Andrew Huberman on Weed & Teen Brains - REACTION from a Recovered Addict & Therapist
Channel: Starts With Me
Date: 2023-05-26

In this video, I review Dr. Andrew Huberman's video on the effects of cannabis on the developing brain. I discuss the risks of cannabis use in adolescence, including the increased risk of psychosis and impaired executive function. I also shared my own personal experience with cannabis use and addiction.

Our playlist and videos on Cannabis, Weed addiction - https://goo.gl/fpzfqY

🔵ATTRIBUTION 🔵
Huberman, Andrew. 2022, December 22. Effects of Cannabis (Marijuana) on Adolescent & Young Adult Brain. Huberman Lab Clips https://youtu.be/lMlnLSLpW2Y
Huberman, Andrew. 2022, October 3. The Effects of Cannabis (Marijuana) on the Brain & Body | Huberman Lab Podcast #92 - https://youtu.be/gXvuJu1kt48

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On today's video, I am going to review the great Dr. Andrew Huberman discussing cannabis and the impact on the adolescent brain. As you know, if you've watched my previous videos on cannabis addiction, you will know a little bit about my own past experience. So this is a topic close to my heart personally and professionally as I started using cannabis at 12 years old.

Prior to going through puberty, I guess, and it certainly had tremendous impacts on my brain, my brain development and my life. So let's listen to what Dr. Huberman has to say and I will comment as we go along. Cannabis is a unique instance in which nowadays we are hearing, yes, it's becoming legal in a number of areas. And we talked earlier about why that's probably a good thing in most circumstances, but that we aren't just hearing that cannabis is safe or it's not just being implied that cannabis is safer. But many more people are talking about the positive effects of cannabis without a lot of discussion about the negative effects of cannabis. And I realize that saying this is going to upset some people out there because I know that there are a number of people who fought very hard for the legalization process, and I want to acknowledge that. I also want to acknowledge the many known positive effects of cannabis in adults with very occasional use, provided it is delivered safely and in the safe context and setting and with legality that is entirely distinct from the issue of whether or not cannabis is safe for the developed brain and body. Again, I'm not demonizing anybody for using cannabis, but I want to make the point very simply and very directly.

It is far in a way a different circumstance for the brain, for an individual to be 25 years or older and using cannabis in whatever form occasionally or maybe even frequently than it is for a young person aged 14 to 25 to be using cannabis either by smoking or vaping or by edible or any other form on the brain and body. It's absolutely clear that the brain continues to develop at least until age 25 and that a huge number of systems related to mood regulation, so-called executive function, the ability to organize one's thoughts, plan and execute plans essentially to become a functional human being. That's one portion of becoming a functional human being, but certainly an essential one. All of that relies on the fine tuning of this neural circuitry that we've been talking about up until now. And it's abundantly clear that cannabis and THC in particular, dramatically disrupt those processes. I am a perfect candidate for exactly what he was talking about. So I want to emphasize his point that this isn't about demonizing cannabis. This isn't about saying it's good, bad, right, wrong. I do appreciate him pointing at the fact that there is often only positive discussion around the legalization of cannabis, its potential positive effects for people and etc. We rarely ever hear about the negative consequences. And oftentimes for people like myself who become addicted to cannabis, as I described in a video on this channel in the past, the shame and the guilt and the sense of I'm a pathetic human being because I'm addicted to cannabis, or it's impacting me negatively. And I know that, but I'm too scared to say anything about it. There's a lot of people out there that that is true for. And as Dr. Huberman explains here, that is not part of the societal discourse around the use of cannabis these days. So just to bring our attention to that, this is about us as individuals. What is it for us that works, that does not work? And we need to learn to make decisions for ourselves based on our own needs, inadequacies, goals, desires, not about what other people think or not about how other people can use it safely or etc.. The other piece here that certainly was true for me is the disruption of our prefrontal cortex, our executive functioning skills as we mature through puberty and into adulthood. I was high 24 hours a day from about 12 and a half