1/31/2015

Marijuanas effect on emotion | Collegian Central

RAMTALK

CLASSIFIEDS

RAMDEALS

COMMENTS

produced by the students of

Colorado State University

MOST READ:

Top 11 things turning 10 years old in 2015

Search

MOST COMMENTED:

Marijuanas effect on emotion

by Stephanie Mason
9 am, October 16, 2014
Last updated 3 months ago

Since the passing of

Amendment 64 in
2012, researchers
have been active in
working to
understand
marijuana and its
effects on the human
brain.
Lucy Troup from
Colorado State
Universitys Psychology Department is conducting research on the impact
marijuana usage has on an individuals emotional state.
The bottom line is it appears that marijuana use does affect the brains ability to
process emotional information, Troup said.
Troup uses a brain activity measuring tool called the electroencephalogram to look
at brain function. The EEG measures something called the P300, which is
associated in the brain with emotional responses.
The methods I use allow me to look more closely with how behavior is linked to
brain mechanism with EEG, Troup said. When you make a positive stimulus or a
negative stimulus, it changes with the size of that waveform.
http://www.collegian.com/2014/10/marijuanas-effect-emotion/95346/

1/8

1/31/2015

Marijuanas effect on emotion | Collegian Central

negative stimulus, it changes with the size of that waveform.

In Troups lab, images showing emotional expressions are shown to participants
being monitored by the EEG. She looks at how self-reported marijuana users
identify with the emotions displayed.
An EEG scan gives levels of P300 activity in the brain. A lower P300 is also called
depressed, which indicates lower levels of emotion recognition.
The tests are done on three groups: people who have never used marijuana,
people who have occasionally used and people who are chronic users.
We have seen really interesting results, Troup said. We have a definite deficit for
the usage amounts. Those who are chronic users have a very depressed P300,
those who have used it once or twice have a P300 that falls in the mid range.
Troup uses EEG to better understand how emotions are processed in the human
brain.
We look for biomarkers: indicators in brain activity that suggests difference
between people who present with emotional disorders and those that dont just
looking at what the brain does in regards to emotion and emotion processing,
Troup said.
The Troup lab is working on analyzing which emotions result in a depressed P300
level in the chronic users brain.
We seem to be seeing brain mechanism effects that suggest that marijuana is
changing how the brain processes emotional information, Troup said. What is less
clear, and what we are starting to investigate further, is how that affects behavior.
According to Troup, there have been a great deal of stories circulating mass media
about behavioral changes of marijuana users, which prompted her interest in the
study.
Troup also gained initial interest in marijuana research after Amendment 64 was
passed.
There is no such thing as a safe drug, Troup said. Caffeine is not safe, any drug

http://www.collegian.com/2014/10/marijuanas-effect-emotion/95346/

2/8

1/31/2015

Marijuanas effect on emotion | Collegian Central

There is no such thing as a safe drug, Troup said. Caffeine is not safe, any drug
or anything you put into your body has some sort of risk attached to it. The idea
that something was completely safe sort of mystified me.
Marijuana usage is also going to be looked at as a possible depression treatment.
Troup is interested in seeing if depression can be treated with marijuana. Her
research will soon include EEG scans on a group that uses medical marijuana to
treat their depression.
Marijuana does have some really interesting applications medically, Troup said.
The reasons people were asking for (marijuana) were not necessarily the ones
best treated by endocannabinoids.
According to Troup, people who use marijuana have varied reactions to the drugs
effects. The research is looking at how individual users can be affected on
different levels.
Some people may be able to cope quite well with these deficits and not have
issues with interpreting emotional expressions, but for some people, this may be a
problem, Troup said.
Troups lab is not the only marijuana-related research going on at CSU. Kevin
Walters is a second year graduate student working with the physical and
psychological health that goes along with working in the new marijuana industry.
As this legalization is occurring we notice this industry of marijuana workers that is
just growing rapidly before our eyes, Walters said. Essentially what our project is
aiming to do is to access potential issues and occupational health and well being in
the workplace.
Stephanie Bastidas is a graduate student who helps with the EEG scanning and
research. People fill out questionnaires before the scan to list family history and
many
other factors
that may
contribute
to theBLOGS
study.
NEWS
SPORTS
OPINION
A&E
MEDIA
It is not as bad as it looks, Bastidas said. The experiment people are just kind of
looking at images and processing them how we tell them.
The lab is currently looking for volunteers to participate in the research.
http://www.collegian.com/2014/10/marijuanas-effect-emotion/95346/

3/8

1/31/2015

Marijuanas effect on emotion | Collegian Central

Please come and participate, Bastidas said. We want to try and get a wide
range.
Collegian Science and Technology Beat Reporter Stephanie Mason can be
reached at news@collegian.com or on Twitter @stephersmason.
Back to top | Permalink

0 Comments

Rocky Mountain Collegian

Login

Share Favorite

Sort by Best

Start the discussion

Be the first to comment.

Subscribe

Add Disqus to your site

http://www.collegian.com/2014/10/marijuanas-effect-emotion/95346/

Privacy

4/8