Cannabis

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text woodmart_inline=”no” text_larger=”no”]Cannabis refers to a group of three plants with psychoactive properties, known as Cannabis sativa, Cannabis Indica, and Cannabis ruderalis. When the flowers of these plants are harvested and dried, you’re left with one of the most common drugs in the world. Some call it weed, some call it pot, and others call it marijuana. As weed becomes legal in more areas, names for it are evolving. Today, more and more people are using the term cannabis to refer to weed.

Some argue that it’s a more accurate name. Others feel it’s more neutral compared with terms like weed or pot, which some people associate with its illegal use. Also, the term “marijuana” is falling out of favor due to its racist history. Cannabis is usually consumed for its relaxing and calming effects. In some U.S. states, it’s also prescribed to help with a range of medical conditions, including chronic pain, glaucoma, and poor appetite. Keep in mind that while cannabis comes from a plant and is considered natural, it can still have strong effects, both positive and negative.

Components of cannabis

Cannabis is made up of more than 120 components, which are known as cannabinoids. Experts still aren’t sure what each cannabinoid does, but they have a pretty good understanding of two of them, known as cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

Effects and Uses

It has 2 main components. Each has its own effects and uses:

• CBD. This is a psychoactive cannabinoid, yet it’s non-intoxicating and non-euphoric, meaning it won’t get you “high.” It’s often used to help reduce inflammation and pain. It may also ease nausea, migraine, seizures, and anxiety. (Epidiolex is the first and only prescription medication to contain CBD and be approved by the Food and Drug Administration, or FDA. This medication is used to treat certain kinds of epilepsy.) Researchers are still trying to fully understand the effectiveness of CBD’s medical use.
• THC. This is the main psychoactive compound in cannabis. THC is responsible for the “high” that most people associate with cannabis.

You can find cannabis products that contain just CBD, THC, or a combination of both. But the dried flower that most people associate with cannabis contains both cannabinoids, though certain strains may have much more of one than the other. Hemp has large quantities of CBD, but no THC.

The flower of the cannabis plant is used for its recreational or medicinal purposes. The stalk or stem of the cannabis plant is used for industrial purposes (e.g., hemp fiber). The seed of the cannabis plant is used for food and household purposes (e.g., hemp seed or hemp oil).

Cannabis is also known as pot, weed, and dozens of other names.

While many people smoke or vape it, you can also use cannabis as an ingredient in food, beverages, tinctures, or topicals.

Different methods of ingesting cannabis may affect your body differently. When you inhale cannabis smoke into your lungs, the compounds immediately enter your bloodstream and quickly make their way to your brain and other organs. The effects may onset within seconds to minutes.

When you eat or drink cannabis-containing products, the compounds need to first pass through your digestive system and liver before reaching your bloodstream. The effects may onset within minutes to hours.

There’s ongoing debate around the effects of cannabis on the body. People report various physical and psychological effects, from harm and discomfort to pain relief and relaxation.

Cannabinoids are the active ingredients of cannabis. They’re found nowhere else in nature.

THC is responsible for the intoxicating effects of cannabis. It also has potential medicinal effects for conditions like:

• pain
• nausea
• reduced appetite
• insomnia

CBD is nonintoxicating. It has potential medicinal effects for conditions like epilepsy and anxiety.

However, there’s still much we don’t know about THC and CBD.

While the National Institutes of Health  has funded research into the possible medicinal uses of THC and CBD, research is incredibly difficult and slow due to the federal prohibition and classification of cannabis as a Schedule I drug.

And there are more than 100 unique cannabinoids in cannabis. Science has only scratched the surface of what these other cannabinoids can do.

In recent years, the medicinal properties of cannabis have gained public acceptance. As of March 2021, 36 states plus the District of Columbia have legalized cannabis for recreational or medicinal use.

Here’s what we do know about the effects of THC when it enters your bloodstream.

No matter how you use cannabis, it can cause immediate and long-term effects, such as changes in perception and increased heart rate. Over time, smoking cannabis may cause chronic cough and other health issues.

