Where Does Cannabis Go in the Body and How It May Affect Teenagers’ Brain?

Speaker Zerrin Atakan. This presentation will begin with the composition of the cannabis plant, outlining its complexity with over 400 chemicals and four major compounds. It will then provide an overview of the endocannabinoid system within the brain and the body. This will be followed by the characteristics of the adolescent brain, particularly focusing on the possible effects of THC on the pruning process. It will also provide information on the effects of cannabis use on cognitive functioning, as well as the possible induction of THC on disrupting the excitatory-inhibitory balance of neural networks.

There will then be a discussion on why some teenagers are more at risk of developing an enduring psychotic illness following the use of high-THC cannabis.

Video link: https://vimeo.com/672952735/af3c08b7f4

Speaker Details

Full Name
Zerrin Atakan

Position
MD

Bio

After completing her psychiatric training in Hacettepe University, Turkey, Dr. Atakan moved to the UK with a research scholarship, where she obtained her membership degree from the Royal College of Psychiatrists. From 1990 until 2003, she worked as a psychiatric intensive care Consultant, and from 2003 until 2007 was the Lead Consultant at the National Psychosis Unit at the Maudsley Hospital, London. She works as a part-time clinician and an Honorary Senior Lecturer and a Senior Researcher at The Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neurosciences, King’s College London, where she has been studying the effects of cannabis compounds on behavior and brain regions since 2000, as well as researching in the development of an intervention model to treat those with psychosis who continue to use substances. She has written numerous articles on the effects of cannabis compounds in peer-reviewed, high-impact journals and makes frequent presentations on psychoses and cannabis-related topics.