Cannabis sativa has been used for thousands of years both for medical purposes, think of ancient Chinese medicine, and for recreational purposes.
There are those who are convinced that it can be called a drug and has many negative effects, while those who think it only has positive effects.
But is it a drug or not? In this article we will try to answer this and other questions. Here's what we'll see:
- Is cannabis a drug?
- Is cannabis harmful?
- Are there any symptoms that say cannabis is harmful?
- How many people use cannabis?
- Why is cannabis used?
Is cannabis a drug?
Despite part of public opinion considering it as such and despite the fact that in 2021 it is still illegal in several countries including ours, Cannabis Sativa is not a drug.
The UN also expressed its opinion on the matter on 2 December 2020 , officially recognizing the medicinal properties of cannabis and eliminating it from the list of narcotic substances.
Cannabis is a plant that belongs to the cannabinaceae species and grows naturally in many areas of the world. Inside there are various active ingredients , some of which can create alterations in the mental state. Slight alterations, it should be noted, which have nothing to do with the psychoactive or hallucinogenic side effects of synthetic drugs.
The active ingredient most used for recreational purposes by the majority of cannabis consumers is THC (tetrahydrocannabidiol) and it is the only one among those identified to date to have psychoactive effects.
The effect caused by THC is nothing more than an imperceptible alteration that can cause relaxing and relaxing effects , in the case of an indica-dominant variety, and more euphoric effects, which stimulate creativity and sociability in the case of sativa-dominant varieties.
After smoking, a cannabis user who has used a strain with a high THC content will still maintain control and be lucid, although perhaps slightly slowed down. However, it is an effect that cannot be compared either to that caused by other drugs, nor to that of "simple" alcohol, which although not considered a drug, has numerous negative effects and various side effects.
However, as regards the other active ingredients and specifically the other cannabinoids contained in cannabis, the problem does not arise. Cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabigerol (CBG) , the two active ingredients underlying cannabis light, do not cause any psychoactive effects.
Cannabis is harmful
Cannabis sativa is a plant that offers numerous active ingredients, which are also used in medical use due to their potential.
In this sense, both THC, CBD and CBG find space in therapeutic cannabis-based treatments. Consider that for the 2021 budget, 2.6 million euros have been allocated to increase the production of cannabis for medical use and 1.7 million to ensure its availability on the national territory.
Furthermore, for some years light cannabis has been used daily by people who, fed up with the negative effects of synthetic drugs, are looking for natural remedies without psychotropic effects to treat certain ailments. From the simplest yet annoying ones such as insomnia and muscle pain to the more complex and delicate ones such as, for example, glaucoma or epilepsy.
It is clear that in this sense cannabis is not only not harmful, but is actually beneficial .
In the case of cannabis with a high THC content used for recreational or daily purposes, clarifications must be made.
When asking whether cannabis is harmful or not, it is important to be able to make a distinction between use and abuse , as would be appropriate to do with any substance. Even chocolate can become harmful if we eat ten bars of it a day or if it is the only food we eat during the day. Even bananas can cause negative effects if eaten in excess due to the high potassium content in them
Using cannabis consciously is not harmful , but abusing it can be counterproductive and perhaps negatively affect our daily lifestyle, performance at work and even social relationships.
It's a subjective matter: each of us should be able to make controlled use of cannabis. Once we understand the effect of cannabis on our body, we should be able to self-regulate in order to prevent any side effects .
The undoubtedly harmful aspect of smoking cannabis is related to the problem of combustion and the repeated intake of tobacco (in case we use a mixture with tobacco).
Combustion and tobacco cause the greatest damage to the respiratory system. It is therefore not cannabis that is harmful but the way we are used to taking it.
A smart choice may be to choose a weed vaporizer and completely replace tobacco with legal marijuana.
Another thing to watch out for are the substances that may be contained in cannabis. It is important that the inflorescences do not come from land cultivated with pesticides or chemical fertilizers , which can actually make cannabis plants harmful and compromise them without our knowledge.
The same thing goes for hashish , which can be cut with harmful substances.
Unfortunately, when it comes to cannabis varieties with a high THC content, we are talking about the black market and with the exception of a few rare exceptions of daring growers, it is difficult to guarantee the same quality that you can guarantee by purchasing legal, organically grown weed .
