New Finding - Marijuana, Memory, and Mitochondria

• Mitochondria = structures within our cells where energy is ultimately generated from the food we eat
• Cannabinoids = compounds (such as THC) in marijuana that are able to stick to and turn on proteins known as cannabinoid receptors - these receptors are found throughout our bodies
• mtCB₁ = cannabinoid receptor present in brain cell mitochondria
• New data indicates that turning on mtCB₁ receptors in the hippocampus, the part of the brain where memories are formed, leads to a slowdown in mitochondrial energy generation and a reduction in memory formation
• This provides an explanation for why smoking weed messes with your ability to remember stuff

Nature - A Cannabinoid Link Between Mitochondria and Memory