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Cannabis in the Curriculum
Academic Corner
To understand the relationship between humans and cannabis, it is important to establish how the human body functions. The body constantly works to maintain homeostasis, essentially to achieve a state of equilibrium. For example, after consuming a large meal, the body must accommodate the change in body temperature, direct appropriate blood flow for digestion, and activate muscles to break down nutrients. The control of complex functions simplifies down to the concept of cellular communication, not the telephone kind. The brain is the major signaling center and must accurately direct these signals in order to execute actions.
Imagine the brain as an adjustable sink faucet dispensing water in the form of neurotransmitters to control desired bodily functions (i.e. epinephrine, aka adrenaline). In order to achieve the perfect water temperature and elicit a desired signal and response, the hot and cold handles must be adjusted appropriately. A similar process happens in the human body. The brain must regulate the intensity of signals by controlling the amount of neurotransmitters released. The neurotransmitters controlled by the brain must be perfectly released for an appropriate, desired action to occur. If too little of one kind of neurotransmitter released, you may never be able to lift your arm (too cold). If there is too much of another kind, you may never be able to stop moving your arm (too hot). The brain must regulate the amount of neurotransmitters released so that the desired action is useful.