Fun for the brain popcorn words

13 Highly Effective And Fun Sight Word Games To Help Your Kids Learn

What Are Sight Words?

What’s the most common word in the English language? It’s the. Imagine pausing every time you ran across this word in a book, on a poster, or in a magazine. Even the simplest texts would become grueling to read.

Common words in the English language (like the) are often grouped together in the early stages of reading — these are what we mean when we speak about sight words. Sight words aren’t easy to sound out or decode, especially for young readers who are just learning the rules to sound out words, so we memorize them (or, in other words, recognize them by sight).

These words occur so frequently that readers, including very young readers, need to know them instantly. And once your child learns basic sight words, they won’t need to spend a lot of time trying to decipher these high-frequency words.

Sight words are dually helpful in this way: they help your child instantly recognize familiar words and help them bypass trying to sound them out because, phonetically, they often don’t make much sense!

Why, for instance, doesn’t the word was rhyme with has? Why doesn’t have rhyme with gave? The first of each is phonetically irregular, despite the fact that they’re some of the most common words in the English language.

As adults who learned to read many years ago, we don’t think twice about why we pronounce sight words the way we do. We also don’t consider why was and has or have and gave don’t rhyme.

Our reading of these words happens automatically, and that’s what helps us read fluently. But early readers who are learning the rules of the English language need a little help.

That’s where sight word games come in. We’ve compiled a list of fun activities that you can do with your young reader to help them learn sight words. And these activities are great for both you and your child.

For you, a majority of the activities require minimal supplies and prep time, which is great for a busy parent. For your child, the games are lots of fun, so they can learn without even realizing it.

But before we get to these fun activities, let’s be clear on the specific sight words your child will need to be familiar with.

What Words Should You Use For Sight Word Games?

Decades ago, an educator named Edward Dolch developed a list, used widely by teachers, of the words most frequently used in children’s books. He identified 220 “service words” and 95 nouns. The words are broken down by levels: pre-primer, primer, first grade, second grade, and third grade.

Some of the 315 words that comprise the two lists are very easy for kids to learn: a, I, it. Others offer more of a challenge. For instance, the pre-primer list includes you, said, and where.

Here is a list of the 45 sight words we include in our Beginning Reader and Growing Reader pathways:

And, a, the, on, is, to, I, was, you, your, yes, no, do, they, with, that, are, said, girl, boy, were, this, look, like, want, has, of, what, see, go, play, here, very, good, his, her, there, where, have, walk, talk, know, blue, green, little.

Are Sight Words Just High-Frequency Words?

The short answer: not quite. But it’s a little more complicated.

While the terms sight words and high-frequency words are often used interchangeably, there are some key differences.

High-frequency words, as the name suggests, are the most commonly found words in our written language. For example, like, the, it, etc., are all high-frequency words. And some of them follow standard phonetic patterns while others don’t.

On the other hand, though sight words may frequently occur in text, what sets them apart is that they do not fit standard phonetic patterns or the applicable phonetic rules are more advanced. Therefore, they often need to be memorized.

In essence, many high-frequency words can become sight words once a learner reads them instantly without trying to decode them.

One of the best ways to help kids get to this stage of word recognition is to continue exposing them to sight words. This is where games come into play!

13 Fun Sight Word Games To Help Your Child Learn

Parents wear many hats — companion, guidance counselor, teacher, and so on — and all of them are crucial. But one of the most enjoyable parts of being a parent is cutting up with your child and having a little bit of fun.

The good news? Your child can learn and have fun at the same time while playing these games!

We know how invested you are in your child’s future. We want to help you set them up with the best tools for success in the easiest, most enjoyable way possible. So here are some sight word games that will get their brain working and their belly laughing!

1) Sight Word Twister

This is a version of the popular game Twister. If you want to try this game, choose between six or twelve words to work with at a time.

That number will depend on your child’s comfort level with sight words, their attention span, and the amount of time on your hands! Feel free to start small and work your way up with additional rounds.

Write each sight word you chose on a blank index card. Then, clear a space on a wooden or linoleum floor and tape each word so that they are all just a little bit apart from each other (make sure your little one can still reach!). Now the fun begins.

Tell your child to find one of the words — have, for instance — and place an elbow on the word. Then they must put their knee on a second word and their nose on a third. You can go on to a fourth, fifth, or sixth word, or you can stop at three.

Your child isn’t the only one who has to twist and turn. In our experience, children want you to play along with them and be just as silly about the shapes you make with your body!

Plus, giving your child the chance to choose the word you have to touch helps them practice reading their sight words. Being the “game boss” will give them another opportunity to learn!

Your child may have a blast with this game and insist they want to keep going, but it’s best to limit your play to two or three rounds per player. That will help keep them from getting bored with the game (and give their brain a chance to rest!).

2) Pick The Word

If you want to try this game with your child, write your six sight words on index cards — one word per card. On a separate sheet of paper, list the six words twice — one list for you, one for your child.

Next, place the index cards with the words facing down. You can take the first turn. After picking a word from your list, flip four of the cards so the words are showing. If you uncover the word you’re seeking, you can cross that word off your list.

At the end of your turn, flip the cards back over, mix them up, and give your child a turn at flipping four of the cards.

