Marijuana use and relation to serotonin / dopamine levels

[cheesus_one]

Hi all, first time poster. I've been pretty much a daily smoker for the past 2-3 years, initially I found myself attached to the drug due to initial sleeping issues and not wanting to rely on the regular cost and use of prescription Temazepam, so being surrounded by other pot head friends I gave weed a go. I had smoked weed before at parties, drunk etc but this was my first time sober trying it without pressure at first it was great, food was incredible, sleep was great and I took immense enjoyment in the most simple pleasures. Initially, I would only use it sporadically and was strong-willed enough to do so. But within the last 12 or 16 months, I found my shared house living situation and career adding more stress to which I would combat with the use of more marijuana although, not a huge amount compared to some..maybe around 1/2 ounce every 1-2 months or so, smoked via bongs or vaporized.

Now I've moved on living solo, work or relationship situation is much the same. But I'd be lying if I said my mood levels have improved if not they've gotten worse. I've become a slight recluse due to no funds paying off a mortgage and finding spending nights watching tv stoned enjoyable. I can't tell if it's the effects of daily use of weed, or if it's just the normal factors of my life that have been causing my overall outlook on life to diminish, my motivation is very sub par and everything just seems rather boring and bleak. Also might add that I haven't been drinking excessively and although I have dabbled in some other substances such as E or MDMA, I'm not a heavy or even regular user...nor do I feel attached or have a huge urge to use so again unlike green.

I have taken a week off the weed, find myself bored and more or less the same..not that I was expecting any sort of huge change within that time frame. Does Marijuana cause any sort of temporary or permanent damage to serotonin or dopamine levels ? What sort of time frame would I be looking at to notice any changes in my overall mental state, if any ?

Appreciate any replies, hope I haven't broken any rules. Cheers.

 

[Durzo1258]

I don't know about serotonin / dopamine level best to google for some studies (people who smoke themselves are generally biased), but weed is known to make people somewhat less motivated. It largely depends on a person, during my time at uni where I was surrounded by stoners (even briefly was one myself) I noticed that some people can and still function on weed whereas others become house dwelling stoners who do nothing. I wasn't nearly as active when I was smoking regularly.
The only way to find out whether it's the weed making you lazy is to take a longer break. Try a month or two and see what happens.

 

[Mysterie]

i agree with the above, and can also recommend the subreddit r/leaves (if you plan on quitting) or r/petioles if you are trying to cut down your usage.

also this is the article that catalysed my exit from cannabis 2 weeks ago, i feel a lot more connected with myself and my external environment now. i have also been meditating daily since which would have helped, but i find it super difficult to meditate when i am toking.

 

[Burnt Offerings]

Marijuana is not neurotoxic. So no, it doesn't cause brain damage.

You can't just quit weed and expect your life to improve...the reason being is that the factors which led you to develop a reliance on marijuana in the first place still presumably exist. You have to replace marijuana with something else that'll give you enjoyment and help you cope with day-to-day life.

 

[Yourbaker]

i agree with the above, and can also recommend the subreddit r/leaves (if you plan on quitting) or r/petioles if you are trying to cut down your usage.

also this is the article that catalysed my exit from cannabis 2 weeks ago, i feel a lot more connected with myself and my external environment now. i have also been meditating daily since which would have helped, but i find it super difficult to meditate when i am toking.

I really enjoy the article. Being the guy who used weed to get out of ptsd it rings very true to me. Despite that my use has decreased dramatically and now I use it primarily as an aid to meditation. Currently I'm at 10% of my dose a full year ago and have begun skipping days. I've never had motivation issues but I do suffer from boredom when I'm off work, which could be a sign that I am lacking motivation when I'm not structured.

I don't see weed as a way of life but I haven't found it as a boogie man either. At least I learned what weed was doing to me mentally, unlike my venture into alcoholism. Weed produces an environment in my brain that is conducive to the development of dopamine. It still falls on me to accomplish something to cause the response. Luckily couch surfing is not a skill I have. I have lost 12kg since I started using weed daily, this makes me think I may not be the rule.

 

[LawyerLife]

Your story is very similar to mine. In many ways. To answer your question, I do believe that weed does deplete both serotonin and dopamine in the brain.

When my anxiety and depression got really bad last May, I decided that I was done with weed until I stabilized in my personal and prof life. I managed to be completely drug free for 5 full months, and at the end of the 5th month felt improved, but not 100% back to my old self.

Feeling good, I decided to try and smoke up and see how I felt. I was ok for several weeks, and thought that I would be ok. And then it hit me right back. So I decided to quit permanently almost 2 months ago. And it's back to pure hell on Earth.

Stress causes a severe depletion of serotonin and dopamine. When you combine the use of Weed along with stress, your brain simply can't cope and you have daily anxiety and depression.

If I were you I'd quit and try to fix the the stressors of your life. What I'm doing currently. I have an open thread in Sober Living if you wanna follow.