Title: Does Long-Term Cannabis Use Stifle Motivation? | Psychology Today
Headings: Does Long-Term Cannabis Use Stifle Motivation?
Christopher Bergland
Does Long-Term Cannabis Use Stifle Motivation?
Habitual use of marijuana is linked to lower dopamine levels.
THE BASICS

Content: I have written extensively about dopamine and endocannabinoids (self-produced cannabis) in The Athlete ’s Way over the years. The new study , released on July 1, 2013, was conducted by scientists at Imperial College London, UCL and King's College London. The researchers found that long-term cannabis users tend to produce less dopamine, a neurochemical directly linked to motivation and reward. Using PET brain imaging, the researchers found that dopamine levels in a part of the brain called the striatum were lowest in people who smoke more cannabis and those who began smoking marijuana at a younger age. The findings suggest why "stoners" are stereotypically viewed as lacking the motivation to work hard to pursue their dreams or to be ambitious. Do you think that pot makes people lazy? Have you had personal experience with the phenomenon of cannabis-induced “amotivational syndrome”—also known as being a slacker? There is a strong link between dopamine and the CB-1 and CB-2 cannabinoid receptors of the brain. Any exogenous substance, like cannabis, hijacks the pre-existing receptors for the endogenously produced neurochemical. Contrary to popular belief, endocannabinoids are more strongly linked to "runner’s high" than endorphins.