Finally, it is advisable not to drive after smoking especially if we have smoked weed that contains a massive amount of THC, and in general not to smoke while working. It is better to start in the late afternoon or limit the use of cannabis to the moment before going to sleep, so as to help you fall asleep naturally.
If you also want to vaporize during the day , it is better to choose a sativa cannabis and leave some relaxing indica cannabis only for the evening.
Mixing cannabis and alcohol is also not advisable and if it were to happen, it is always better to be cautious and do it in small doses.
Obviously this does not apply to legal marijuana, which does not cause side effects or psychological alterations.
Are there any symptoms that say cannabis is harmful?
As we have seen, cannabis can be harmful from the moment it is abused or when it becomes an opportunity to take too much tobacco or even if its origin is not controlled .
As for the symptoms that should help us recognize that cannabis is having negative effects on our body, there are no standard symptoms, because each of us reacts differently to the effects of cannabis .
However, it can be useful to observe if and how it has changed our habits. If it has done so and is causing chaos and disruption in our daily routine, we should take notice . And if we're too immersed to realize it, someone will point it out to us.
If using cannabis prevents us from carrying out our work activities as best as possible, if after smoking cannabis we feel distressed and do not want to interact with the world or if cannabis sativa has become the only priority in our life, we are going in the wrong direction .
Once again it depends on how we choose to use it.
As for physical symptoms, side effects often attributed to cannabis include asthma, bronchitis, cough and other respiratory disorders .
As already mentioned, however, it is tobacco and combustion that cause disorders of this type and not cannabis as such.
Likewise, skin color and tone can also be affected by burning and nicotine. A vaporizer will avoid these types of side effects.
It goes without saying that cannabis consumption should not degenerate into abuse. In that case, the inflorescences could actually irritate our bronchi and the THC could compromise our psychological and social stability.
How many people use cannabis?
It is estimated that in Italy, around 6 million Italians use cannabis regularly and that it has been a constantly growing trend for decades.
In the last year, the lockdown has led to a further significant growth in cannabis consumption . The age group that uses cannabis sativa the most is between 15 and 64 years old.
This is a truly significant number. It's a real shame that cannabis use has to push people to buy from the black market .
A possible legalization would do much more than fill the state coffers and would lend a great hand in a moment of economic crisis like the one Italy has been experiencing for several decades.
Since it entered the market, light cannabis has had a lot of satisfaction and many former consumers of cannabis with a high THC content have turned their attention to the new active ingredients.
It is further proof that prejudices against cannabis sativa are beginning to diminish and that the majority of people have been able to personally experience the beneficial effects of cannabis , thus rehabilitating a substance unfairly considered dangerous for too long.
Why is cannabis used?
The use of cannabis can be attributed to various reasons , all of which are absolutely legitimate.
There are those who use it for medical use because they are being treated with a treatment based on therapeutic cannabis.
There are those who use cannabis sativa with a high THC content mainly for recreational purposes , to relax, in social situations with friends (when possible) or simply in place of a couple of glasses of wine.
The use of cannabis is so popular because both in its cannabis sativa varieties and in its cannabis indica varieties, it has many positive effects, appreciated all over the world by people of different age groups.
Here are the main positive effects that all cannabis users will recognize:
- generates a feeling of relaxation
- helps control mood
- stimulates serotonin and therefore good mood
- it can amplify creative capacity and sociability
- triggers a deeper perception of one's own emotions and those of others
- helps you concentrate
As we will see from the list, however, the negative effects generated by the abuse of THC-based cannabis almost seem to be the opposite of the positive effects.
Let's look at the main ones in order to recognize, avoid and prevent them:
- it can make you apathetic and listless
- can cause panic attacks
- can lower your mood
- it can make you closed and antisocial
- can make you suspicious and paranoid
- can slow reflexes
- can cause tachycardia
Legal cannabis , on the other hand, is used both to combat certain disorders , including chronic pain, insomnia, mood disorders and even THC addiction, and for recreational purposes as a replacement or in association with cannabis in high quantities. of THC.
Growing light cannabis is legal as long as the amount of THC does not exceed 0.2% .
In case you want to try some light marijuana strains, take a look at our website. You will be able to find different CBD strains, unmissable CBG novelties and the latest generation herb vaporizers.
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