In addition to the immediate effects of cannabis, there may be longer-term effects depending on how you take it, how much you use, and how often you use it.

Short term effects

Using cannabis can have a range of short-term effects. Some are beneficial, but others are more concerning.

Some of the more desirable short-term effects include:

• relaxation
• giddiness
• experiencing things around you, such as sights and sounds, more intensely
• increased appetite
• altered perception of time and events
• focus and creativity

These effects are often minimal in products containing very high levels of CBD, compared with THC.

But cannabis can also have some problematic side effects for certain people. Side effects may include:

• lethargy
• anxiety
• increased heart rate
• coordination issues
• delayed reaction time
• nausea
• decreased blood pressure
• paranoia

Again, these effects are less common in products containing more CBD than THC.

The short-term effects of cannabis can also vary based on your method of consumption. If you smoke cannabis, you’ll feel the effects within minutes. But if you orally ingest cannabis, such as in a capsule or food, it may be several hours before you feel anything.

In addition, cannabis often comes in different strains. These are loose categories used to indicate the effects of different cannabis products.

Long term effects

Experts are still trying to fully understand the long-term effects of using cannabis. There’s lots of conflicting research on this topic, and many of the existing studies have only looked at animals.

Many more large, long-term studies in humans are needed to fully understand the lasting effects of cannabis use.

Brain development

Research from 2014 highlights the potential impact of cannabis on brain development when used during adolescence.

According to this research, people who start using cannabis in their teens tend to have more memory and learning problems than those who don’t use cannabis in their teens. But it’s unclear if these effects are permanent.

People who start using cannabis in their teens may also have a higher risk for mental health issues later in life, including schizophrenia. But experts still aren’t sure how strong this link is.

How it works

The human body naturally produces some cannabinoids through the endocannabinoid system. They act in a similar way to neurotransmitters, sending messages throughout the nervous system.

These neurotransmitters affect brain areas that play a role in memory, thinking, concentration, movement, coordination, sensory and time perception, and pleasure.

The receptors that respond to these cannabinoids also react to THC and other cannabinoids. In this way, cannabinoids from an outside source can change and disrupt normal brain function.

THC appears to affect areas of the brain that control:

• memory and attention
• balance, posture, and coordination
• reaction time

Due to these effects, a person should not drive a car, operate heavy machinery, or engage in risky physical activities after using cannabis.

THC stimulates specific cannabinoid receptors that increase the release of dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that relates to feelings of pleasure.

THC can also affect sensory perception. Colors may seem brighter, music more vivid, and emotions more profound.

What does a person feel?

When people use cannabis, they may notice the following effects:

• a feeling of elation or euphoria, known as a high
• relaxation
• changes in perception, for example, of color, time, and space
• an increase in appetite
• feeling more talkative

 

Medically Potential and benefit

For the sake of this discussion, herbal cannabis refers to plant material derived from the flowering tops of Cannabis Indica, sativa, or ruderalis biotypes. Indica, sativa, and Indica-sativa hybrid strains are commonly available on the medicinal cannabis market.

Herbal cannabis is biochemically rich in a variety of compounds, both psychoactive and non-psychoactive. It has been reported that there are 483 compounds unique to marijuana, including more than 60 cannabinoids and some 140 terpenes. The Phyto cannabinoid that produces much of the psychoactive effect is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). However, there is increasing interest in another constituent, cannabidiol (CBD), which is not considered psychoactive but appears to have therapeutic value for a wide variety of conditions, either alone or in combination with THC.

Although federal policy has disallowed access to cannabis even for medicinal use since the passage of the Controlled Substances Act, THC was approved in a synthetically manufactured formulation in 1985 as an oral medication indicated for nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy. Originally a Schedule II medication, molecular THC was later reclassified under Schedule III, which indicates lower abuse potential. From the late 1970s into the early 1990s, a few patients gained access to herbal cannabis through the federal Investigational New Drug program, but no new patients were enrolled after 1992.

