The Surprising Connection Between Cannabis Use and Increased Empathy

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Summary: A groundbreaking study suggests that regular cannabis users may have an enhanced ability to comprehend and interpret others’ emotions. Through psychological assessments and brain imaging, researchers discovered that cannabis users exhibit stronger connectivity in brain regions associated with empathy. This work, involving 136 participants, has potential implications for treating social interaction deficits in various psychological conditions.

Key Facts:

  1. Regular cannabis users may possess a greater empathic understanding of others compared to non-users.
  2. Brain imaging reveals heightened connectivity in the anterior cingulate cortex, a region linked to empathy, among cannabis users.
  3. The study’s findings could inform potential treatments for social interaction deficits in various psychological conditions.

Source: Wiley

In a study published in the Journal of Neuroscience Research, psychological assessments indicated that individuals who regularly use cannabis, or marijuana, tend to have a deeper understanding of others’ emotions.

Additionally, brain imaging tests revealed that the anterior cingulate of cannabis users – a region typically impacted by cannabis use and linked to empathy, displayed greater connectivity with brain regions involved in perceiving the emotional states of others within one’s own body.

This shows a woman covered in leaves.
People who regularly use cannabis, or marijuana, tend to have a greater understanding of the emotions of others. Credit: Neuroscience News

The study included 85 regular cannabis users and 51 non-consumers who completed psychometric tests, as well as a subset of 46 users and 34 nonusers who underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging exams.

“While further research is necessary, these results present an exciting new avenue for exploring the potential effects of cannabis in assisting treatments for conditions related to deficiencies in social interactions, such as sociopathy, social anxiety, and avoidant personality disorder, among others,” said co-author Víctor Olalde-Mathieu, PhD, of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México.

About this empathy and psychology research news

Author: Sara Henning-Stout
Source: Wiley
Contact: Sara Henning-Stout – Wiley
Image: The image is credited to Neuroscience News

Original Research: The findings will appear in Journal of Neuroscience Research

Reference 

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