The symptoms of smoking marijuana The most prominent are having red eyes, euphoria and well-being, a state of relaxation, perceptual distortion, memory impairment, difficulty reasoning and remembering, increased appetite and lack of motor coordination.
Marijuana is one of the most popular and most consumed drugs in many countries in the world. In fact, there is some controversy about its "dangerousness" since despite the fact that it has been scientifically proven that it causes negative effects on health, some effects that are innocuous or even therapeutic have also been described.
Regardless of whether cannabis use is harmful or not, smoking marijuana automatically causes a number of symptoms. Some of them are popularly known as relaxation or well-being, which are what the recreational marijuana user wants to achieve when they smoke a joint..
However, there are many more symptoms as cannabis produces both psychological and physical effects..
The psychoactive effects of marijuana begin a few minutes after smoking it. However, there are certain individual differences, so there are people who when smoking marijuana can begin to show symptoms within a few seconds and people who take a few minutes longer.
The effects of marijuana usually last between one and two hours, although THC (the active principle in cannabis) remains stored in the body's adipose tissues for much longer..
The acute effects of marijuana are also highly variable between people and depend largely on the dose, the THC content and the THC / CBD ratio (the two main substances in cannabis).
On the other hand, the symptoms caused by marijuana can also vary greatly depending on its form of administration, since when it is eaten instead of smoking it can cause much more variable effects.
Personality, experience of use, and the context in which marijuana is smoked are also important factors that can modify its effects. However, the majority of cannabis use tend to provide a series of prototypical symptoms..
After an initial phase of stimulation in which the person experiences euphoria, well-being and increased perception, a phase in which sedation, relaxation and drowsiness predominate..
Likewise, a series of physical symptoms can also be experienced, which may be less noticeable.
Next we will discuss the 20 basic symptoms that are experienced when smoking marijuana.
The main psychological effects of cannabis use are euphoria and well-being. At the beginning of consumption, symptoms such as talkativeness or easy laughter are usually experienced.
These effects are considered to be more intense at the beginning of smoking and disappear over time, however, if high doses are consumed, this modification of the psychological state can be prolonged.
As we have discussed previously, the effects of cannabis depend largely on the personality and the context in which it is smoked..
Thus, these effects will be experienced by the consumer who smokes marijuana in a relaxed environment and who tolerates the rest of the symptoms that cannabis produces well..
It usually appears in later stages of consumption, when the euphoria and talkativeness has been diminishing.
Relaxation is the other main psychological symptom of marijuana and unlike the previous one (which is produced by THC), this effect is produced by the other substance in marijuana, CBD.
Psychological relaxation can manifest itself in many ways, but the most common is that a clear lack of concern is experienced globally and a state of tranquility and harmony.
In practically all marijuana use, a clear perceptual distortion is experienced. This can be variable, since it can produce from mild symptoms to a clear distortion that can cause the appearance of hallucinations.
The most common is that visual, auditory and tactile perceptions are sharpened, as well as that a slight distortion of space and time is experienced.
Trying to orient oneself while under the influence of marijuana is often more complicated than normal and the notion of time can also be altered.
Smoking marijuana can significantly decrease the ability to memorize and learn. The cannabinoid system is closely related to memory processes, so when cannabis is smoked these functions are easily altered.
Specifically, working memory and short-term memory decrease, so trying to memorize or learn when under the influence of cannabis is difficult.
Forgetfulness or blackouts about what happened when one was intoxicated are often frequent symptoms of marijuana.
Another of the cognitive processes that are altered with cannabis use is concentration.
When marijuana is smoked, this mental ability is diminished, attention is distorted and trying to focus on something is difficult.
In a way that is closely linked to the cognitive alterations mentioned above, marijuana produces difficulties with reasoning.
The inability to memorize and concentrate on specific aspects means that when a person who is under the influence of marijuana is exposed to complex reasoning, they have difficulty thinking clearly.
As with the symptoms mentioned above, this cognitive alteration is temporary and disappears at the same time as the effects of the drug are diluted..
Marijuana slows down the reaction speed and causes motor incoordination, so the person can be much less adept at performing delicate tasks.
Likewise, stability or agility also decreases and the resulting movements are a typical symptom of marijuana use..
Related to the previous point, marijuana causes a worsening of driving. Cannabis is probably the drug that most affects the ability to drive due to the perceptual distortion and motor incoordination that its consumption produces.