If on your first turn you did not find the word you wanted, you have to hunt for the same word on your next turn. If you found the word you wanted, pick a second word from the list.

The first player to cross off four words wins. To make the game more challenging, you can turn over three cards per turn instead of four, or you can aim to find all six words instead of just four of the words.

3) Word Match Up

On a sheet of paper, write your six sight words three times. Your child’s job is to draw a line that connects each word to the two identical words on the sheet.

After drawing a line that connects the first three words, it’s time to connect the next three matching words.

This game may sound pretty easy, but here’s the hitch: your child cannot cross any line already on the page. The page gets pretty crowded with lines, so this is not an easy accomplishment. They may end up with some kooky, loopy lines — and that’s the goal!

Try it yourself. The more you stumble and struggle, the more your child will enjoy the game!

4) Word Toss

If you’d like to give this game a go, write each sight word on its own Post-it® and then stick the words on the floor. You can also stick them to a wall or a door.

Get a soft toy, like a small stuffed animal, and stand a few feet away from the words. Choose a word and say it aloud. Your child must toss the toy so that it hits the right word.

Your turn next. Your child picks a word for you to hit. The game is more fun if you miss, so don’t worry about having poor aim. You can play to see who reaches a set number of points or who has the most points after five or six rounds.

5) Sight Word Bingo

Selecting from the Dolch lists, you can make custom Bingo cards that use sight words. It makes the perfect, classic sight word game for your child!

We’re sure you know how Bingo works, but just in case, we’ll give you a refresher. Set up one regular bingo board each for you and your child. If more people are playing, you might have teams or make sure you have one card for each player.

Tell your child to pick 24 words. The same words will go on both boards, but in different places on each board. Then write the words on index cards. Turn the cards over and mix them up.

Players will take turns picking cards — reading the words and finding each word on their card. When they find a word, they will cover it with a token or a penny. The first person to get five words in a row wins. Bingo!

6) Sight Word Go Fish

Introducing your child to this game will be easier if they have prior experience with Go Fish. If they don’t, that’s OK, too! It’s easy to learn and a blast to play.

If you’d like to give this game a go, use index cards or cut pieces of paper for playing cards. You can write matching pairs of whichever sight words you want your child to focus on. It’s important that there are at least two cards for each word — the point of Go Fish is to match them!

We recommend starting with 20 cards (ten sets of words) and giving each player five cards in their hand. You can decrease the number for younger children and increase the number (or difficulty) of words as your child gets more comfortable playing.

Tip: For younger kids, you might let your child lay the words on the floor and hide them from you by using a book as a shield rather than them holding the cards in their hand, as that can be challenging.

Your child will read out the word they want to match. If the word is an, for example, and you have the other an card in your hand, then you have to hand it over. If you don’t have the matching card, then you tell them to “Go fish!” from the pile of extra cards.

If your child is a little older and experienced with some sight words already, feel free to sprinkle in words they already know.

The familiarity will help their confidence as they work with their new words. We all like the feeling of knowing how to do something correctly — reinforcing their knowledge positively (like through a game!) will help keep them encouraged to learn more.

7) Sight Word Scavenger Hunt

This option is super versatile — it can be played indoors or outdoors!

We all love a good, old-fashioned scavenger hunt. Instead of hunting pastel eggs filled with candy, though, this game has your child hunting their sight words.

If you want to try this game with your child, write the sight words you want to use on a stack of index cards and number them 1-10. It may also be beneficial to write the words on a separate sheet of paper for your child to reference so they know the selection.

Then make a list of clues for those same words on a separate piece of paper. For example, one clue might be, “I __ a cookie” (have) or, “What word rhymes with buzz?” (was).

Next, simply hide the cards in places familiar to your child. You can use the backyard, a favorite park, or your whole house if it’s an extra rainy or cold day. They’ll use the clues to figure out which words to search for.

Tip: make sure you remember where you put the cards! You’ll need to keep in mind the different locations while you write out your sheet of clues. The numbers on the cards should coincide with the clues. Have fun with some wacky rhymes and hints that will get your child laughing!

The clue list can also be made optional. If you’re working in a small space, your child can always just try to find however many words you hid. If they know to look for 10 cards, then they can just run wild through the room (hopefully not upturning furniture!) searching for them.

8) Sight Word Tower

This is an easy, fun sight word game for your child to try that we guarantee they’ll love — because it involves things crashing and making a mess (but one that’s easy to clean up, we promise!).

While trying this game, you’ll need a stack of paper or plastic cups that you don’t mind writing on with a marker. Near the rim of each cup, write a single sight word you want your child to focus on (that way all the cups are the same).

Then your child simply picks up the cup, reads off the sight word, and tries to create a “tower” or “castle” out of all their sight word cups! Here’s the rub — you can only have three cups on the floor! All others must build on top of those three and cannot be inside each other.

The trick is to make sure the cups don’t fall over — if they do, you have to start again! They win once they stack all the cups (and read all the sight words!).

9) Volleyball

This sight word game is easy and simple as well. All you need is an inflatable beach ball that you can write on with a permanent marker.

For each “sliver” of the beach ball, you’ll simply write down a sight word. Then you and your child will toss the ball back and forth. If you want to simulate a proper volleyball game, then you can do this over a net propped up in a yard.

