戒除大麻後會發生什麼事？：英語精讀講義

Right now, 55 million Americans use marijuana.

目前，有 5,500 萬名美國人使用大麻。

And in Canada, marijuana dispensaries are popping up everywhere like they're Tim Hortons for weed. 講解

而在加拿大，大麻專賣店像賣大麻的 Tim Hortons 一樣，到處冒出來。

And I in Toronto can even order these little THC drinks delivered to my front door from the Canadian government.

我人在多倫多，甚至能向加拿大政府訂購這些迷你 THC 飲料，直接送到我家門口。

Thanks, Justin.

謝啦，Justin。

Weed is being pitched to us as kind of amazing, right? 片語搭配

大麻現在被宣傳得好像很神奇，對吧？

Well, a recent survey found that 4.3% of Americans have tried to quit marijuana at least six times and failed.

不過，最近一項調查發現，4.3% 的美國人至少試過戒大麻六次，卻都失敗了。

Plus, now withdrawal symptoms are being fully understood.

而且，現在我們也已經充分了解它的戒斷症狀。

So, today we are going to explain exactly what happens to your body when you try to quit weed.

所以今天，我們要仔細說明，當你試著戒大麻時，身體究竟會發生什麼事。

Day one to two of quitting is when withdrawal symptoms start.

戒大麻後的第一到第二天，戒斷症狀就會開始出現。

A meta-analysis of over 23,000 people found that 用詞

一項涵蓋超過 23,000 人的統合分析發現，

47% had at least three of the following withdrawal symptoms:

47% 的人至少出現以下三種戒斷症狀：

nausea, headaches, depressed mood, difficulty getting to sleep, 片語搭配

噁心、頭痛、情緒低落、難以入睡、

sweating, anger, nervousness, decreased appetite, and strange dreams.

出汗、憤怒、緊張、食慾下降，以及做怪夢。

Ding!

叮！

Now, the risk of withdrawal symptoms

戒斷症狀出現的風險

is proportional to the amount of marijuana you've been consuming. 片語搭配

與你原本的大麻用量成正比。

For example, someone who consumed marijuana three times a week

比方說，每週使用大麻三次的人，

would likely have less withdrawal symptoms than someone who consumed marijuana every day. 文法

戒斷症狀可能會比每天使用大麻的人少。

Day three of quitting is when irritability and anxiety peak.

戒大麻的第三天，是煩躁和焦慮達到高峰的時候。

Thankfully, they begin to dissipate in the coming days,

幸好，接下來幾天，這些症狀就會開始消退；

but on the other hand, the strange dreams and difficulty getting to sleep only begin to increase on day three. 表達脈絡

但另一方面，怪夢和入睡困難反而到第三天才開始加劇。

This information has led to new research suggesting that 表達脈絡

這項資訊促成了新的研究；研究認為，

chronic cannabis users may induce intrinsic sleep problems.

長期使用大麻的人，可能會因此產生內在的睡眠問題。

Around day four of quitting is when the amazing physiological changes in your brain start to occur.

戒大麻大約到了第四天，大腦就會開始出現驚人的生理變化。

Marijuana contains molecules which mimic natural neurotransmitters that are already in your brain called cannabinoids.

大麻含有一些稱為大麻素的分子，會模仿你大腦裡原本就有的天然神經傳導物質。

At baseline, cannabinoids circulate at lower quantities in your body, 用詞

在基準狀態下，大麻素在你體內循環的量較少；

but when you ingest marijuana, you create an influx of cannabinoids into your system. 片語搭配

但攝取大麻後，大量大麻素就會湧入你的系統。

Most specifically,

更具體地說，

an increase in the psychoactive component THC, aka Delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol, 用詞

增加的是精神活性成分 THC，也就是 Delta-9 四氫大麻酚；

which is what I like to call it.

我個人就喜歡這樣稱呼它。

THC is for noobs. 用詞

只有菜鳥才叫它 THC。

When I see someone with an edible, I say,

我看到有人拿著大麻食品時，就會問：

"How much Delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol you got in there, bud?"

「老兄，你那裡面有多少 Delta-9 四氫大麻酚？」

The THC you've consumed while getting stoned resembles the natural neurotransmitter anandamide 用詞

你呼麻呼到嗨時攝取的 THC，和天然神經傳導物質花生四烯酸乙醇胺（anandamide）很相似，

and creates increased neuronal activity in certain parts of your brain,

並會讓大腦特定區域的神經元活動增加，

which cause thoughts, imagination, and perception to magnify.

進而放大思緒、想像力和感知。

The THC binding to your neurons also affects dopamine and norepinephrine levels in the body,

THC 與神經元結合，也會影響體內的多巴胺和正腎上腺素濃度，

which can lead to euphoria, pain modulation, and anxiety.

