Research Library / Article Summary

The effects of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol on the dopamine system

Plain-English AddictionTube research summary with source link, DOI, key finding, and recovery relevance.

Nature • 16 Nov 2016 • Reviews

opioidcannabisdopaminebrain sciencereview

Research focus

This article may help explain addiction science through research on opioid, cannabis, dopamine, brain science. The source abstract begins by describing: “The effects of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive ingredient in cannabis, are a pressing concern for global mental health.”

Key finding: Future research, they suggest, should focus on the relationships between cannabis-induced alterations in the dopamine system and behavioural effects in humans and animal models.

Why this may help: This may help explain why addiction can involve brain, behavior, mental health, craving, relapse, or treatment factors rather than simple willpower alone. It should be read as research information, not personal medical advice.

Article details

Authors: Michael A. P. Bloomfield, Abhishekh H. Ashok, Oliver D. Howes

DOI: 10.1038/nature20153

Open access: Not marked open access

Open original source article

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