine and as an inebriant, there’s no shortage of misinformation out there surrounding this “hot product” and how it affects us.

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From fraudulent companies advertising and selling completely useless and often fake products to drug companies who manipulate scientific data to promote their own products, and notoriously, the U.S. Federal Government who claim that weed has no medicinal value and would be a hazard to society, unfortunately, an extremely negative stigma has been built around weed. Of course, to those of us who are educated on the substance, this couldn’t be any further from the truth.

Possibly one of the most detrimental pieces of misinformation out there is how weed affects the chemical activity of the brain. Critics and the media have led many people to believe that weed promotes pleasure and happiness in the same way that alcohol and cocaine does. In other words, it overloads the brain’s central nervous system with neurotransmitters like dopamine. But, as we will explain in this post, this is inaccurate.

“Addiction-Causing” Drugs Promote Dopamine Activity

The reason many people turn to alcohol and drugs is that it makes them feel extraordinarily happy, even if just for a moment in time. It’s a way for them to escape their responsibilities and just feel good, without the weight of the world on their shoulders.

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Drugs and alcohol interact with the brain to alter emotions, moods, and behaviors by changing brain chemistry. On a scientific level, it all comes down to the “pleasure molecules,” known as neurotransmitters and more specifically, dopamine. In essence, drug and alcohol use triggers the release of endorphins. Depression is characterized by low levels of dopamine, which means that people with low dopamine activity typically experience low motivation and low self-confidence.

Dopamine-enhancing drugs help these people to replace their feelings of helplessness and lack of motivation with feelings of pleasure, confidence, and often, reward-seeking behavior. The more often the drugs are consumed, the more they impact the brain chemicals and circuitry, and this is what leads to drug dependence and withdrawal symptoms. Put simply, the brain and the body starts to rely on these drugs to make it feel good, and this is what makes alcohol, cocaine, and similar drugs so addictive.

This is where the misinformation surrounding weed comes in. Since marijuana produces similar feelings of euphoria and “pleasure” sensations many believe that it works in the same way that alcohol and cocaine do - by overwhelming the brain with dopamine activity.

However, this is not the case at all. Marijuana is vastly different to other drugs, and while it may also produce feelings of happiness, it works in a very different way. The bottom line is that addictive drugs promote dopamine activity and while alcohol and cocaine are addictive, marijuana is NOT.

Studies Show That Anandamide – NOT Dopamine, is Likely Why Weed Makes us So Happy

While it has been long believed that the “high” associated with cannabis is caused by an overflow of dopamine being released, as with other drugs, this theory has been largely discredited. When compared with drugs like cocaine and alcohol, cannabis-only produces tiny amounts of dopamine.

One of the most credible studies proving that weed does not increase the release of dopamine is all thanks to researchers in London who performed a systematic review back in 2015. They went through over twenty previous publications that had explored how cannabis use affects the dopamine activity.

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They stated that they found little direct evidence to suggest that the feelings of happiness associated with cannabis are a result of dopamine being released. Instead, they have revealed that anandamide, which is a naturally occurring endogenous network of neurotransmitters within the human body, is what produces feelings of happiness and pleasure. As it turns out, the active molecules that are found in weed are almost identical to anandamide. Since this study was done at a well-renowned and respected institution, King’s College London, it gives a massive backing to the cannabis industry.

Anandamide is a substance produced by our body with the purpose of binding to cannabinoid receptors. It’s known to be a neurotransmitter, mood enhancer, and endocannabinoid that provides various health benefits and is almost identical to THC and CBD. More specifically to THC, since CBD has a relatively different physical structure. It’s by no means a coincidence that weed contains active molecules that are close to being identical to several functionally active molecules that are found in the human body. These molecules go by the name of “phytocannabinoids,” and are nearly identical in form and function to the human body’s “endocannabinoids.”

So how does it work? Anandamide interacts with the CB1 and CB2 receptors in our brain and is thought to be a fragile molecule because it breaks down quickly. It has been named after Ananda (the Sanskrit word for bliss) because it is responsible for producing feelings of happiness. It also plays a key role in physiological processes such as, managing pain, appetite, and even improving memory. Even more impressive, it’s been known to help with anxiety and depression.

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Essentially, what this all means is that weed is not only a substance that will make you feel good, but it’s also a lot healthier and dare we say it, less addictive way to promote happiness, in comparison to cocaine and alcohol.

In essence, the high that we get from consuming marijuana, and the euphoria and ultimate happiness that we experience from consuming it, is more likely the result of the plant's influence on anandamide, and not dopamine. This is the most vital part of the findings because it explains the almost addictive-free nature of cannabis.

If you’re still a little skeptical about the science behind it and maybe even a bit confused, we will leave you with this explanation from Marijuana and Sex: A Classic Combination, et, al. Terry Necco, one of the most trusted and well-known books on cannabis of all time.

In the book, they go on to explain that just like our body has pleasure systems that reward us for sex, our brains have neurocellular circuitry and these can only be activated by substances that have THC’s molecular structure. This is what makes the weed high a unique constellation of feelings. There are only two sources for the substances which activate THC’s very own neuroreceptor, one is the brain, and the other is the cannabis plant. Our brain generates anandamide, which is a neurochemical that’s very similar to THC, and well, the only thing that compares is cannabis.

The Bottom Line: Why Does Weed Make us Happy?

There is an overflow of misinformation out there, and this only fuels the beliefs of skeptics and those who stand against weed. It’s unfortunate because as we have discussed above, the perceived effects of weed on the human body and mind are one of the less talked about issues and an issue around cannabis that has possibly seen the most inaccurate information being distributed.

Weed doesn’t have the same effects on dopamine activity as other more addictive drugs as cocaine and alcohol do. This one of the many things that makes marijuana so miraculous. It provides incredible sense happiness and relief from depression and anxiety, along with several other health benefits, with a lower potential of addiction and abuse.

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Read more:

Why Do Some People Get Paranoid When They Smoke Weed?
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The False Information Plaguing the Cannabis Industry