Driving under the influence of marijuana can be highly dangerous due to the lack of awareness about the movements of both the vehicle and oneself, as well as the perceptual distortion that is experienced.
Drowsiness is one of the most typical symptoms of marijuana, although it is not experienced right after smoking it. It usually appears after a few minutes of use and may depend on the psychological state of the individual..
However, THC directly induces sleep, so that together with relaxation and well-being there may be a desire to sleep and rest.
It is another of the most typical symptoms of marijuana and usually appears in practically all uses. In the same way that it happens with drowsiness, it appears in the second phase of symptoms, so when you start smoking marijuana you do not usually experience hunger.
However, over time, despite having eaten recently, the appetite increases. This fact was explained in a study published in Nature Neuroscience where it was shown that THC intervenes in the olfactory lobe receptors of the brain and increases the ability to smell and taste food.
In the desire to eat there is a clear predominance of sweet foods, although any type of food is capable of satiating the appetite produced by marijuana.
Marijuana contains a clear analgesic power so it is able to reduce pain. This symptom also appears in the late stages of consumption but is one of the most important in marijuana.
In fact, the analgesic effect of cannabis is one of the main factors that has motivated the therapeutic use of this substance.
Smoking marijuana can imply for people with chronic pain the achievement of a state of relaxation and well-being, as well as a decrease in their perception of pain.
However, the use of marijuana for therapeutic purposes does not free the individual from experiencing the rest of the symptoms, which may be less beneficial for their health..
This dichotomy between the pros and cons of marijuana are the main factors that promote the debate on the suitability of this substance for therapeutic purposes.
This symptom is not usually noticeable but it is one of the main physical risk factors for cannabis. Smoking marijuana increases your heart rate. Likewise, blood pressure increases if you are sitting and decreases if you are standing..
These effects are highly dose dependent, so the more marijuana is consumed, the higher the rate and cardiac output.
On a physical level, cannabis also has effects on the respiratory system. In this sense, smoking marijuana can produce both positive and negative effects.
The properties of cannabis produce bronchodilation, whereby the bronchi and bronchioles of the lungs dilate and air flow increases..
However, due to the combustion that occurs when smoking, marijuana can also cause bronchial irritation and bronconstriction, effects that would decrease bronchodilation.
These symptoms of marijuana have been especially relevant in determining the efficacy of this substance for asthma disease.
Cannabis can produce beneficial effects for this disease but at the same time it can worsen the condition of an asthmatic patient.
One of the most typical physical symptoms that are clearly observable among patients who use marijuana is red eyes. This eye redness is mainly caused by the vasodilation produced by cannabis in the body.
Likewise, smoking marijuana can reduce the production of tears and the pupillary reflex to light..
Increased pressure in the eyes occurs mainly due to the accumulation of watery fluid in the eyeball.
This condition can favor the development of glaucoma, a disease that can involve an optic neuropathy characterized by the progressive loss of the nerve fibers of the optic nerve.
Marijuana allows to lower eye pressure, however, really effective therapeutic effects have only been shown when cannabis is applied locally, so these effects produced by smoked marijuana are somewhat more controversial.
Whenever marijuana is smoked, the mouth dries up and the saliva remains pasty and sticky after consumption.
The endocnnabinode system is involved in the inhibition of salivary secretions and in the production of sage, so when consuming marijuana salivation is inhibited and these types of symptoms are experienced.
The relaxation produced by cannabis is not only experienced on a psychological level but also has effects on the striated muscles.
When smoking marijuana, a clear muscle relaxation is experienced and the body's anticonvulsant properties are increased.
Many data suggest that THC can exert immunomodulatory effects with inhibitory or stimulating actions, depending on the cellular system involved and the dose used..
There is no clear evidence that cannabis use produces clinically significant immunological alterations in humans. It has not been possible to show that this immunosuppression can cause a greater number of infections and is being investigated as an anticancer.
Smoking marijuana has direct effects on a person's sexual functioning. On the one hand, cannabis can increase the experience of sexual intercourse but on the other it can have effects on sex hormones.
In general terms, marijuana can affect the number and motility of sperm and alter the levels of gondotropins and testosterone, but other positive effects have also been described.
Prolactin is a hormone that stimulates the production of milk in the mammary glands and the synthesis of progesterone in the corpus luteum..
Smoking marijuana on a regular basis can increase levels of this hormone.
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