Quick question about the reward pathway

[smokedup]

So im a 5 year everyday cannabis smoker, non medicated with ADHD(diagnosed as a kid but parents refused to medicate, thank fuck) and am querying whether cannabis is involved at all in the reward pathway? is this just a natural mechanism whereby we are rewarded for only animal-like activities such as food, sex, strenuous exercise etc. or can our mind, through the habits we form, aside from stimulant use cause these habits to be rewarding? is it strictly the THC and other cannabinoids "tap into" the reward pathway or can our mind shape what makes us rewarded no matter what the activity?

 

[DeathDomokun]

The 'reward pathway' usually refers to dopamine (and is extremely complex)
Cannabis indirectly affects serotonin, I'm not sure about dopamine.
Our mind reacts to different activities, which is why you can get addicted to things like food/gambling/shopping/sex, etc
This'd be better in Basic DD or Advanced DD, though I'll let the mods figure out where they want this thread

 

[smokedup]

Cheers for the quick reply man, much appreciated. Im intrigued because on the odd occasion of having any stimulant my craving for weed subsides, and i usually want to smoke to potentiate any high, be it alcohol,acid or dmt. I saw that in the US a controversial treatment being pushed for ADHD kids was marijuana(ingested, and in small amounts of course). I find there is a certain threshold where the stone becomes to strong and confusion and paranoia set in, but after a single cone or hit my concentration and mental clarity are raised.

 

[Divine Moments]

The reward pathways can be activated by anything that you find rewarding. Taking the first swig of a cold beer after a long day can cause a dopamine rush as much as winning big at the casino, having sex or playing computer games can. The difference with stimulants such as cocaine or amphetamines is that they can pharmacologically activate these pathways which causes you to feel it to be rewarding - kind of the opposite way around to external causes creating positive feedback. With regular use the brain then associates these acts which 'artificially' create a feeling of reward as being actually rewarding and this can then be additive or, for example, cause aberrant reward activation from the act of smoking or shooting up, regardless of the substance's effects.

Sending to BDD for some more knowledgeable responses