可能帶來欣快感、疼痛調節和焦慮。

But the thing is, as you continue to consume weed, it becomes harder to quit. 表達脈絡

但重點是，你越是持續使用大麻，就越難戒掉。

You start to create a desensitization and down-regulation of your endocannabinoid receptors, 用詞

你的內源性大麻素受體會逐漸去敏感化，並出現下調，

specifically the CB1 receptor.

尤其是 CB1 受體。

Since this receptor modulates systems of short-term memory,

由於這種受體會調節短期記憶系統，

increased cannabis use means a decrease in short-term memory.

所以大麻用得越多，短期記憶能力就越差。

THC also affects neurons involved in the experience of novelty.

THC 也會影響與新奇體驗有關的神經元。

When THC binds specific neurons,

當 THC 與特定神經元結合時，

the influx creates an exciting sense of novelty 片語搭配

大量湧入的 THC 會帶來令人興奮的新奇感，

even for mundane repetitive tasks like washing dishes.

即使只是洗碗這種平凡又重複的事也一樣。

It's why you might get stoned and walk down your same street and feel like everything is heightened.

所以你呼麻呼到嗨之後，走在同一條熟悉的街上，可能會覺得一切感受都變得格外強烈。

It's like, "Wow, is everything in bloom?

感覺就像：「哇，怎麼所有花都盛開了？

It's the middle of winter."

現在明明是隆冬耶。」

But regular cannabis use leads to the down-regulation of these same neurons,

但經常使用大麻，會讓這些神經元也出現下調，

making it harder to quit and making it harder to feel the bliss of a new experience while sober. 文法

不但更難戒，也更難在清醒時感受到新體驗帶來的喜悅。

After too much weed, you might go to Paris for the first time and see the Eiffel Tower and be like,

大麻用太多之後，你第一次去巴黎看到艾菲爾鐵塔，可能會是這種反應：

"That's it. 語氣意圖

「就這樣而已？

Is it a lighthouse?

它是燈塔嗎？

Oh, it's pointless.

喔，真沒意思。

Okay, cool.

好吧，酷。

Should we go up it? 語氣意圖

我們要上去嗎？

No, let's not go up it.

不要，還是別上去了。

We should just go home."

我們直接回家吧。」

But thankfully, on day four of quitting marijuana,

不過幸好，戒大麻到了第四天，

the CB1 cannabinoid receptors will likely have returned to normal functioning. 文法

CB1 大麻素受體很可能已經恢復正常運作。

Essentially, it only takes around four days of quitting marijuana 文法

基本上，戒大麻只要大約四天，

for the neuronal changes in your brain to go back to baseline.

大腦神經元的變化就會回到基準狀態。

Now, this is new research, and I think it is important that we continue to study this,

這是新的研究結果，我認為繼續研究這件事非常重要，

especially as the popularity of weed skyrockets. 表達脈絡

尤其現在大麻的普及程度正急速攀升。

We need lots of long-term evidence about how this could be affecting our brains.

我們需要大量長期證據，才能了解大麻可能如何影響我們的大腦。

I am focusing on how the THC affects the systems in your body.

我這裡著重談的是 THC 對你體內各個系統的影響。

How you get that THC into you might involve smoking,

你把 THC 攝入體內的方式，可能包括吸食大麻，

and the act of smoking could have lasting effects on your lungs. 片語搭配

而吸食這個動作本身，可能會對肺部造成長期影響。

But there is actually a specific way that the THC in your system

但你體內的 THC 其實會透過一種特定方式，

can have longer impacts on your neurology in your brain.

對大腦的神經運作造成更長久的影響。

If you consume too much marijuana during development, such as in adolescence,

如果你在發育期間（例如青春期）使用過量大麻，

you can create long-term neurophysiological effects.

就可能造成長期的神經生理影響。

So, yeah, I started smoking weed in grade 10, which by definition is adolescence. 表達脈絡

所以，對，我高一就開始抽大麻；照定義來說，那正值青春期。

So, whoopsies. 用詞

所以，糟糕囉。

As a closeted gay kid in a high school with no other gay kids, 用詞

當時我是個還沒出櫃的同志高中生，學校裡也沒有其他同志，

I was sort of drawn to that stoner skater crowd because, 片語搭配

所以我有點被那群愛呼麻的滑板仔吸引，因為

to be honest, they were the most fashionable. 語氣意圖

說真的，他們最時髦。

I also always had this gay voice,

而且我講話一直都有很明顯的 gay 腔，

so when people would come up to me and be like, 講解

所以每當有人走過來對我說：

"You're gay," I'd be like,

「你是 gay。」我就會回：

"Actually, no.

「其實不是。

I'm sort of like a quirky cool like skater, bro.

我只是有點古怪、有點酷的滑板仔啦，兄弟。

I'm Avril Lavigne but a boy. 文化背景

我就是男版 Avril Lavigne。

Get it?"