It is ironic that currently in the US the non-psychoactive compound CBD is generally accessible for medicinal use only in the form of federally prohibited herbal cannabis products available under state medical marijuana laws. Grant and colleagues² have summarized succinctly a point made by many others: “Based on evidence currently available the Schedule 1 classification is not tenable; it is not accurate that cannabis has no medical value, or that information on safety is lacking.” Interestingly, the US government has held a patent on substituted CBD derivatives as antioxidants and neuroprotectants for nearly 2 decades.

Benefits

Regardless of the legal status of cannabis, many patients with psychiatric disorders use cannabis and report improvement in their symptoms. Patients use cannabis for symptoms of PTSD, anxiety disorders, depression, ADHD, bipolar disorder, chronic pain, insomnia, opiate dependence, and even schizophrenia. In addition, patients use cannabis for neurological conditions such as the spasticity of multiple sclerosis, agitation in dementia, and specific seizure disorders that are unresponsive to standard therapies. Patients also use cannabis to reduce the nausea and anorexia of cancer chemotherapies and to improve their mood and outlook-frequently with their oncologist’s approval.

With the advent of state medical cannabis laws beginning with California in 1996, medical cannabis has become commercially available in many states as herbal material that may be smoked or vaporized, as well as consumed in a wide variety of other preparations (Table). In addition to the various formulations available through state-based programs, pharmaceutical-grade whole herbal cannabis extracts have been under development during the past 2 decades. The first product to gain approval for medical use was Sativex, a whole herbal extract standardized to a THC:CBD ratio of 1:1 and administered as a sublingual spray. Sativex was approved in Canada for use in multiple sclerosis in 2005 and chronic cancer pain in 2006, and has been approved for medical use in at least 2 dozen countries, although it is not FDA approved. More recently, a liquid formulation of pure plant-derived CBD (Epidiolex) has been undergoing trials as an anticonvulsant for seizures refractory to other available treatments.

According to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, there is conclusive evidence that cannabis or cannabinoids can help manage:

• chronic pain in adults
• nausea and vomiting resulting from chemotherapy treatment
• some symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS)

There is moderate evidence that it can help with sleep problems relating to sleep apnea, fibromyalgia, chronic pain, and MS.

Other conditions that it may be helpful for include:

• low appetite
• Tourette’s syndrome
• anxiety, in some individuals

In 2018, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)  approved Epidiolex, a medication that derives from cannabis, to treat two rare and severe types of epilepsy that do not respond well to other treatments. Epidiolex is a purified form of CBD that does not contain THC.

Three drugs that contain synthetic substances with a structure similar to that of THC have received FDA approval. Marinol, Syndros, and Cesamet are treatment options for some kinds of anorexia.

Risks

Respiratory system

Much like tobacco smoke, cannabis smoke is made up of a variety of toxic chemicals, including ammonia and hydrogen cyanide, which can irritate your bronchial passages and lungs.

If you’re a regular smoker, you’re more likely to wheeze, cough, and produce phlegm. You’re also at an increased risk of bronchitis and lung infections. Cannabis may aggravate existing respiratory illnesses, such as asthma and cystic fibrosis. Cannabis smoke contains carcinogens, which could theoretically increase your risk of lung cancer. However, according to the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA), there is no conclusive evidence that cannabis smoke causes lung cancer. More research is needed.

Circulatory system

THC moves from your lungs into your bloodstream and throughout your body. Within minutes, your heart rate may increase by 20 to 50 beats per minute. That rapid heart rate can continue for up to 3 hours. This places extra oxygen demand on your heart. If you have heart disease, this could raise your risk for a heart attack.

One of the telltale signs of recent cannabis use is bloodshot eyes. The eyes look red because cannabis causes blood vessels to expand and fill with more blood. THC can also lower pressure in the eyes, which can ease symptoms of glaucoma for a few hours. More research is needed to understand whether THC can offer long-term benefits for glaucoma.

