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In November 1996, California became the first state to legalize medical cannabis. (Many) politics and (some) physicians promised us breakthroughs in better health. Thirty years later, how are we really doing? Men’s Health decided to find out in this special report package. Read more here .

WHEN YOU USE weed, your brain kind of goes all over the place . You likely know about how marijuana can chill you out, make you forget yourself, and induce the munchies . But there are other fascinating ways that the drug can alter your mind.

Memory

When THC binds to receptors in your hippocampus, the compound disrupts signals and impairs memory . That’s why you may forget what you were saying mid-sentence or where you put your keys when stoned.

Emotions

THC also binds to receptors in the amygdala, which can help you feel chill when high—and paranoid or anxious when you’re too high.

Coordination

The back of the brain, the cerebellum, is important for balance, motor skills, and time perception.…