When you catch the volleyball with your hands, you have to read aloud the two words your thumbs touch. For example, your left thumb may touch the word “blue” while your right thumb touches the word “our.” Once you read the words, toss the ball back to the other player.

You don’t have to write in-between the lines on the ball, either. To make it wilder (and challenging!), you can write words all over the ball. That way the words your child “catches” are even more unpredictable.

10) Sight Word Path

All you need for this fun game is masking tape (or painter’s tape), index cards, and a marker.

First, write one sight word on each index card. Then, arrange your cards face up on the floor to make a “path.” This path doesn’t have to be straight. It can have as many twists and turns as you’d like (i.e., over the chairs, under the table, etc.).

When placing the cards, make sure they are close enough to each other that your child can step from one card to the next. Important tip: Don’t forget to tape them down with your masking tape to prevent slips or falls. Safety first!

Your child will need to stand at the beginning of the “path” you’ve created and read the word on the first card out loud to start the game. Then, when they’ve read it correctly, they step onto that card.

The goal is to read the next word, and the next, and so forth until they reach the end of the path. If you’re playing with multiple children, each child can start once the player before them has gotten to the end of the course.

Once your child is comfortable with this game, encourage them to read and walk more quickly. If they are just starting to learn sight words, you can first introduce them to easy terms and increase the difficulty as they go along.

This activity helps kids read sight words quickly and gain confidence through repetition. They’ll also be burning a lot of energy in the process!

11) Hangman

Hangman is a popular game that can also be great to help children learn sight words. To begin, grab some index cards, a marker, and some sheets of paper.

Write one sight word on each index card. Then, use your marker to draw a Hangman “scaffold” on a sheet of paper. (You can also use a chalkboard and chalk for this activity if those are available. )

Next, place the sheet of paper in front of your child, and put the index cards face down next to it. To play, have your child draw a card from the stack and read it aloud. Give them five to 10 seconds to do so.

If your child mispronounces the word on their card, show them how to add the first body piece to the hangman structure (e.g., the head). That index card will then return to the bottom of the stack for them to try again later.

(Remember to help them pronounce this word before returning it to the stack so that they’ll be better prepared next time.)

If they pronounce the word correctly (yay!), move that card to a “correct” pile. Then, continue playing until all the Hangman body pieces have been added — head, torso, arms, and legs.

Once the game is over, have your child count all the cards from their correct pile and tally this as their score. If you’re playing with more than one person, the one with the most cards is the winner! Note: Each child will need their own sheet of paper with the Hangman structure.

If you’re playing with very young children just starting to learn sight words, you can take two turns to draw each body piece (e.g., for legs, you can draw from the waist to knees, then the knees to the feet). This will give them more chances to get words right before the game ends.

If your child or children are more familiar with sight words, begin the game with the head and torso already drawn, giving them fewer chances to make mistakes.

Also, since any mispronounced words get returned to the stack of cards, your child will be exposed to them again, giving them more opportunities to get the pronunciation correct.

12) Sight Word Discovery

Most kids love discovering interesting items in their homes or backyards. Sight Word Discovery takes this natural love for exploring and mixes it with learning.

You’ll need a few items to get started — index cards, a marker, a large plastic tub, a lot of sand, and craft sticks and rocks (these are optional).

First, write a sight word on each index card. Then, fill the large plastic tub with sand. While filling it up, randomly put the index cards into the tub. You can add some sticks and rocks to the mix as well.

For this game, your child will need to act as a paleontologist who’s on the hunt for sight words (no fossil-finding today!). Every time your child finds a new card, have them read it aloud.

Wow! Look what I found! It’s “the!”

Sometimes parents find it difficult to encourage their children to participate in learning activities or games. But, since children often love playing with sand or dirt, you don’t have to worry about that here!

13) Sight Words On Playdough

Hands-on learning activities are a great way to help children grasp many concepts. That’s because they’re very interactive, allow for creativity, and help to make abstract concepts real.

All you need to get started with this game is playdough, magnetic letters (or letter cutouts from cardboard paper), index cards, and a marker.

The goal is to encourage your child to construct sight words using the magnetic letters. They will then place these letters upright on the playdough.

To play, place a stack of index cards in front of them, face down. Each index card will have a sight word. When your child draws a card, they’ll need to read it aloud and then construct the word on the playdough.

For example, if your child draws the word like, they’ll need to read it, find the word’s letters, and place them upright on the playdough.

To make things a little more interesting, give your child a timer and ask, “How many words can you construct in five minutes?”

This is a great hands-on learning activity to help kids build their own sight words. And playing with multiple children can add some friendly competition.

What About Reading?

Here at HOMER, we’re big advocates of early childhood reading.

Not only do books expose your child to sight words (and high-frequency words), but they also help improve their vocabulary, strengthen their concentration, and expose children to the world around them.

In addition to playing the above sight word games, you can also continue to read regularly to your child to familiarize them with sight words.

