AP BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Marijuana, like other drugs of abuse, stimulates brain dopamine (DA) signaling in the nucleus accumbens (1, 2), which is a mechanism believed to underlie the rewarding effects of drugs (3–5) and to trigger the neuroadaptations that result in addiction (reviewed in ref.

Detailed explanation-2: -In addition to CB1 receptors on the glutamatergic and GABA-ergic neurons, THC also binds to and activates CB2 receptors on the VTA dopaminergic neurons. This binding reduces dopamine release, and therefore, contributes to the aversive effects of THC in rodents.

Detailed explanation-3: -Anandamide administration alone and after inhibition of fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) increases dopamine levels in the nucleus accumbens shell in rats. J Neurochem.

Detailed explanation-4: -Long-term cannabis users tend to produce less dopamine, a chemical in the brain linked to motivation, a study has found. Researchers found that dopamine levels in a part of the brain called the striatum were lower in people who smoke more cannabis and those who began taking the drug at a younger age.