Articles Tagged with: research

Why does weed have so many positive effects on our bodies?

Every week new research pops up showing that cannabis is an incredible plant. How does that come about, exactly? Where do these superpowers come from? Why does the usage of weed have so many positive effects? Coffeeshop The Border Amsterdam went to investigate.

The active substances in weed: cannabinoids

Before we dive deep into the subject it is useful to know more about the active ingredients in weed: cannabinoids. By now, over 120 cannabinoids have been discovered, of which THC and CBD are the best known. The cannabinoids in weed work particularly well with the endocannabinoid system found in our bodies. And, because these two interact so beautifully, cannabis use has all kinds of benefits for our bodies.

The 3 types of cannabinoids

A total of three types of cannabinoids can be distinguished: phytocannabinoids, endocannabinoids and synthetic cannabinoids. What is important to know is that cannabinoids can be present in different amounts in a cannabis plant (except synthetic cannabinoids, of course – these are made in a lab). The type of cannabinoid and the amount present will ultimately determine what effect it has on our bodies.

About the endocannabinoid system

When we talk about the effect cannabinoids have on our bodies we also need to understand (or at least a bit about) the endocannabinoid system. It is a system that sends messages, so to speak, to receptors. And, you guessed it, our endocannabinoid system can communicate with the receptors of the cannabinoids in the cannabis plant. This may still sound a bit complicated, so in short, let’s say that the substances in the cannabis plant are excellent at communicating with the endocannabinoid system in our bodies.

And that’s great, because the endocannabinoid system, among other things, regulates our:

Cognition and memory
Pain perception
Temperature regulation and heart rate
Thinking processes
Appetite
Immune System

The cooperation between our endocannabinoid system and the cannabinoids in the cannabis plant creates a wide range of positive effects, depending on the strain of cannabis used and dosage consumed.

Research on the effects of cannabis

There is an incredible amount of research on cannabis and the number of studies will only increase in the coming years. With cannabis being legalized by more and more countries and its medicinal value now recognized by the United Nations, there is much to gain in cannabis-land. Literally.

Coffeeshop The Border Amsterdam already wrote about the positive effects of cannabis on:

Muscle pain
Depression
Hay fever
The sex life of women
Cancer

These articles show that the positive effects of cannabis on our bodies are incredibly complex, but also fantastic. That a plant can do so much is something we should be immensely grateful for.

PS Is there a topic or research you would like to know more about? Let us know if there is. We would love to explore it for you.

Try it yourself

Enough talk. Hopefully, this explanation has given you a good idea of why weed has so many benefits for our bodies and how the positive effects are achieved. Time to put it to the test yourself. Our coffeeshop on the border of Amsterdam and Amstelveen is open every day of the week. Check our current opening hours before you head out the door. Things are changing a lot these days thanks to the spread of the coronavirus. See you soon!

“Remember that?” What cannabis does to your memories

Do you recognize this moment: you are telling a story about the past and someone else says that it never happened like that at all. You are convinced though, that you actually experienced this event in the way you just told your friends. Are your memories false?

Yes, it’s is an example of false memory. You remember something wrongly. Or certain things that never happened at all, are in your head as something you have actually experienced. It’s more common than you think. And there’s one substance that makes you more susceptible to it, according to researchers: THC.

Misinformation and false memories

Research from Maastricht University in the Netherlands shows that cannabis makes you more sensitive to false memories. According to this research, people who are under the influence of THC, are more susceptible to misinformation. And they even come up with totally false memories!

Among friends, retelling such a false memory, is not so bad but it can be a little embarrassing though. Of course, this is a different story when the police have to interrogate an eye witness to a crime. Because of THC a person’s story could not be consistent with what he actually saw.

Talking about events that never happened

People can associate things differently under the influence of THC. As a result, they can even create completely new memories of events that never happened. Of course, those testimonies aren’t very credible. This is quite a big problem because an eye witness testimony is often an important piece of evidence in a lawsuit. It can really make or break the case.

It is therefore important that such testimony is properly administered. This often happens quite quickly after an incident has occurred, because the incident is still fresh in the memory. However, this research showed that it is sometimes better to wait a while before questioning witnesses and suspects. It appears that the THC level in the body of an eyewitness has an influence on the witness statement. Perhaps even more than thought.

About the research

The study took place among 64 healthy people. These people were not unfamiliar with smoking cannabis but weren’t heavy users either. Half of them inhaled a dose of vapor with THC and the other half inhaled vapor without THC. The researchers did not tell the subjects who inhaled vapor.

The subjects’ memory was tested several times: immediately after inhalation and a week after. With the help of virtual reality, test subjects experienced different scenarios. Some of the subjects witnessed a crime, and others had to commit a crime themselves.

At the same time, someone was telling about the event. But in the process, he made some mistakes on purpose. Some of the stories he told matched what happened, some didn’t. So this person partly gave false information. The subjects were interviewed for half an hour after the trial. Those who inhaled THC were found to take the false information in easier. This was however limited to the phase of acute intoxication.

Investigators’ advice to the police

It has been known for some time now, that the use of cannabis affects the memory of users. But smoking also seems to affect hów you remember things. Researchers advise police to wait with questioning witnesses and suspects who are under the influence. At least until the cannabis has lost its direct effect. This greatly increases the chance of a reliable statement.

We also wonder where you can register for this type of research. First smoke a joint and then commit a crime in a virtual world. All in the name of science, we don’t say no to that!

Remember us?

We hope your memory is clear as water when you try to find your way to your favorite coffeeshop in Amsterdam. If not, don’t panic. You can find us on Google Maps.