Here are a few activity books you can also check out:

Learn to Read: Sight Words Storybook (For three to five-year-olds)
Sight Words Word Search Book for Kids (For four to eight-year-olds)
100 Sight Words Kindergarten Workbook (For four to six-year-olds)
Sight Words Activity Book (For five to nine-year-olds)
Sight Words and Spelling Workbook (For six to eight-year-olds)

Sight Word Games Are Fun And Functional

Games like these are easy to play, require very little equipment, and are highly effective. The more you play these or similar games, the faster your child will learn lots of sight words, which will make them stronger, more confident readers.

We hope you found some interesting options in this list that you’ll try with your child. Remember, sight word games are all about having fun and learning at the same time! Your child will work up their stamina the more they play these sight word games.

And as always, we’re here to offer a helping hand any time you need it. If you find yourself struggling to fit in practice time for your child’s sight words, you can leave them in our hands with the HOMER Learn & Grow app!

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Sight Word Activities for PARENTS

in activities, ELA, homework, kindergarten, parental involvement, printables, sight words - 9 comments

Last week, after a meeting at church, I chatted with a sweet friend. She asked me, "Liz- what in the world are SIGHT WORDS, and do you have any ideas for how my daughter and I can practice them at home?" (Her cutie had just started Kindergarten...) Before long, a few other Moms joined in on the conversation, and I knew right away I wanted to write a blog post sharing EASY and FUN sight word activities that parents can do at home with their kiddos.
Just as parents help their child study for a weekly spelling test, they can also help their child read and review their weekly sight words. This blog post is filled with ideas for PARENTS to help their children practice and review their sight words at home to compliment what the teacher is doing at school.

Sight word activities at home should be...

1. Tactile/Hands On

2. Games/FUN

3. Visual

You want your child to have an opportunity to build, touch, and experience the sight words so that his or her brain can make a connection between the letters and the word itself. It's all about exposure, repetition, and practice.

1. Glitter Sight Word Flip Books

(This video explains how to make them.)

2. Whipped Cream/Shaving Cream Writing

Spray some whipped cream or shaving cream on the counter or table. Have your child spread it out and then practice writing his sight words. Provide a flashcard or list for reference. It's all about practice, repetition, and exposure to the words. Don't worry if your child needs to look at the word list.

3. Sand/Sugar letters

Get a school supply box or cookie sheet with edges and fill it with play sand or granulated sugar. Have your child practice writing sight words in the sand with his or her finger. It's all about the touch! *Hint: You do not need very much sand!*

4. PlayDoh

Flatten a piece of play doh and use a toothpick or skewer to write sight words in the PlayDoh. Kiddos can also form long snakes with the PlayDoh and then build the words with PlayDoh.

5. Build the Word

Build the word using magnetic letters, cut up pool noodle pieces, alphabet cereal, or with yummy items from the pantry!

Brynn had a blast with this pool noodle sight word activity. Such a cutie.

Find out more about the pool noodle sight words.

PULL AND PEEL TWIZZLERS

They are so easy to bend and shape. So much easier and less messy than PlayDoh. Delicious too! :)

Sight Word Snacks: Pull and Peel Twizzlers, pretzel sticks, raisins, chocolate chips, spaghetti noodles, Cheerios, Cheez-It letters, animal cracker letters, string cheese...

6. Go Fish

Make a set of playing cards with index cards using the words of the week or the words your child needs to review. (2-4 per word) Deal the same number of cards to each player and then leave a "Go Fish" pile in the middle.

7. Memory

Make a set of playing cards using the words of the week. (Two per word) Place all of the cards upside down. Each player flips over two cards and reads the words aloud. If the words match, the player keeps the pair. The player with the most matches wins. *If you child has A LOT of words to learn, start with just a few and then add more to the memory game as they become more comfortable with the words. Your child will be extremely frustrated if they have 20 cards in the game and they can't read any of them, so start simple.*

8. Hopscotch

Grab some chalk and make a hopscotch board in your driveway. Fill in the week's sight words, and have your child hop across while practicing the words. While you are outside enjoying the weather, let your child decorate the sidewalk or driveway with all of his or her sight words.

9. Hide & Seek Sight Words

Write the weekly sight words on sticky notes. When your child is not looking, hide the words all over the house! After you hide the words, let your child loose to go find all of the hidden words. For extra practice, your child can write the words after he or she finds them. This game is so easy and endless fun!

Tip: Collect found words on a clipboard.

10. Printable Board Games

I love this editable game from Playdough to Plato. It's FREE! I love that you can type in the words that you want on the game board. So cute and fun for practicing new sight words. (If you don't have a TpT account, you will need to sign up to download the freebie.)

11. SWAT Game

Write all of the weekly sight words on index cards. Grab a fly swatter. Yes, a fly swatter. :) Call out one of the words. As quickly as possible, your child SWATS the word with the fly swatter. Silly fun! If your child is struggling with ALL of the words, just start with 2-3words. Add a few more words as they become more familiar with the words.

12. Sight Word Password

Kids love secret passwords. Use this love of passwords to help learn sight words. Pick the trickiest word of the week and make that the "password." Write it on a big piece of construction paper and post it somewhere in your house that gets a lot of traffic (i.e. the bathroom, the fridge, the pantry...). To enter the pantry, everyone in the family must read the password. Hearing Mom, Dad, and older sister say the "password," as well as looking at it and making a connection with it throughout the week will help your child remember it as well. Remember, it's about exposure, repetition, and practice.

