Could marijuana be GOOD for mental health? Breakthrough study claims the drug could be used to help treat depression

Smoking marijuana alters our response to negative images or emotions

People with THC in bloodstream, the active ingredient of cannabis, were less accurate at matching fearful expressions than ones that were happy



Study argues that marijuana may now be touted as a cure for depression



It's well-known that marijuana will get you high, but a lesser known side-effect is that it can alter our response to negative emotions and images.



A recent study has taken a look at the brain’s functioning in the presence of tetrahydrocannabinoid (THC) to understand how marijuana can affect the way we process emotions.

THC is the principal psychoactive constituent of the cannabis plant.

The research tested a group of men who were active users of marijuana. To qualify they had to have taken the drug four times or more in a year but not more than once a week

The European Neuropsychopharmacology journal has published a study that has confirmed the positive effect of THC to negative stimuli.

The study, which was undertaken at the University Medical Center Utrecht in the Netherlands, claims that THC activates the endocannabinoid system naturally found in the brain to alter our response to negative images or emotions.

With this discovery, the study argues that marijuana may now be touted as a cure to depression and other mental ilnesses.

The research tested a group of men who were active users of marijuana. To qualify they had to have taken the drug four times or more in a year but not more than once a week.

The study look at the functioning in the presence of tetrahydrocannabinoid (THC) to understand how smoking marijuana plants (pictured) can affect the way we process emotions

THC was administered to one group while another was given a placebo.

The men were then asked to mimic images of facial expressions either 'happy' or 'fearful'.

According to the study, people who had THC in their bloodstream were less accurate in matching the fearful facial expressions.

However, they were able to perfectly copy those that looked happy.

The results were confirmed by MRI scans of the men’s brains that revealed a beneficial effect of THC on emotion-processing cerebral regions.

'THC administration reduces the negative bias in emotional processing,' said the report.

'This adds human evidence to support the hypothesis that the endocannabinoid system is involved in modulation of emotional processing.'