Degenerate simply means having the same energy. The word is borrowed from mathematics, where it describes, for example, a quadratic equation whose two roots are equal to each other. For example, in an atom, the 2p orbitals are 3-fold degenerate. Valence electrons are not always degenerate with each other.
One of the main reasons people use marijuana is to reduce anxiety and cope with stress, and there is a theory out there that people who use marijuana might have a deficiency of their own marijuana-like chemicals in their brain, Patel told VICE News.
Since regular marijuana users tend to have higher than normal anxiety levels, they may smoke in part to ease their worries. The brain produces a chemical, anandamide, that targets the cannabinoid receptor, the bodyâs own form of THC. Anandamide gets deactivated by an enzyme called FAAH, or fatty acid amide hydrolase.