The Neurochemical Effects of THC
As told to me by my teacher, neuroscientist Dr. Thom Knoles, PhD.
The active ingredient in marijuana is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), one of the most powerful sympathetic nervous system depressants commonly abused. The THC molecule weakly mimics part of certain bliss neurotransmitters, and it mimics them well enough to fill the receptor sites that are designed to respond to those endogenous brain chemicals associated with full-spectrum bliss.
The receptor gets “tricked” into triggering part of its bliss and de-excitatory repertoire. The THC molecule is capable of triggering only a limited range of the receptor cell’s bliss repertoire (not all), but the first major cost is that THC blocks reception of many of the endogenous bliss chemicals released by meditation or other natural mood-elevating experiences.
Normally, after an endogenous molecule triggers the full-spectrum bliss response, the receptor expels the molecule, having “juiced” it, more or less. However, THC is not endogenous, it is exogenous; that is, it’s a drug from outside the human body. The first harmful consequence of this is that the receptor cannot eject the molecule for at least fifteen days. After about fifteen days, the contaminated cell dies and gets replaced.
An exogenous molecule is a “psychoactive drug” when:
It counterfeits a naturally occurring, endogenous substance for which receptors exist
It triggers part of the range of that receptor’s repertoire, giving rise to a perceived desirable effect
It blocks the reception of endogenous molecules and thereby inhibits the cell’s display of its full range, ultimately killing the receptor cell
It “trains” the cell to downgrade its expectation and settle for the limited range provided by the drug
Its presence signals the body to cease production of endogenous bliss molecules because of perceived “plenty” in the receptors.
It causes dependency on the exogenous supply when the endogenous supply is “trained” to dry up.
Marijuana satisfies all these criteria in spades.
Think of the way in which a poorly-cut counterfeit key may open a lock, but then gets stuck in the keyhole. When the genuine key comes along, the keyhole is already filled and blocking entry by the true key. Then the locksmith has to replace the lock.
The millions of dead cells containing useless “stuck” THC molecules are scavenged from the body, and replaced by new cells that still carry a trace of the distorted memory of their contaminated predecessors, but can be rehabilitated to trigger their full repertoire if meditation becomes habitual and THC ingestion ceases.
When someone says “I only had one or two puffs” “I didn’t inhale”, an incursion of millions of THC molecules into the body has still occurred. In fact, the lungs are not laden with the greatest number of receptors—the greatest numbers exist in the mouth and nasal passages. That is why even a small amount of THC smoke, even if not inhaled, has a detrimental effect on the nervous system.
People who argue that marijuana is not addictive often are people who cannot stop easily. Marijuana is notoriously addictive.
It also induces long term intransigent unipolar depression and paranoia, and damages the immune system by suppressing t-cell production and anti-viral responses. People who breathe marijuana smoke get sick more easily and more often.
Psycho-physiological hazards aside, marijuana and other exogenous drugs have a powerfully destructive and disorienting effect on spiritual development. They may make us feel temporarily more connected with nature, or the universe, or God, or however we want to term it, but that effect is only a mirage triggered by the sudden ingestion of exogenous bliss chemicals; it’s not real and can’t be sustained or integrated into everyday reality. In the long run, it thwarts our spiritual journey by clouding our mind and body and disconnecting us from our natural Being. When asked what effect smoking marijuana had for the sadhus who imbibed, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi once said “it has a killing effect on spirituality”.