ABSTRACT
Marijuana (MJ) is remarkable for its wide ranging effects on human behavior. There have been relatively few investigations conducted regarding animals on the effects of MJ and/or tetrahydrocannabinol on cerebral circulation. The role played by the vascular effects of MJ on cerebral blood vessels was difficult to evaluate. The drug clearly has autonomic effects. Long-term effects of drugs on cerebral blood flow (CBF) involve different mechanisms. In the normal brain, CBF and cerebral metabolism rate (CMR) are closely coupled with brain function. The few available studies on the chronic effects indicate a CBF decrease in heavy users with mild to moderate users showing no changes. The CBF decrease associated with chronic use tends to normalize with abstinence. Since S. S. Kety and C. F. Schmidt developed the first quantitative measurement technique for CBF and CMR, investigators utilized the technique to examine the Central nervous system effects of psychopharmacological agents.