If you are a teacher, please feel free to share the link to this blog post with parents in a weekly e-mail, class newsletter, during Parent Teacher Conferences, etc. Please e-mail me at [email protected] if you have any questions.

If you would like to download the sight word cards I used, visit my TpT store.

KEnglish.ru - for parents and children.

Universal fun game that will help you learn both English sounds/letters and sight words, as well as repeat vocabulary on any topic.

Recommended age: 6+
Number of players: 2 to 6

One of the visitors of the site drew my attention to the game "Pop for Sight Words" . Thank her very much for this! Really great fun memory game sight words (and more). It looks like this:

I'm not sure if it's on sale in our stores, you can buy this game on foreign sites for $10.

But I also found out that many teachers in American and English kindergartens and elementary grades play the same game with their children, but they make the cup and the popcorn with the words themselves. And really, it's easy to do so.

But in order for you to immediately appreciate the game, I suggest reading its simple rules:

Children take turns pulling popcorn from a cup, reading the word written on it.
If the child reads the word correctly, he keeps the popcorn. If not, put it back in the glass.
Whoever collects the most popcorn wins.
Popcorn with "POP!" If the child draws this card (and there should be 12 of them in the original game), all his accumulated popcorn explodes and goes back into the glass.

In the original game there are 100 cards with sight words and 12 with the inscription “POP”. You, for the game, can select only already learned words.

I think it's also important to keep the pace of the game fast enough so that the cup moves quickly from one to the next without anyone getting bored. You can play until the cup runs out of popcorn, or you can play with a time limit (say, 5 minutes).

Moreover, for those who do not read yet, but only learn the sounds, you can make cards with the sounds being studied! If you have learned the first 14 sounds, make cards for each sound in several copies (3-4, depending on the number of students).

But who said that the same game cannot be remade for kids . Yes, they are too small for learning English letters/sounds, BUT make popcorn with pictures of animals, toys, fruits, vehicles, etc. You can use this game in your English classes on any topic!

Here's what you need to play:

1. Cardboard popcorn cup.

Below is a template for a very simple cup that you can color/decorate or leave as is.

2. Print/cut popcorn on light yellow heavy paper (double sided). Templates are here.

3. Write words/sounds or stick pictures of objects. Don't forget the POP cards.

4. An important point for teachers. Laminate popcorn! Having done everything beautifully and with high quality once, this material will serve you for several years.

Generic PDF file with several templates here.

I can also send a pdf file from sight words or sounds by Jolly Phonics, of the following plan:

If you find the material interesting, share it with your friends on social networks.

Psychiatrist Pavel Beschastnov on the effects of marijuana on the brain and the consequences of its use but if we count substances that are recognized by public opinion as causing pathological dependence, then there remains alcohol and cannabis). Like an older comrade, cannabis has a complex and confusing effect. Most other drugs (for example, opiates) simply and effortlessly put pressure on some relatively simple neurochemical mechanism (opiate or serotonin receptors, dopamine transporter, etc.). With cannabinoids, everything is not easy - only alcohol is more difficult.

- What is the addictive potential of cannabis?

— If there is intoxication, there will be abuse, there are no options, people don’t know how to do it any other way. Therefore: a) there is a dependence, of course, and b) well, it depends on what to compare with. For a first-time cannabis user, the chances of developing dangerous abuse within 24 months are 2-4%. Here are the relative risks of further development of dependence for occasional users: tobacco - 31.9%, heroin - 23.1%, cocaine - 16.1%, alcohol - 15.4%, amphetamines - 11.2% and cannabis - 9,1%. Of the current users (people with at least one drug intoxication during the last month are considered), about 11-16% have signs of addiction. 90% of cannabis addicts start at age 15-35, typically within the first 10 years of use. With regular abuse (at least once every two days), about one in three people have signs of addiction. For the formation of a pronounced withdrawal syndrome, several years of daily or almost daily use are required. All figures are American, there are no Russian statistics, but it is unlikely that they differ much in our country.

- What receptors does the “weed” act on?

- In the early 90s, cannabinoid receptors (hereinafter referred to as the CB receptor) were discovered, in humans they are of two types. CB2 is the periphery, the drug does not affect them, and we are not interested in them here. CB1 - central receptors, we will talk about them. Their native substances to these receptors are called "endogenous cannabinoids", the most famous of them is anandamide. “Ananda” from Sanskrit is “highest bliss and enlightenment”, “amide” from Latin is amide (derivatives of carboxylic acids). Anandamide is not the only such enlightened substance: there are six such substances in total. The second most important is 2-AG. He did not get a beautiful name, so we call him by a simple one: 2-arachidonoylglycerol. All these substances are derivatives of arachidonic acid, also known as vitamin F. Combining exogenous and endogenous cannabinoids into one group has only clinical meaning, chemically they are completely different compounds. But CB receptors do not know about this and accept everyone as family.

Recall that receptors are ionotropic and metabotropic. When activated, an ionotropic receptor opens a channel and passes a charged ion into or out of a cell, this changes the charge of the membrane, and an electrical impulse goes or rises along the neuron. Ionotropic receptors are fast and unpretentious. Metabotropic trigger chemical cascades in the cell, which changes cellular metabolism. These receptors are slow, but the effect of their activation can be very diverse. In particular, cannabinoid CB receptors are typical metabotropic G-protein coupled receptors.

