This Is Your Brain on Weed. It’s Actually Kind of Amazing.

Getty Images2 min readIn November 1996, California became the first state to legalize medical cannabis. (Many) politics and (some) physicians promised us breakthroughs in better health. Thirty years later, how are we really doing? Men’s Health decided to find out in this special report package. Read more here.WHEN YOU USE weed, your brain kind of goes all over the place. You likely know about how marijuana can chill you out, make you forget yourself, and induce the munchies. But there are other fascinating ways that the drug can alter your mind.MemoryWhen THC binds to receptors in your hippocampus, the compound disrupts signals and impairs memory. That’s why you may forget what you were saying mid-sentence or where you put your keys when stoned.EmotionsTHC also binds to receptors in the amygdala, which can help you feel chill when high—and paranoid or anxious when you’re too high.CoordinationThe back of the brain, the cerebellum, is important for balance, motor skills, and time perception. When THC gets involved, you might feel clumsier and as if time is slowing.Decision-makingTHC disrupts the prefrontal cortex, which oversees critical thinking, problem-solving, and processing information from your senses. As a result, you’re going to find it harder to multitask, feel more impulsive, and zone out.RewardTHC also stimulates the release of feel-good dopamine in the nucleus accumbens. If you’re a chronic, heavy user, cannabis can dull dopamine response and potentially rewire circuitry within the nucleus accumbens, making you more susceptible to addiction.CreativityYour prefrontal cortex and limbic system contribute to imaginative ideas. THC can bind to receptors in these regions and may reduce self-critical noise, allowing for greater free expression.PainScientists believe that the anterior cingulate cortex is central to the perception of pain, and THC seems to dampen its ability—in a good way.There’s so much more going on in the world of weed and health. Read more here.Jocelyn Solis-Moreira, MS is the associate health & fitness for Men's Health and has previously written for CNN, Scientific American, Popular Science, and National Geographic before joining the brand. When she's not working, she's doing circus arts or working towards the perfect pull-up.