懂嗎？」

As a queer kid, weirdly, weed was an asset for me. 用詞

身為一個酷兒孩子，說來奇怪，大麻當時反而成了我的助力。

But all those reasons aside, 表達脈絡

但先撇開上述所有理由，

scientific evidence now suggests that I could have been doing long-term damage to my neurophysiology. 文法

如今科學證據顯示，我那樣做可能對自己的神經生理造成了長期傷害。

So, was it worth it? 語氣意圖

所以，值得嗎？

Because when it comes to marijuana's lasting neuronal effects, 表達脈絡

因為談到大麻對神經元的長期影響時，

the age of your brain matters.

你大腦的年齡很重要。

Okay, but back to day five to seven of quitting weed. 表達脈絡

好，回到戒大麻的第五到第七天。

A recent study found most people who tried to quit marijuana would fail on days five to seven.

最近一項研究發現，大多數試圖戒大麻的人都會在第五到第七天破功。

And it was hardest for people who were dependent on marijuana.

而對大麻有依賴的人，這段時間最難熬。

Marijuana dependence can be defined as someone who has consumed weed daily for 10 years 用詞

所謂大麻依賴，可以指一個人連續十年每天使用大麻，

and has attempted to quit numerous times but not made it past day seven.

並且嘗試戒除多次，卻從未撐過第七天。

It can also be defined by a continued use of marijuana despite social, psychological, and physical impairments. 文法

也可以指即使社交、心理和生理功能受損，仍持續使用大麻。

It should be noted that although many scientists agree that marijuana dependence does exist, 表達脈絡

必須指出的是，雖然許多科學家都同意大麻依賴確實存在，

they also agree that dependence on marijuana

但他們也認為，對大麻的依賴

is less severe than dependence on alcohol, cocaine, or opiates. 文法

沒有對酒精、古柯鹼或鴉片類藥物的依賴那麼嚴重。

But for marijuana, days five to seven are important days to focus on when trying to quit

不過，戒大麻時應特別留意第五到第七天，

as statistically they are the biggest hurdle. 慣用語

因為從統計上看，這幾天是最大的難關。

I mean, I feel this. 語氣意圖

我是說，這點我超有感。

I still consume weed.

我現在還是會使用大麻。

Yes, it's been decades, thankfully not daily,

對，我用了幾十年，幸好不是每天用，

but I do wonder if I'm dependent.

但我確實會懷疑自己是不是有依賴。

And it is on day five to seven where I usually find myself ordering a little edible from the gov gov 文法

而我通常就是在第五到第七天，忍不住從政府那裡訂一小份大麻食品，

and taking my Just Dance skills to the next level. 慣用語

再把我的《Just Dance》舞技提升到全新境界。

It's also honestly because the weekend comes and I want to watch a movie stoned.

老實說，也因為週末到了，我想嗨著看電影。

To be honest, in my adult years, I don't know if I've ever entered a movie theater not stoned.

說真的，成年之後，我不確定自己是否曾在沒嗨的狀態下走進電影院。

For me, movie theaters represent the munchies and spending about $79,000 on their largest popcorn, 講解

對我來說，電影院就等於呼麻後嘴饞發作，還要花大約 79,000 塊買他們最大份的爆米花，

also getting chocolate to pour into the popcorn,

還要買巧克力淋進爆米花裡，

then the gummies to eat to take the popcorn out of my teeth while I'm eating the popcorn,

再吃軟糖，好把我吃爆米花時卡進牙縫的爆米花弄出來，

and also nachos with an extra fake cheese so I have enough fake cheese to kill a small horse. 慣用語

還有墨西哥玉米片，再多加一份假起司醬，好讓假起司多到足以殺死一匹小馬。

But finally, if you make it to day 28 of no weed, 片語動詞

但最後，如果你成功撐到第 28 天都沒用大麻，

all withdrawal symptoms disappear.

所有戒斷症狀都會消失。

Your affected endocannabinoid system and CB1 receptors will return to baseline, 片語搭配

受到影響的內源性大麻素系統和 CB1 受體會回到基準狀態，

and you might be able to understand a movie.

而且你可能終於看得懂一部電影了。

So, I'm not saying that you just have to go out there and quit weed right now. 語氣意圖

所以，我並不是說你現在就得立刻戒掉大麻。

For example, that's not what I'm planning to do.

比方說，我自己就沒這個打算。

But I think it's really important to understand what will happen to you if you do decide to quit. 文法

但我認為，弄清楚一旦決定戒掉，自己會發生什麼事，真的非常重要。

Life is hard,

人生很難，

and I do think that education and learning is what allows you to make the best choices for you. 片語搭配

而我確實認為，教育與學習能讓你為自己做出最好的選擇。

And I think science shows us that quitting weed isn't as easy as we might think it is. 文法

科學也讓我們明白，戒大麻並沒有想像中那麼容易。

You can click a link to our podcast where we discuss more about the science of quitting weed.

你可以點擊連結收聽我們的 Podcast，裡面會更深入討論戒大麻背後的科學。

Make sure you're subscribed, and we'll see you next week for a new science video.

記得訂閱，我們下週會帶著新的科學影片再跟大家見面。

Peace.

掰啦。