Humans have a huge number of CB1 receptors, more than dopamine, serotonin and adrenaline combined, ten times more than opiate ones.

Why, if there are so many of them, were they discovered so late (the same dopamine and serotonin have been known since the 50s)? The fact is that there are cannabinoid receptors, but there are no cannabinoid-ergic neurons. For glutamate, GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine, acetylcholine and all the others, there are both receptors and neurons that work on them, and for cannabinoids - only receptors.

What's the matter? And the fact is that CB is a strictly presynaptic receptor. There is a synapse, as a place for signal transmission from neuron to neuron. There is a neuron that emits a signal, and its presynaptic membrane. There is a neuron that receives a signal and its postsynaptic membrane. Between them is the synaptic cleft. The receptors are both there and there. But cannabinoid CB1 receptors are only on the supply side, this is a feedback mechanism. This is a universal way for the receiving neuron to snap its fingers and say, "That's it, thanks, that's enough."

That is why there are so many CB receptors, and they are not the main players here.

Their work is indirect, auxiliary and modulating. Cannabinoids themselves do nothing, but affect everyone (although, I must say, everything is actually more complicated there, but for ease of understanding, I cut off all the nuances).

How exactly do they do it? But this is the most interesting.

The effect exerted by the activation of the CB receptor is called "depolarization-induced suppression of inhibition DSI, depolarization-induced suppression of inhibition" (in the original it sounds even cooler). The bottom line is that when the postsynaptic membrane is depolarized (excited), the cell throws anandamide back into the synaptic cleft, thus giving a reverse retrograde signal. Anandamide activates the CB1 receptor, which triggers a cascade of reactions and, as a result, reduces the release of GABA (well, or any other mediator), and, as a result, suppresses the inhibitory effect of an inhibitory neuron. In other words, this is a way for an excited neuron to lock itself up after receiving a signal to work and put up a sign “Busy. Do not disturb". These external influences are not necessarily inhibitory, the cannabinoid system is not specific, it works with any type of external influence. This may well be the excitatory effect of glutamate neurons (especially pronounced in the cerebellum), and then it will be called "depolarization-induced suppression of excitation" (DSE). The general principle is that endogenous cannabinoids, after the neuron has passed the threshold of excitation, prevent any additional external influences on the cell. However, this function, in the case of taking exogenous cannabinoids, is blurred, since tetrahydrocannabinol causes long-term potentiation of all CB receptors, which suppresses the release of all other neurotransmitters in all brain structures where these receptors are contained.

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This is how it works.

The main intoxicating effect comes from tetrahydrocannabinol (Tetrahydrocannabinol, hereinafter referred to as THC), but besides it, hashish resin also contains other cannabinoids (under 85 names in total), mainly cannabidiol (Cannabidiol, hereinafter CBD). As already mentioned, only THC has a clear psychoactive component (however, cannabidiol, cannabigerol and cannabichromene also have a THC-like effect). At the same time, in percentage terms, hemp contains cannabidiol (CBD) the most. The action of CBD and THC partially overlaps, partially opposite. SVD enhances the effect of anticonvulsants, increases the convulsive threshold, has an inhibitory effect, reduces anxiety, removes all emotional highs and lows (both towards depression and towards mania). THC, on the contrary, disperses anxiety, restlessness and unpleasant arousal (if you are not lucky) or causes euphoria, revival and pleasant arousal (if you are lucky). That is, CBD kills, THC accelerates. There is more CBD in the drug, but THC is more active, the final intoxication is obtained mainly from the balance of these compounds.

Why is that? Because THC is a direct CB1 agonist, it clogs all the receptors and displaces its own anandamide.

CBD, on the other hand, has a very moderate effect directly on receptors, it suppresses the reactions of reuptake and destruction of endogenous cannabinoids (2-AG mainly), that is, it enhances their own action. That is, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) works instead, and cannabidiol (CBD) works together. This explains that in the early stages of cannabis intoxication, hypomania, revival, associative disinhibition with an exit either into foolishness or anxiety (because the THC is more active) predominates. When the dosage is increased, the inhibitory effect of CBD begins to prevail (because there is more of it in cannabis), and we get a picture of sedation, drowsiness, lethargy, up to stunning.

Another interesting fact. In South Africa, there is a variety of cannabis known as dagga that has a very low CBT content, much lower than Asian marijuana. And in Africa, complications in the form of psychotic disorders are widespread among smokers of dagga, mainly in the form of manic psychoses, which are practically not found among consumers in Europe, America and Asia.

— What are the mechanisms of drug intoxication with cannabinoids?

- Anandamide and the group are of great importance in the formation of hunger and eating behavior, for the emotional background and depression, in the processes of memorization, reproduction, and the formation of pain sensations. These receptors are practically absent in the brainstem and deep structures, which explains the low cerebral toxicity of marijuana and hashish in overdoses (the lethal dose is several thousand times higher than the average intoxicating one).

