Too much of anything is never good. This applies to something as common as sugar. In low quantities, sugar can bring out the flavor in dishes. But at high doses, it can cause a wide range of health issues. So, it is important to consider the cost and benefits of everything you consume, especially if you use it regularly. The same concept applies to cannabis. While cannabis is natural and has a long history in the medical field, it is still important to think of the tradeoffs if you decide to use it frequently.
In this blog post, we will discuss the general impact of cannabis, not just for products applied to the skin. The following are some effects of cannabis you should know:
- It can make you feel “high”, which is called psycho-activity.
- It may increase your appetite (aka: munchies), but this could be beneficial for nausea.
- It can make you feel tired or sedated, but this can help you with anxiety or sleeping problems.
- It can have energetic interactions.
- It can cause dry mouth, headache, or red eyes.
- It may make your heart race.
- It may cause anxiety or paranoia.
It’s important to recognize some of these as medical effects rather than just side effects. For example, item 2 and 3 could be beneficial, depending on your medical condition. Also, item 3 and item 7 are contradictory as cannabis can both help or cause anxiety. Therefore, it is important to understand which health issues you are addressing and how your body reacts before deciding to use cannabis regularly.
Delivery Methods
Different ways of using cannabis will have different effects on how quickly you will feel its effects. For instance, eating cannabis in the form of edibles may take up to an hour to work, while vaping or smoking can give you results in just a few seconds.
It’s essential to know the expected time frame for the method you’re using to avoid taking too much or too little. For example, if you eat an edible just before bed, you might not feel the effects until an hour later, which could make you think it doesn’t work. This could be a good thing if you don’t want to sleep feeling “high”.
On the other hand, if you have anxiety and find it difficult to fall asleep, taking cannabis an hour before bedtime can help you relax and fall asleep more easily.
Summary
To reduce any unwanted side effects, try:
- Lowering the temperature when vaping
- Change the delivery method you’re using (eg: edible vs vaping vs topical)
- Gradually getting used to the cannabis over time (understand your dosing)
- Set expectations. Understand how your body reacts to cannabis
- Sometimes adding CBD can also help reducing unwanted side effects (See pros and cons of full spectrum extraction)
New to Cannabis-based topicals? Try our THC pain relief cream.