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hemp leaf hand sunrise medical cannabi
hemp leaf hand sunrise medical cannabi
Cannabis Side Effects – What Are They And Why?
Cannabis is one of the most popular recreational substances across the entire globe. The majority of people consider cannabis to be a safe drug to use, but there are some cannabis side effects that are useful to know about.
Many cannabis users place favor on cannabis in comparison to any other substance out there, and that is usually because of its safety, but it’s useful to look further into it in order to get a better understanding of the side effects of cannabis.
Cannabis is a very complex plant that produces dozens upon dozens of compounds. There are hundreds of different breeds of the plant, all with different THC and terpene profiles. Some people like to think that they know what will happen every time they consume cannabis, but even the most experienced cannabis user will say that they’ve experienced negative side effects after using the drug.
To get a better idea of the side effects of cannabis, you need to look further into its chemistry.
Contents
Chemistry Of Marijuana
It always helps to go through a quick chemistry lesson when you’re looking at cannabis. As stated earlier, there are hundreds of compounds that make up cannabis. The compounds are located in the resin of the plant. The resin of the cannabis plant looks like tiny crystals that are fairly sticky when you touch them. These crystals are commonly referred to as trichomes.
As the cannabis plant matures, more and more trichomes are formed on the female cannabis plants. In the trichomes, you’ll get the THC and a number of other cannabinoids like:
Because each and every person has different chemistry, the effects of these compounds on the body will be different, as well. Every human body has an endocannabinoid system that is responsible for things like:
When you consume cannabis, the cannabinoids interact with the endocannabinoid system, and that interaction is what many people refer to as the “high”. You can also refer to the high as side effects of consuming cannabis.
Because of the complexities of cannabis, there are many things about it that people aren’t aware of. It is also very difficult to determine what exactly will happen after consuming it. Sometimes cannabis users will consume cannabis and experience an onslaught of negative side effects. That’s never a good thing because people are consuming it for the exact opposite reason.
The High From Cannabis
Consuming cannabis can produce a variety of different effects due to the THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) in it. Users might experience:
When people consume cannabis, THC will bind to the CB1 receptors in the brain. This interaction with the endocannabinoid system is what will create all of the different side effects that people experience. Some of these side effects will be more pronounced than others, and for cannabis users that are completely new to consuming it, sometimes things can be a little too extreme.
Cannabis Side Effects List
Side effects usually relate to negative symptoms that people experience when they are ingesting a substance. If you go to pick up any medication from the pharmacy, there will typically be a list of side effects to be aware of while taking the medication. The same goes for consuming weed. Users will potentially experience certain side effects that are negative in nature. It’s important to be aware of these potential side effects so that you can approach it with a more open and educated mind.
Short-Term Side Effects Of Cannabis
Anxiety
Anxiety is one of the more common negative short-term side effects that can occur after consuming cannabis. Many people consume cannabis to relieve their anxiety, but that doesn’t always happen. There was a survey conducted in 2017 across 9,000 individuals and it wanted to see what cannabis users thought about the benefits of consuming cannabis. About 80% of users said that they did think there were medicinal benefits to using cannabis, and about 50% of the people said that they found cannabis to bring relief from anxiety, stress, and depression.
The anxiety-provoking side effects are typically seen in strains that contain higher THC levels. It’s not completely understood why strains that are higher in THC will cause anxiety, but there might be a couple of reasons to look into:
THC Binding To Amygdala Receptors
The amygdala part of the brain is where people process thoughts and emotions. When THC is all of a sudden increased in that area of the brain, they might get overstimulated, and that could lead to fear, anxiety, and even paranoia.
Sensitivity To THC
Another thing to consider is that certain individuals might have a higher sensitivity to THC. People that consume cannabis every single day, typically generate a higher tolerance to it, and that’s why they might not experience the negative symptoms as much.
Underlying Anxiety Issues
Some people that experience anxiety after consuming cannabis might already have unresolved anxiety, to begin with. As a result, consuming weed can exacerbate that anxiety in certain situations instead of making them relaxed. An example of this is if you have social anxiety, to begin with, smoking weed before entering a social situation can make that anxiety worse.