Depending on which transmission the cannabinoid suppresses, we will have activation in some brain structures and inhibition in others. There are many CB1 receptors in sensory and motor areas, therefore (due to the effect on substancia nigra and the cerebellum) basal locomotor activity decreases, but the response to external stimuli increases.

In the limbic system, CB receptors are most abundant in the hippocampus, hypothalamus, and anterior cingulate cortex.

The limbic system is involved in the formation of emotions, the internal nodes of the system (for example, the amygdala) are excited, but cannabis suppresses its outputs to the cortex, that is, it cuts off consciousness from basic emotions, so marijuana has a general antidepressant and anti-anxiety effect - but it may eventually turn out to be the exact opposite result, as an exacerbation of fear, anxiety, paranoid thoughts. In the prefrontal cortex, chaotic and unstable excitation occurs, neurons randomly and briefly add up in chains. The hippocampus is involved in memory, attention and spatial orientation. As a result of hippocampal influences, cannabinoids have a negative effect on short-term memory, spatial orientation and learning. In the hippocampus, activation of CB receptors leads to both long-term potentiation and long-term inhibition of intersynaptic transmissions, depending on the type of neuron. In particular, cannabinoids inhibit the release of glutamate, which reduces the activation of NMDA receptors involved in memory processes (memory becomes worse). At the same time, the weakening of the inhibitory effects of GABA makes it difficult to selectively inhibit competing processes. All together, this leads to a characteristic "jump of ideas and associations", chaotic and unstable attention, inability to concentrate, a decrease in learning abilities and, in general, to consistent and productive mental activity, and at the same time gives the illusion of "special understanding", "aggravation of intuition", "insight". ".

Biologically endogenous cannabinoids are important for the inhibition of aversive (that is, negative, punishment-based) memory. In mice under the influence of cannabinoids, conditioned reflexes associated with frightening and / or painful stimuli fade faster.

People in cannabis intoxication report increased auditory and/or tactile sensitivity, often paresthesias occur in this intoxication - the music suddenly becomes especially impressive, the content of television programs suddenly turns out to be very interesting, and so on. However, an increase in visual or auditory perceptual abilities is not objectively confirmed: taste, hearing, vision are not aggravated, rather the opposite. This happens because cannabinoids have no effect on the perception of external sensory stimuli, they even somewhat suppress perception, but they significantly affect the interpretation and analysis of these data in the prefrontal cortex. That is, we feel the same or even worse, but we vigorously analyze and interpret.

For example, “popcorn effect” is described for mice.

A group of mice were pumped with THC. Mice in general are very fussy and mobile creatures, but under the influence of cannabinoids, they calmed down, sat still and “stuck”. Sedation and the absence of normal mouse motor activity were expressed, but at the same time they reacted violently to external sounds and tactile signals: in response to claps or pricks, they jumped high in place, like popcorn grains on a frying pan. On my own behalf, I want to add that, of course, I didn’t stand in their laboratory with a candle, but the design of the experiment suspiciously resembles typical hemp ideas.

People looking for lulz, like "let's smoke a cat". This "popcorn effect" is also observed in people, only, unfortunately, they do not react so funny.

Cannabinoids are involved in both hunger and eating behavior. Anandamide - one of the key "hunger peptides", increases appetite, increases the amount of food eaten. That “it breaks through the havchik” is also a well-known fact. This is true in both human and animal models. Thus, the introduction of the cannabinoid receptor blocker rimonaband in newborn mice led to their rejection of mother's milk and death within four to eight days. Cannabinoids also facilitate the release of dopamine in the ventral tegmental area (VTA, ventral tegmental area, origin of dopamine pathways, an important participant in the reward system). It has synergy to opiate receptors, which explains the analgesic effect of cannabis. That is, as mentioned above, they do not seem to do anything directly, but indirectly affect everything and everyone.

Only the facts

A little more than half of those who use marijuana note a subjectively pleasant effect from marijuana. For about one in five, cannabis causes mostly discomfort.

Among more than 1,000 marijuana users aged 18-25, 22% reported panic attacks, 15% reported obsessive thoughts and even auditory hallucinations.

In another study (268 cases, mean age 19 years), 61% of respondents indicated relaxation and stress relief as the main motive for drinking, 27% - joy and good mood. Negative effects - anxiety, depression, paranoid ideas - were noted by 21%. Decreased motivation, fatigue and a general "decreased energy" - also in 21%.

British survey from 1997, 2800 users. About 60% claimed a subjectively positive effect from the use of marijuana, primarily about relaxation. 26% talked about calming down and getting rid of stress, 9% - about the growth of personal intuition and ability to understand, 5% - good mood, 2% - sociability. Adverse effects were reported by 21% of respondents, memory loss - 6%, paranoid intrusive thoughts - 6%, apathy and laziness - 5%, panic attacks - 2%. I want to emphasize that we are talking about subjective personal assessments, not about objective changes.

— Why do people do this?

- The subjective narcotic effect is:

- a disturbance of consciousness, described as "narrowing the fields of interested observation" with an increase in "introspection" and attention to the internal state;
- a change in the perception of time, with stretching and slowing down the flow of time, when "minutes stretch into eternity";
- slowing down reactions, "crushing and fragmentation of thinking" and incoherent speech;
- mood changes: moderate euphoria, less often - uncontrollable fun;
- a feeling of separation and alienation from reality, a syndrome of derealization / depersonalization.

