Weed is not a cure-all. Or is it? At least, that is how it is portrayed time and time again. Depression? Anxiety? Sleep problems? Pain? Inflammation in the body? Just smoke a little more weed – but is that really the solution? Probably not, otherwise even the anti-cannabis movement would have developed a taste for it by now. But which Cannabis shows effect really? And is it always the same? What do the different varieties have to do with it? We will clarify these and some other questions with you today.
How forms of consumption influence the effects of cannabis
First of all, it is important to mention that different forms of consumption can also provoke different effects of cannabis. Particularly noteworthy here is consumption via tobacco in a joint. Nicotine expands the blood vessels, has its own effect and thus significantly influences the effect of THC. Vaporizer On the other hand, the effect of cannabis itself is much stronger, as more ingredients can be released from the dried herbs than in the combustion process, which also destroys some of the ingredients. Which of the two forms of consumption you prefer depends on your personal preferences. Many recreational users clearly prefer the joint form of consumption, as they feel that the effect is stronger. This feeling is often referred to as "smeared". In fact, this is only due to the additional effect of nicotine. Others, on the other hand, clearly prefer the vaporizer, as there is no combustion process, significantly fewer harmful substances enter the lungs and blood, and the addictive and addictive substance nicotine is avoided. An "intermediate" form of consumption would be the joint, but either pure or with tobacco substitutes that do not contain nicotine. Although a combustion process still takes place here, which releases harmful substances from the herbal material, substances such as tar and nicotine from tobacco do not enter the lungs. When you smoke joints without tobacco, you have the disadvantages of both worlds: on the one hand, the harmful substances from the combustion process and on the other hand, the weaker cannabis effect. But how do you actually feel after you have smoked?
The Effects of Cannabis
To get to grips with this topic, you have to look at the two main subspecies of cannabis: Sativa and Indica. Both have their own specific spectrum of effects, sometimes they are similar, sometimes they are completely different and of course there are also hybrids. Sativas are generally considered to be the more energizing cannabis strainsIndicas, on the other hand, are often described as "on the couch" because these cannabis strains often make you end up on the sofa with a bag of chips rather than dancing in the wilderness or doing spring cleaning. Hybrids then bring with them (sometimes more, sometimes less) characteristics and effects of both indicas and sativas. This creates a fairly diverse spectrum of effects of cannabis in general - from Valium to caffeine tablets and everything in between. The short-term effects of cannabis can, however, be divided into two different areas - head and body.
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Mental effects: Many people feel relaxed, euphoric or more creative. Some also experience heightened sensory perceptions – music, colors or touch can seem more intense.
- Physical effects: The body relaxes, the muscles loosen up, and often a slight tingling or pleasant heaviness is added. Some people get “munchies” (food cravings) or dry eyes and mouth – the infamous “stuffy face”. Pro tip: Pretzels are not suitable as a munchie snack.
The effects of cannabis described here refer only to the psychoactive ingredient THC. But weed also contains other exciting, active substances. The most famous: CBD.
CBD vs. THC
Almost every type of cannabis contains small amounts of CBD, and there are now even varieties that maximize this substance or have even completely bred out the THC. Since CBD is not psychoactive, this type of cannabis has a different effect. For one thing, it doesn't make you "dizzy". So that typical high feeling that you know from grass and, for example, from alcohol is completely absent here. Nevertheless, like THC, it has an effect on the nervous system and can contribute to general relaxation and help the body to process stress better. Anxiety can be eased somewhat, muscles relax, and mental clarity can set in.
The Effects of Cannabis on the Brain
The experience of consuming weed is one thing - but what about other factors? For example, thinking and memory performance and other brain functions? THC affects the brain by docking onto cannabinoid receptors and changing neurotransmitters. In the short term, this can promote euphoria, relaxation or creativity, but it can also impair memory and concentration. In the long term, excessive consumption can even weaken cognitive functions, especially in young people whose brains are still developing. In principle, the effects of cannabis cannot lead to addiction - so it is not possible to become truly "addicted" to it. However, emotional dependence can definitely develop, because the effects on the brain change the way we deal with various everyday things - for example emotions. If you smoke weed over a longer period of time, you can quickly start to use weed as a coping strategy, even without consciously realizing it. Reaching for a vaporizer or joint is easy when it has become an everyday movement and especially when you are in a bad mood and want to relax again quickly. You will notice this especially when you suddenly have a strong need to light up due to an emotional situation. But as described: This is not an actual addiction and with a little willpower and the implementation of better ways of dealing with yourself, this is a problem that can be solved quickly. Maybe you should still give up weed for a while if you notice these or similar symptoms! If you want to know more about the side effects of cannabis want to read, have a look at the corresponding blog post.
By the way: There is no evidence that the cognitive impairments caused by long-term consumption are permanent. Rather, most sources report that memory and other brain functions fully recover once you stop using cannabis for a longer period of time. Provided that the brain was already fully developed; otherwise, there can definitely be irreversible long-term effects of cannabis consumption on the brain. But that leads us to another interesting question...
How long does THC work?
The duration of the effect itself can of course also be divided into "long-term" and "short-term". In the short term, after consuming cannabis, you can expect an effect that reaches its peak after about 15 to 30 minutes, then levels off and after about 2 to 3 hours you feel pretty sober again. We are formulating this so unspecifically because it naturally depends on the amount of cannabis consumed, as well as on your personal tolerance level, your metabolism, etc.
In the long term, THC has a weaker effect on the body and the effect itself does not change. The principle is as follows: with long-term consumption, the body cannot break down all of the THC and stores it in fatty tissue. It then lies there untouched, without having any effect. When you stop consuming, your body starts to break down the remaining substances - the effect is accelerated if you do a lot of exercise and burn fat. The THC contained in the fat cells is then released, enters the bloodstream and is broken down and excreted by the corresponding enzymes. This is why you suddenly feel a little high "out of nowhere" even if you stopped consuming it a while ago!
And what about other forms of consumption?
So far, we have only talked about consumption via the lungs. We have not yet touched on everything to do with the effects of THC oil, tea and tinctures. Of course, these are also relevant - not everyone likes to inhale hot steam or smoke. The effects of cannabis tinctures have not been very well researched - tinctures are alcohol-based extracts that are usually used topically. However, depending on the purity and ingredients, ingestion is also possible here. Since we do not see any use case for the topical use of a cannabis extract, we see it as another, oral form of ingestion and therefore in this section we will discuss the effects of cannabis in edibles and the like.
With both THC oil and extracts, the effects take a little longer to kick in than with smoking, but they last longer and can lead to much deeper states of relaxation. The overall intensity of the effect depends on how concentrated the oil or extract was.
The effect of cannabis tea is a little different; the effect is significantly weaker because the temperature limit of 100 °C means that not as many active ingredients are released. Here you can expect a long-lasting, pleasant high that is delayed by 90 minutes.
And can the effects of THC be enhanced?
If so, what increases the effect of THC? In fact, the effect of cannabis can be intensified using various methods. We have already mentioned that THC is stored in fatty tissue. This means that it is fat-soluble and you can improve its absorption in the body if you consume fatty foods at the same time as consuming it. Alcohol can also increase the effect of cannabis because it dilates the blood vessels - but the additional high naturally distorts the effect. There is also the myth that mangos can make you feel higher. But is that true? Yes! Mangos contain the terpene myrcene (which is also found in many types of cannabis) and this terpene increases the permeability of the blood-brain barrier. The effect of THC in the brain is increased because more of the substance can move from the blood to the brain more quickly. So you can definitely try smoking weed and eating mangos - but we would advise against any form of mixed consumption (i.e. alcohol and other drugs).