Heightened Heart Rate
There have been studies on cannabis that prove that it can increase your heart rate, but that will depend on when you’re using it. Right after consumption of cannabis, your heart rate tends to spike a little.
There was a detailed review done in the Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology on cannabinoids and the cardiovascular system. In a nutshell, the study took a closer examination of the effects of cannabis on the heart. The study concluded by pointing to the fact that the endocannabinoid system was responsible for a large part of how the cardiac system is regulated.
If you’re consuming cannabis that contains a high level of THC, there is a good chance that you’ll have an irregular heartbeat soon after that. You might experience breathing problems or hyperventilate. The good news is that these side effects are brief and not life-threatening.
Lowered Blood Pressure
Cannabis can also lower blood pressure shortly after consuming it. One study found that a lot of users experienced hypertension following their cannabis usage. It’s important to keep in mind that no two cannabis experiences will be exactly the same. One person might experience these side effects and the person beside them that is consuming exactly the same strain of cannabis might not experience the side effects at all.
Some of the symptoms associated with low blood pressure after consuming weed are:
Paranoia
Paranoia and psychosis have been associated with the negative side effects of cannabis, and if you’ve ever dealt with either of these things, you’ll know how bad the experience is. Cannabis has long been known to cause feelings of relaxation in people, but there are some people that experience psychosis and paranoia after consuming it.
What Are Some Signs Of Psychosis Caused By Cannabis?
The reason why cannabis can cause these feelings of paranoia is not entirely known, yet. Some research indicates that cannabis can increase psychotic disorders in certain people that already have a predisposition to them. But then you’ll see other research that strongly refutes this fact, so there needs to be more concrete research done in order to figure out if it can do that.
Bad Trip From Cannabis
If you’ve been consuming cannabis for years, you’re probably very aware that it can sometimes cause a bad trip. No one wants to experience a bad trip while consuming cannabis. It’s a feeling that is associated with a number of negative side effects that will vary from one person to the next.
Greening Out
If you’ve ever passed out from drinking too much beer before, then that’s comparable to how greening out from consuming cannabis would feel like. Some of the symptoms associated with greening out are:
Dry Mouth
Getting a dry mouth after consuming cannabis is another side effect of it. It’s commonly referred to as “cotton mouth”. Cannabis isn’t the only substance that can cause a dry mouth. You can get a dry mouth from consuming coffee, tobacco, and alcohol, as well. Cottonmouth isn’t exactly one of the worst side effects to deal with, but it can be quite annoying.
Sore Throat
Consuming cannabis can cause a sore throat in the mouth and lungs of some people. Because of that, many will adjust their method of consumption to a vaporizer or a bong. The water in the bong cools off the inhalation process when you’re breathing in cannabis smoke. A vaporizer is also a good way to get rid of any of the toxins associated with consuming cannabis.
Shaking Uncontrollably
Some people experience uncontrollable shakes after consuming cannabis. This is a short-term negative side effect that might also be accompanied by paranoia or increased feelings of anxiety.
What Are The Longer-Term Side Effects Of Cannabis Use?
There are also a number of long-term side effects associated with cannabis use, and just like the short-term side effects, these will vary from one person to the next. Because the endocannabinoid plays such a large role in regulating how people sleep, cannabis can either help people sleep or prevent them from sleeping. Cannabis has been shown to have an effect on how people drift through the different stages of sleep.
Many people consume cannabis right before they go to bed because they claim that it assists them in getting to sleep much more quickly in comparison to not using it. CBD and THC have both been shown to help people fall asleep because of the following terpenes:
Other studies have revealed that consuming cannabis that has a high THC profile can lower the duration of time that people will be in the REM stage of sleep. For people that deal with nightmares or other sleep issues, that can be seen as a breath of fresh air because that’s the stage of sleep where nightmares usually occur.
There has also been researching pointing to the fact that because cannabis lowers the time spent in the REM stage of sleep, that can cause memory issues in certain people. It can also potentially affect your long-term memory. Not getting enough sleep in the REM stage has been shown to lower people’s coping activities in:
Memory
Cannabis interacts with a lot of the receptors in the brain that are responsible for memory, such as:
Because of that, the signals involved in memory are disrupted, having an impact on the way people develop both short and long-term memories. There has been researching pointing to the fact that cannabis can:
There has also been a little research done that has stated that cannabis can make people feel less motivated, skewing people’s ability to focus on certain tasks.