- Is there a cannabinoid addiction?

— Of course, there is an addiction, but how does it manifest itself? It is clear that there are standard ICD criteria for any addiction: primary pathological attraction, loss of alternative interests, change in tolerance / reactivity, unsuccessful attempts to stop or reduce use, etc. But what exactly will a person be for the fact that he loves this business and regularly abuses it?

The key specific symptom complex is called "amotivational syndrome". It includes:
- decrease in cognitive function and productivity of thinking;
- decreased interest in general, with apathy and passivity;
- motivation for work, productive work decreases, disinterest in the final result of activity;
- decreased energy and fatigue;
- instability of mood;
- delayed concentration;
- loss of interest in caring for appearance and hygiene.

The description of the amotivational syndrome comes from everyday experience, it is the position of an observer and a naturalist. These observations are both clinical and general. Many people are familiar with such people - eternally stoned blissful friendly meaningless vegetables in the grass.

The above was good news for those who say no to drugs. And now the good news for those who advocate the legalization of marijuana. It is highly doubtful that this amotivational syndrome objectively exists. It is not at all a fact that its manifestations are the direct effect of cannabis on the brain, and not the consequences of the lifestyle of a person who “bloats” every day and does nothing else.

For example, under laboratory conditions, volunteers who smoke twelve joints a day for three weeks do not have a negative effect on labor productivity. All studies in which the “motivational” syndrome was reliably identified were conducted among socially maladjusted subjects or among poor and disadvantaged groups (unskilled laborers, seasonal agricultural workers, the unemployed, etc.). At the same time, among university students between using and non-using groups, no significant differences were found in academic performance, achievements and social success.

It is true that for cannabis abusers there is a higher prevalence of anxiety and depression, alexithymia and neurosis, but it is not clear which comes first.

It may be that people with sensitivity to anxiety and depression are beginning to use cannabis to relieve their symptoms. In animal models, anxiety behavior is generally reduced by blockade of the anandamide-degrading enzyme fatty-acid amide hydrolase FAAH, and FAAH inhibitors are currently being researched as a possible new class of antidepressants, but such drugs are not yet on the market.

- Does cannabis cause depression?

- Studies show that regular marijuana smokers have a 4-6 times higher incidence of depressive episodes. Other studies say - no, it's just the opposite, it's the depressive who smoke weed as an antidepressant, so this dependence, and other things being equal, no links between depression and marijuana are found. Others say that everyone is right. It's just that there are common basic risks - character stock, social conditions and predisposition. The same people have an increased chance of both addiction and depression.

The only certainty is that people who currently meet the criteria for cannabinoid abuse are significantly more likely to meet the criteria for at least one episode of major depressive disorder during the current year. And vice versa.

- Are you crazy?

- Large doses of THC can easily lead to the development of intoxication psychosis. But this psychosis is an extreme degree of intoxication, the person has sobered up - the psychosis has passed. The existence of own chronic psychotic disorders as a result of hashish/marijuana use is highly questionable. Total described 390 cases, most of them for endemic areas, and all of them are very doubtful. Chronic cannabis psychosis either does not exist at all, or it is an exclusively exotic pathology that is relevant for places of traditional consumption.

— What about schizophrenia?

— Cannabis abusers are significantly more likely to experience exacerbations of schizophrenia. Meanwhile, marijuana does not in itself cause schizophrenia, it can only provoke and exacerbate. “Cannabis and schizophrenia” is a relevant and biased topic, and discussions on this issue have been going on with raised voices for a long time (well, as far as it is acceptable in the scientific community). In general, we can say this: yes, there is a correlation, no, there is no causal relationship.

- Is it true that marijuana is the "gateway to the world of big drugs"?

- Young people who meet the criteria for a heavy user (50 times or more in a year) are 140 times more likely to start using opiates, stimulants, or hallucinogens. At the same time, the use of marijuana does not directly lead to dependence on other drugs.

— Does it happen?

- Long-term cannabis withdrawal definitely exists. Both in humans and animal models. What is? Primarily conditioned craving for marijuana, decreased appetite, sleep disturbances, emotional instability, aggression, anger, restlessness, agitation, excitability, insomnia, depression, sleep disturbance, nightmares, anxiety, stomach pain, nausea, and sweating. All together or separately. All this was accompanied by the release of stress-dependent corticotropin-releasing factor in the amygdala of the brain, as well as a drop in dopamine production in the VTA. There are strong but still obscure connections between SV and opiate receptors. Thus, blockade of the CB receptor significantly reduces the intake of opiates in animal models with free access to the drug, and also significantly alleviates the naloxone opiate withdrawal syndrome.

— And if you quit, will everything go away?

— And if you quit, then everything will pass. All negative effects are the direct toxic effects of cannabinoids. They do not cause any persistent organic changes.

There are many studies, eight large meta-analyses, with tens of thousands of people examined.

On batteries of neuropsychological tests, people in active addiction and acute weed withdrawal show clear and severe declines in intelligence, memory, and learning. This is revealed on days 0, 1 and 7 of a significant withdrawal from cannabis.