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Module 1.3b

explorers while enduring monotony, isolation, and cold (Suedfeld & Mocellin, 1987).
The philosopher-neuroscientist Patricia Churchland (2013, p. 70) has called such expe-
riences “neural funny business.” TEACH 1.3-8
LSD Enrichment
Chemist Albert Hofmann created — and on one Friday afternoon in April 1943 accidentally Explain to students that flashbacks are
ingested — LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide). The result — “an uninterrupted stream of fan- associated with LSD use. These
tastic pictures, extraordinary shapes with intense, kaleidoscopic play of colors” — reminded
him of a childhood mystical experience that had left him longing for another glimpse of experiences can occur days, months,
“a miraculous, powerful, unfathomable reality” (Siegel, 1984; Smith, 2006). or years after an initial “trip.”
The emotions experienced during an LSD (or acid) trip range from euphoria to detach-
ment to panic. Users’ mood and expectations (their “high hopes”) color the emotional Flashbacks can be as intense as
experience, but the perceptual distortions and hallucinations have some commonalities. the original trip, but because of their
unpredictable nature, they are often
Marijuana
The straight dope on marijuana: Marijuana leaves and flowers contain THC (delta-9- terrifying for the user.
®
tetrahydrocannabinol). Whether inhaled (getting to the brain quickly) or consumed (traveling AP Science Practice
through the body slowly), THC produces a mix of effects. An analysis of 15 studies showed Research
that the THC in a single joint may induce psychiatric symptoms such as hallucinations,
delusions, and anxiety (Hindley et al., 2020). Synthetic cannabinoids (also known as syn- Statistically analyzing the results of
Distributed by Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishers. Not for redistribution.
multiple studies to reach an overall
thetic marijuana, Spice, or K2) mimic THC. conclusion, as Hindley did here, is PRACTICE
Marijuana amplifies sensitivity to colors, sounds, tastes, and smells. But like the depres- referred to as a meta-analysis.
sant alcohol, it relaxes, disinhibits, and may produce a euphoric high. As is the case with
alcohol, people sometimes consume marijuana to help them sleep or improve their mood Research Methods & Design
(Buckner et al., 2019; Wong et al., 2019). Both alcohol and marijuana impair the motor coor- (SP 2)
dination, perceptual skills, and reaction time necessary for safely operating a vehicle or other
machine. “THC causes animals to misjudge events,” reported Ronald Siegel (1990, p. 163). (5 minutes) Ask students
“Pigeons wait too long to respond to buzzers or lights that tell them food is available for to describe the benefits of a
brief periods; and rats turn the wrong way in mazes.” meta-analysis. They should review
Like people who repeatedly consume alcohol, marijuana users develop tolerance —
a lesser high with the same single dose. But marijuana and alcohol also differ. The body Module 0.6 if they are unsure.
eliminates alcohol within hours, while THC and its by-products linger in the body for
more than a week; so with repeated use marijuana accumulates in the body’s tissues
( Volkow et al., 2014).
After considering more than 10,000 scientific reports, the U.S. National Academies of
Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (2017) concluded that marijuana use TEACH 1.3-8
• alleviates chronic pain, chemotherapy-related nausea, and muscle soreness among peo-
ple with multiple sclerosis; Enrichment
• may offer short-term sleep improvements; Copyright © Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishers. Students may have heard that mari-
• does not increase risk for tobacco-related diseases such as lung cancer; juana is considered to be a “gateway”
• predicts increased risk of traffic accidents, chronic bronchitis, psychosis, social anxiety drug, which means that it leads users
disorder, and suicidal thoughts; and
• likely contributes to impaired attention, learning, and memory, and possibly to academic to try “harder” drugs like heroin. A
underachievement. study of 311 sets of identical and fra-
The more often the person uses marijuana, especially during adolescence, the ternal twins in Australia (Zickler, 2003)
greater the risk of anxiety, depression, psychosis, and suicidal behavior (Gage, 2019; found that those teens who used mar-
Gobbi et al., 2019; Huckins, 2017). One study of nearly 4000 Canadian seventh graders ijuana before age 17 were between
concluded that marijuana use at that early age was “neurotoxic”; it predicted long-term
two and five times more likely to use
harder drugs later in life. In each set
of twins, one twin was a user while
The Neuron and Neural Firing: Substance Use Disorders and Psychoactive Drugs Module 1.3b 51 the other was not, helping to control
for confounding factors like genetics
and environment. However, although
marijuana users are more likely to
03_myersAPpsychology4e_28116_ch01_002_163.indd 51 15/12/23 9:22 AM
move on to harder drugs than nonus-
ers are, most do not follow this path.
In addition, external factors, such as
a person’s social environment, play a
role in their risk for drug use.
Information from Zickler, P. (2003, November).
Twins study links early marijuana use to increased
risk of abuse or dependence. National Institute on
Drug Abuse Research Findings, 18(4). archives
.drugabuse.gov/NIDA_Notes/NNVol18N4/Twins
.html

The Neuron and Neural Firing: Substance Use Disorders and Psychoactive Drugs Module 1.3b 51

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