By Zach Puznak
Adderall and Ritalin are DEA Schedule II substances. This means, they have a “high potential for abuse,” can “lead to severe psychological or physical dependence” and are considered “dangerous”
“When we look at upperclassmen, the number really begins to jump,” says Alan DeSantis, professor of communications at the University of Kentucky who has conducted research on use in college. “The more time you stay on campus, the more likely you are to use.”
Two-thirds of college students are offered Adderall and other prescription stimulants by their senior year, and about half of that group (or 31 percent overall) are just saying yes, according to a 2012 study published in the Journal of American College Health.
Medicinal cannabis is proving to be just as or more effective than common ADD/ADHD prescriptions without the risks and unpleasant side effects.
The with ADHD who had limited success with conventional treatments for the disorder (Adderall and Ritalin). All 30 reported “improved concentration and sleep” and “reduced impulsivity” after using medicinal cannabis, according to the case report.
Moreover, 22 out of the 30 patients decided to forgo their previously prescribed medications once the study was over and continue using medicinal marijuana to manage their symptoms.
Albeit with a very small sample group, this study provides some of the first clinical data on the potential of marijuana in treating ADHD, which, as we know, is characterized by difficulty concentrating, hyperactivity, impulsivity, and forgetfulness.
Dr. David Bearman, a so-called figurehead of cannabis research, a.k.a. a “cannabinoidologist,” explains the effects of marijuana in treating ADHD symptoms as having to do with the brain’s dopamine levels.
“Cannabis appears to treat ADD and ADHD by increasing the availability of dopamine,” Bearman explains (via Leafly). “This then has the same effect but is a different mechanism of action than stimulants like Ritalin and dexedrine amphetamine, which act by binding to the dopamine and interfering with the metabolic breakdown of dopamine.”
Cannabis (more specifically, the cannabinoids) possibly corrects dopamine shortages in the brains of people with ADHD. As of now, two states in the United States—California and Colorado—allow the prescription of medical marijuana to treat ADHD, but if more studies prove out the results in this one, don’t be surprised if more states follow suit.
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