Recreational Edible Marijuana: How Can It Affect Your Health?
Marijuana is slowly becoming legal in more states and countries. Aside from its recreational benefits, it also has some proven benefits, such as long-term pain relief. Still, it can't be denied that cannabis can cause bad effects on health (like exacerbating breathing problems), although some people say that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. The long-standing ban on weed makes it a challenge to study its effects on humans; this is particularly true when it comes to edibles.
What are the Key Chemicals of Marijuana?
Marijuana consists of the dried flowers of cannabis plants. It's composed of over 500 chemicals and has a psychoactive effect on users. Two of marijuana's most popular components are tetrahydrocannabinols (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). Read more about them below.
THC
THC is the main psychoactive agent in cannabis. When you smoke weed, THC goes to the lungs, then to the bloodstream, and then to the brain. In the brain, it stimulates a part that responds to pleasure and releases the chemical dopamine, which causes the high. Its effects are highly varied, depending on your body and strain potency. Some of these include:
- Causing hallucinations
- Changing the sense of time
- Creating a relaxed sense of well-being
- Promoting feelings of fear and anxiety
- Heightening the senses
CBD
Cannabidiol is another well-known compound of cannabis. It doesn't quite cause that popular high feeling; rather, it counteracts the effects of THC and brings down any feelings of anxiety or paranoia. CBD has also been found to have several medical benefits that are very useful in treating epilepsy and alleviating the side effects of chemotherapy.
How is Edible Marijuana Consumed?
Smoking was once a very popular way to consume cannabis. Over the years, though, edible marijuana is slowly catching up with many users. With edible marijuana, the effects of cannabis are slowed down because THC has to go through the digestive system first. It can take anywhere between 30 minutes and two hours to get that high feeling.
Along with this delay is the fact that edible weed stays longer in the system (lasting up to eight hours) compared to smoking or vaping it. Marijuana can be mixed into cookies, brownies, candies and other foods too. Some people even brew it into tea or coffee. Whether you're eating or smoking it, remember that it can:
- Amplify the effects of alcohol in the body
- Interact with medications, particularly with antiviral drugs and blood thinners
- Impede motor skills and concentration
What are the Benefits of Edible Marijuana?
For many centuries, people have turned to marijuana both as a medicine and a recreational method. Its use declined steeply following reports of abuse, but now that decriminalization of weed is underway in many places, we can only expect more people to start using it again. Several studies have shown that cannabis can help with certain health conditions including:
- Anxiety
- Muscle spasms and stiffness from multiple sclerosis
- Nausea during chemotherapy
- Ongoing acute or chronic pain
- Seizures from Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, Dravet syndrome and epilepsy
- Sleep problems among people with chronic pain, multiple sclerosis, sleep apnea and fibromyalgia
- Weight and appetite loss among people with AIDS
Yes, many studies are still needed to look into the advantages and disadvantages of the recreational and even medicinal use of cannabis. At the moment, though, there certainly is enough proof to show that marijuana does have several health benefits. If you're willing to give this plant a try, visit a reputable weed dispensary in your area and check out their selection of edible marijuana.