All you need to know About Cannabis

Cannabis is a plant that is used for recreational and medicinal purposes. By using the dried flowering tops, buds, leaves, stems, and seeds of the Cannabis Sativa plant, many cannabis-based products are formed. The legal rights of using cannabis concentrates vary among states and countries. So, before taking into account buying or using cannabis products, at first, you should check whether it is legal in their state and country.

What is Cannabis?

Cannabis is a group of three plants Cannabis Sativa, Cannabis Indica, and Cannabis ruderalis, which have psychoactive properties. By harvesting and drying the flowers of these plants, the most common drug is produced, which is known as weed, pot, or marijuana.

Cannabis has relaxing and calming properties, which are consumed for instant physical and mental relief. It is also used for medical conditions, including chronic pain, glaucoma, and poor appetite. It can have strong effects, both positive and negative.

Different ways of consuming Cannabis Concentrates

• Smoking or vaping
• Brewing it as a tea
• Eating it raw
• Consuming it in the form of edibles, such as brownies or candies
• Take it as supplements or capsules
• Applying it as a topical treatment

There are various components found in cannabis, the potency and balance of the components vary in each cannabis concentrates, it depends on how the manufacturer grows and processes the plant.

What are the components of cannabis?

Cannabis consists of more than 120 components, known as cannabinoids. The two most common cannabinoids are CBD (Cannabidiol) and THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol).

Each has its effects and uses:

• CBD- This is a psychoactive cannabinoid, still, it is non-euphoric and non-intoxicating, which means it won’t get you “high.” CBD is usually used for reducing pain and inflammation, it also gives relief from nausea, migraine, anxiety, and seizures. This cannabinoid is used in medication for treating certain kinds of epilepsy.
• THC- THC is also a psychoactive cannabinoid in marijuana that produces the feeling of being high. THC may affect the memory, thinking, pleasure, concentration, coordination, sensory, and time perception of the consumers. THC is used for pain relief and calming anxiety.

Medical Uses of Cannabis or Cannabinoids

As per the data of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, there is clear evidence that cannabis or cannabinoids can be used in:

• Chronic pain in adults
• Some symptoms of multiple sclerosis
• Nausea and vomiting resulting from chemotherapy treatment
• Low appetite
• Anxiety in people
• Tourette’s syndrome

There is also some evidence that tells, cannabis or cannabinoids also help in insomnia.

Effects of Cannabis or Cannabinoids

There are different ways of using cannabinoids or cannabis, and the method can determine the effects of the drug.

Smoking or inhaling:

When you smoke or inhale cannabis, a sense of euphoria starts within minutes and reaches the peak within 10 to 30 minutes, and it ends after 2 hours.

Ingesting:

If an individual consumes cannabis products by mouth, they feel the effects within 1 hour, and the sense of euphoria will peak after 2 to 3 hours.

Topical:

Transdermal patches allow the ingredients to enter the body over a prolonged period. This can help people who are consuming cannabis to treat pain and inflammation.

How do Cannabinoids work?

Cannabinoids produce their effects by interacting with specific receptors, which are located within different parts of the central nervous system. These cannabinoids disrupt normal brain function and control the human’s thinking, memory, attention, sensory, coordination, and time perception.

Because of these effects, a person should not drive a car, engage in risky physical activities, and operate heavy machinery just after using cannabis.

How does a person react after consuming cannabis?

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

• A feeling of elation or euphoria, known as a high
• An increase in appetite
• Relaxation from anxiety
• Changes in perception like color, time, and space
• Feeling more talkative

Risks of Using Cannabis

• Memory loss

According to a study, smokers of potent cannabis strains may have a higher risk of intense memory loss

• Gum Disease

According to the American Dental Association, cannabis use may become a cause of gum disease

• Immune Response:

Frequent cannabis use may affect your immune system, but more studies are required to prove this.

• Testicular Cancer:

A 2018 review proved that using cannabis more than 50 times in a lifetime may increase the risk of testicular cancer.

Cannabis Addiction:

If you are using cannabis for a long time, it may lead to some kind of mental disorder, in this disorder, users experience withdrawal symptoms when not taking the cannabis products. As per the data of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA),  30% of cannabis users are affected by these disorders. And the 9% of these users may become a cannabis addict, and they cannot stop using cannabis.

The NIDA concluded, More than 17% of people who start using cannabis in their teenage, may become an addict.

Cannabis Withdrawal

Quitting cannabis, after becoming an addict, may possible, but it can cause some discomfort.

Symptoms may include:

• Mood swings
• Insomnia
• Restlessness
• Cravings
• Discomfort
• Decreased appetite

These symptoms are generally at a peak within the first week after stopping cannabis consumption and last up to 2 weeks. It can’t be said that how frequent and long-term cannabis use changes a person’s health. Both the short and long-term effects may vary among individuals.

Conclusion:

Cannabis contains different types of chemicals that can have various impacts on the human body. It is also used in recreational drugs with some medicinal uses.

If you are considering using cannabis concentrate for any reason, you should check that it is legal or not in your state. You should also consider the mental and physical effects.

You can consult a doctor to take advice before start using.