The main psychoactive aspect of marijuana or cannabis that delivers the high is Tetrahydrocannabinol or THC. It has potent mind-altering effects stimulated from the interaction with the cannabinoid receptor system in the brain.
Different marijuana-related products have THC in them at varying levels. While the cannabinoid may go through different types of the process before the use, the underlying psychoactive impact will primarily remain similar in different products.
The consumption of marijuana has been around for many years. But the recent legalization that allowed the use of marijuana in some parts of the country has paved the way for the exponential growth of the marijuana industry.
Whether eating an edible like Sunshower, ingesting by smoking, or any other method, THC will enter into your bloodstream and get into the brain of the user. THC may induce feelings of relaxation and heightened sensitivity to light, touch, and sound. But THC also negatively impacts coordination, causes short-term memory loss, paranoia, anxiety, etc.
Eating A Marijuana Edible
Cannabis, along with its extracted ingredients, is generally mixed into different forms of food such as candy, brownies, cookies, etc. Considering that manufacturing methods differ, edibles can significantly vary in their potency.
After consuming an edible with marijuana, THC goes into your bloodstream via the digestive tract, moves the liver’s metabolic pass, and eventually enters the general circulation. The whole process of absorption occurs slowly; it would take as long as 30 to 60 minutes before THC reaches the brain. While the effect of THC will occur more gradually, it lasts much longer than smoking a joint.
Benefits of Consuming Edibles
- CBD may work as an effective pain reliever and have anti-inflammatory properties. This makes it a good treatment for people who are suffering from chronic pain. Conditions that people treat with edibles may include
- Cancer pain
- Arthritis
- Neuropathic Pain
- Fibromyalgia
- CBD has also shown antiseizure effects that could potentially treat epilepsy. A study in 2017 highlighted evidence for CBD use to improve seizure control in certain epilepsy syndromes.
- The doctor may recommend cannabis for muscle spasm treatment. A study indicated that people experienced a lot of improvement in muscle pain with the consumption of cannabis.
Smoking Cannabis
Smoking is the most common method of consuming marijuana. Once inhaled, THC enters your lungs and then moves from there into the bloodstream, which rapidly carries the chemicals to the brain. When smoking a joint, you can feel the THC effect more rapidly compared to consuming through edibles.
Since absorption into the bloodstream occurs on a quicker time frame and progresses over a shorter duration, you are more likely to feel immediate effect. However, the THC effect with smoking lasts only for a short period of time.
Should You Vape?
There are multiple pieces of evidence that suggest vaping can have severe health implications. A lot of concern is associated with huffing vitamin E acetate which is a chemical additive containing tetrahydrocannabinol. The additive might cause a high risk of lung injury and even death.
However, the risk is limited to vaping concentrates, instead of the flower. Additionally, individuals who vape experience a stronger effect, irrespective of the THC amount in the product. It implies that there are high chances of greening out or overdoing it.
What’s The Effect With Blunts And Joints?
In both blunts and joints, you are inhaling smoke. However, if you had to pick less evil out of the two, then the joint is your answer. Blunt is made using hollowed-out cigars. Furthermore, cigars and their wrappers are extremely toxic. Even when tobacco is removed from the cigar, there are many cancer-causing toxins still left.
Additionally, cigar wrappers are more porous as compared to rolling papers; therefore, burning does not occur completely. Subsequently, you smoke with a high toxin concentration. Moreover, blunts are bigger in size as compared to joints and hold more pot. Smoking a whole blunt is similar to smoking around six joints.
What About Bongs?
Bongs provide a smoother take as you do not experience the dry heat from smoking cannabis in a rolled paper. While it feels less harsh while inhaling, lungs do not differentiate.
What About Dabbing?
Dabbing gives you a relatively cleaner high. How true is that? Well, not much.
Dabbing offers a high amount of THC in comparison to other weed products. It delivers 80% more THC than other methods. Also, dabbing is a relatively new concept; therefore, experts are still exploring its impact.
Overdose With Marijuana
Cannabis comes with its share of benefits, but anything in excess is harmful. Marijuana is one of the popularly used drugs in the USA, and there is a high possibility of overdosing. And the cases of overdose on marijuana have increased in recent years. Overdose of marijuana, contrary to other illicit drugs, is not likely to be fatal, but it is still important to be aware when you have gone overboard. Following are symptoms that you may experience during such condition:
- Poor coordination
- High anxiety
- Rapid heart rate
- Panic attack
- Problem in conversing
- Low or high blood pressure vomiting and nausea
- Paranoia
- Memory issues extreme confusion
- Hallucinations
When you experience an overdose on marijuana, it is recommended to take medical care urgently. If someone is going through a psychotic break because of an overdose, the first thing to ensure is that they are safe. On the other hand, if the symptoms are milder, it is suggested to keep the individual hydrated. Provide them with lemon juice that helps in neutralizing terpenes and dealing with the dehydrating impact of THC. Additionally, chewing black peppercorns will also help in discomfort caused by terpenes.
Edibles are a discreet way to consume cannabis, and they do not carry the same risks as smoking the drugs. However, people should follow caution when ingesting edibles, particularly for the first time. The influence of edible food may not surge for around 3 hours after ingestion, and it leads to the risk of overdose if you are not careful. So to make sure that you get the most benefit out of marijuana, you must use it with caution.
