Does Cannabis affect Anandamide production similarly to how Cocaine affects Dopamine?

[Oahspe]

From what I understand, the way cocaine interacts with the neurotransmitter dopamine can play a crucial role in addiction. Cocaine is supposed to be "indirect" in it's effects in that it does not directly bind with receptors, Whereas THC does. I know this is somewhat of a simplified question, as science is still in it's infancy as far as understand the mechanisms of conciousness, much less how those mechanisms interact with the plant life of the world... What I was wondering is if somehow THC stimulation of receptors, through overuse, could somehow affect the way brain the produces Anandamide, etc. and cause withdrawl symptoms and so on...
http://www.utexas.edu/research/asrec/desensitisation.gif

[sidecross]

I have used cannabis for over 43 years and have stopped at times with no withdrawal symptoms.

I did experience heavy withdrawal experiences from not being able to run 6K everyday because of herniated discs. I ran a 6K at an 8 minute mile speed. The withdrawal from dopamine was severe.

The sports medicine Doctor I was seeing at the time put me on antidepressants for a short period of time. The Doctor was well aware of the withdrawal symptoms and placed me on the antidepressants before I even thought I would need them.

[sidecross]

I have used cannabis for over 43 years and have stopped at times with no withdrawal symptoms.

I did experience heavy withdrawal experiences from not being able to run 6K everyday because of herniated discs. I ran a 6K at an 8 minute mile speed. The withdrawal from dopamine was severe.

The sports medicine Doctor I was seeing at the time put me on antidepressants for a short period of time. The Doctor was well aware of the withdrawal symptoms and placed me on the antidepressants before I even thought I would need them.


Edit: It is passed the time to edit this post, but when I wrote I ran 6K, I meant to say 10K. A 10K is 6.2 miles I ran this distance in 50 minutes.

[Oahspe]

Interesting stuff. Eye did not know one could experience "Runner's withdrawal". Why would your doc prescribe SSRI's for that?

[sidecross]

‘Runner’s withdrawal’ causes severe depression from the inability to run and get the ‘high’ from dopamine.

I could feel the dopamine kick in at about the forty minute mark for myself; others differ when it kicks in. The effect of dopamine would last for hours.

I have stopped other pleasure producing activities, but getting off running producing dopamine was the hardest of any I experienced.

[K.J]

No, I don't believe there is any such affect on anandamide production caused by the use of cannabis. At least, I have never seen any published evidence that there is. Cannabis of course has over 60 different cannabinoids and so it likely doesn't have any kind of strict effect on only one chemical structure in the body. In addition, the cannabinoid receptors are located diffusely throughout various systems in the body, not solely in the brain.