Despite the negative-sounding research on cannabis and memory systems, it’s not all bad. Some research has been conducted that proved that cannabis has been shown to lower the progression of certain neurodegenerative diseases, such as:
These studies have only been conducted on animals, so nothing can be set in stone, just yet.
Cardiovascular System
Because cannabis has been shown to have an impact on the heart directly after consumption, there isn’t a shock when there have been studies showing that it can lead to long-term issues, as well. Some studies reveal that cannabis use can increase heart pain in people that are already dealing with heart conditions because of how it increases your heart rate.
Similar research indicated that people that are at-risk are more likely to have a heart attack right after consuming cannabis. If you don’t currently have any ongoing conditions with your heart, then you probably don’t have anything to worry about. If you do, then you might want to discuss these issues with your doctor.
Mental Health
When you look at the link between cannabis use and mental health, you might see certain conditions popping up, such as:
There isn’t a whole lot of research or evidence that proves that cannabis use can lead to any of these conditions. There have been a lot of arguments surrounding cannabis causing mental health illnesses in people that have predispositions to it. Schizophrenia has been one of the mental health illnesses to note in those cases. Other research has been done on teens that have revealed that early cannabis use can be detrimental to their well-being.
What About Tolerance, Addiction, And Withdrawal To Cannabis?
The majority of people will never deal with the risk of addiction to cannabis in comparison to some of the other illegal drugs out there, but that isn’t to say that people won’t develop some sort of addiction to using it.
Through repeated use, people can become more and more tolerant to cannabis, and that means that they’ll have to use more and more of it to reach the same high. This can potentially lead to an addiction. When you look at dependence on a drug, that means that people aren’t able to go about their day-to-day activities without using the drug. For people that are being forced to drop their cannabis use, they might feel symptoms such as:
Does Cannabis Interact With Other Drugs?
Cannabis can potentially have interactions with other drugs out there. Sometimes it can make certain side effects that you experience much more pronounced and unpleasant. If you’re taking certain medications, you’ll want to ask the pharmacist about the side effects and drug interactions that can occur between them.
How To Enjoy Cannabis Safely
As you’re probably already aware, cannabis can lead to bad trips and cause a host of unpleasant side effects. Some of the side effects are very minor and not all that unpleasant to deal with, while some of them can be quite annoying and uncomfortable. As with anything in life, you’ll want to learn how to consume cannabis safely, and that can be done in a number of ways:
Don’t Use Cannabis During Your Teenage Years
There have been a lot of studies done on cannabis use during the teenage years. When you’re a teen, your brain is still developing. That’s why there are many warnings on cannabis products regarding the use of it at certain ages.
Method Of Smoking Cannabis
If you’re wanting to consume cannabis in a healthier way, consider using a vaporizer or even just in edible form. This will prevent the toxins from the smoke from getting into your lungs.
Dosing Your Cannabis
You’ll want to be aware of what doses your body is comfortable with. This might take some time for beginners to figure out, but when you do figure it out, you’ll be able to prevent bad trips and negative experiences from happening. Start off by consuming small amounts to see what your body is comfortable with.
Always Listen To Your Body
After consuming any amount of cannabis, wait a bit and see how your body is feeling. If you start to feel any hint of excess anxiety, you’ll know that you may be consumed a little too much and to keep the dosage lower for next time. When you do start to feel negative effects, simply put the cannabis down and wait until you feel sober again.
Go With Your Gut
You’ll always want to exercise common sense when consuming cannabis. There are dozens of different functions of the body that cannabis interacts with, and if you think you have to drive in the next half hour, then it’s best to put your joint down before lighting it up.
Keep Learning
The more you learn about cannabis, the more educated your decisions will be surrounding it. Cannabis can be used as a medicinal tool for a number of different health conditions, and people have been using it for years for exactly that. Keep on researching about it and keep things balanced. The right mindset and right usage will go a long way in ensuring your high will be a positive one each and every time.