Central nervous system

The effects of cannabis extend throughout the central nervous system (CNS). Cannabis is thought to ease pain and inflammation and help control spasms and seizures. Still, there are potential long-term negative effects on the CNS to consider.

THC triggers your brain to release large amounts of dopamine, a naturally occurring “feel good” chemical. It’s what gives you a pleasant high. It may heighten your sensory perception and your perception of time. This dopamine cycle may also explain why as many as 30 percent of cannabis users develop cannabis use disorder. Severe cannabis use disorder, or addiction, may be relatively uncommon, but it can occur.

Symptoms of cannabis withdrawal may include:

• irritability
• insomnia
• loss of appetite

In the hippocampus, THC changes the way you process information, so your judgment may be impaired. The hippocampus is responsible for memory, so it may also be difficult to form new memories when you’re high.

Changes also take place in the cerebellum and basal ganglia. These brain areas play roles in movement and balance. Cannabis may alter your balance, coordination, and reflex response. All those changes mean that it’s not safe to drive.

Very large doses of cannabis or high concentrations of THC can cause hallucinations or delusions. According to the NIDAthere may be an association between cannabis use and some mental health conditions like depression and anxiety. You may want to avoid cannabis if you have schizophrenia or a family history of schizophrenia. Cannabis may make symptoms worse or increase the chances of developing the condition in people who have a genetic predisposition.

When you come down from the high, you may feel tired or a bit depressed. In some people, cannabis can cause anxiety. In people younger than 25 years, whose brains haven’t yet fully developed, long-term cannabis use can have a lasting detrimental impact on thinking and memory processes. Using cannabis during pregnancy can also affect the developing baby. The child may have trouble with memory, concentration, and problem-solving skills.

As mentioned earlier, federal prohibition has made research into the effects of cannabis largely observational, which can only detect correlation and not causation. Moreover, these studies were generally looking at unregulated, illegal cannabis, and scientists don’t know whether legal cannabis regulated by states has different effects.

Immune system

Studies involving animals have shown that THC may adversely affect the immune system by suppressing it. This could theoretically make you more susceptible to infectious diseases. However, for people with autoimmune conditions who have an overactive immune system, this may be a benefit.

Further research, and research in humans, is needed to fully understand the effects.

Testicular cancer

A 2018 review concluded that using cannabis more than 50 times in a lifetime may increase the risk of testicular cancer. People have modified some types of cannabis, such as skunk, to maximize the potency of certain components. From the 1990s to 2018, the average THC content in confiscated cannabis rose from 4% to over 15%.

Digestive system

Smoking cannabis can cause some stinging or burning in your mouth and throat while you’re inhaling. Cannabis can cause digestive issues when taken orally. While THC has been shown to ease nausea and vomiting, in some people long-term heavy use can paradoxically cause nausea and vomiting. An increase in your appetite is common when taking any form of THC, leading to what many people call “the munchies.”

This can be a benefit for people who need to gain weight or increase appetite, such as people with cancer receiving chemotherapy. For others who are looking to lose weight, this effect could be considered a disadvantage, although epidemiological studies suggest cannabis users don’t have increased risk for diabetes or obesity compared with nonusers.

Addiction

With long-term use, changes in the brain can occur that lead to problematic use, or cannabis use disorder. This disorder, in which a person experiences withdrawal symptoms when not taking the drug, may affect about 30% of people who use cannabis, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

Of these individuals, about 9% may develop an addiction. A person has an addiction when they cannot stop using a substance.

The NIDA add that up to 17% of those who start using cannabis in their teens may become dependent on it.

Quitting Cannabis

Quitting cannabis, after becoming dependent, is not life threatening, but it can be uncomfortable.

Symptoms may include:

• irritability
• mood changes
• insomnia
• cravings
• restlessness
• decreased appetite
• general discomfort

Symptoms tend to peak within the first week after stopping and last up to 2 weeks.

Experts do not know exactly how frequent and long-term cannabis use affects a person’s health. Both the short- and long-term effects may vary among individuals.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]