Stoners find it easier to recognize and understand how other people feel, according to a new study out just in time for 4/20. The research from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México finds that people who regularly smoke marijuana actually have more empathy than the rest of the population.
The study shows that chronic users are more capable of sensing how others feel, with brain scans backing that up. They reveal that the region of the brain linked to empathy – the anterior cingulate – is particularly active in cannabis smokers. Because of this, researchers think stoners are better able to sense someone else’s emotional state.
Study author Dr. Víctor Olalde-Mathieu believes weed could help those with social anxiety and other conditions that make it challenging to be around people. “Although further research is needed, these results open an exciting new window for exploring the potential effects of cannabis in aiding treatments for conditions involving deficits in social interactions, such as sociopathy, social anxiety, and avoidant personality disorder, among others,” he explains. “These findings highlight positive effects of cannabis on interpersonal relationships and potential therapeutic applications.”
Source: Talker
