Smoking cannabis affects the way you walk

Cannabis, whether used for medicinal purposes medicinal or recreational use, has various effects on the human body. According to a study conducted at the University of South Australia and published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence.

The researchers carried out this study on 44 people, aged 18 to 49. Of the participants, 22 were cannabis users and the other 22 were non-cannabis users. The cannabis users had used cannabis more than five times and had never used hard drugs or opioids. Both groups underwent walking and balance tests, which were analyzed by a motion capture system.

Cannabis users move their knees faster when walking

The results of this study reveal that cannabis users tend to move their knees faster than people who have never used cannabis. The researchers also noted that weed users have more flexible elbows when walking. Conversely, non-smokers walk with softer shoulders.

Verity Pearson-Dennett, the author of this study, told the local newspaper PsyPost The changes in walking behaviour are so slight that a neurologist specializing in movement disorders would not be able to detect them in all cannabis users. Consumption presents some subtle distinctions in the way we move«.

She explains that these changes would be greater with long-term cannabis use. However, with regard to balance and neurological abilities, the researchers found no differences between cannabis smokers and non-smokers. «Illicit drugs exert their effects by altering the activity of neurotransmitters in the brain's «pleasure centers». But these neurotransmitters are also very important when the body is in motion,» adds Verity Pearson-Dennett.

Finally, the study points out that further research is needed to understand whether these subtle changes in gait become apparent with age and long-term consumption.

Mehdi Bautier