Cannabis is praised for its long list of medical benefits and positive mental effects, though admittedly there is still much to learn about what the plant does, what it’s capable of, and its side effects.
While we are expanding our knowledge of the medical properties of cannabis, there is still a lot of research that is needed to understand the plant more thoroughly, and for patients looking to apply for a medical cannabis certification in Georgia, more studies can’t come soon enough.
With Georgia beginning construction on their medical marijuana production facilities this year, there will be a lot on the table for patients accessing new cannabis products for the first time.
In this article, we’ll cover the common side effects of cannabis, how some people utilize them or avoid them, and what to look out for specifically with cannabis oil.
Are There Side Effects of Cannabis?
To be fair, there are probably as many listed and known side effects of cannabis as there are people in the United States.
Cannabis is an interesting plant in that way, everyone can be affected differently by it, and our individual biologies can drive a large majority of how we interact with the plant once we’ve consumed it.
For example, while some people will experience joy and relaxation from consuming too much THC, others are prone to anxiety and discomfort.
Some people who consume large amounts of CBD experience nausea, while others are relieved from stomach issues.
The only real way to determine what side effects cannabis will have on you is to take some cannabis and see what happens.
Fortunately, there are some effects that are only typically found at certain dosages, so it’s not a complete free for all, and many products are designed with low concentrations of psychoactive compounds to help prevent any unwanted psychological effects.
And while there can be unpleasant side effects of cannabis use, there are certainly pleasant side effects as well.
And of course, cannabis is not deadly. There are no terminal side effects and even if you do experience some negative ones, they typically only last for a few hours at most.
Common Side Effects of Cannabis
Let’s start with the obvious ones:
Hunger (The Munchies)
Hunger is probably the most common associated side effect of cannabis use. The cannabinoid receptors in the brain that interact with cannabis (CB1) perform a lot of functions, and one of the jobs is to help with appetite stimulation. When introducing cannabis to your brain, it can readjust the level of certain neurons in the hypothalamus, causing hunger, or the munchies.
Interestingly, the modulation of these neurons with cannabis is not entirely clear. Cannabis may very well help work to regulate this process instead of only stimulating it, meaning that for some people they may experience appetite suppression when the body would otherwise need it, while others could see appetite stimulation.
Euphoria (Happy)
Euphoria is another pretty obvious one on the list. There are more than a handful of compounds in the cannabis plant that promote elevated mood and reduced stress. Some compounds work more opaquely than others, THC for example, is known to produce euphoria and elevated mood rather quickly and visibly, while CBD is a more behind-the-scenes compound that works much more subtly.
Sleepiness (Tiredness)
Hungry, happy, sleepy.
Those are the three most well-known side effects of cannabis, and while they aren’t guaranteed to work for everyone the same way, they are pretty universal. Sleepiness is a common side effect of cannabis indica strains, and strains with terpene profiles that promote sleep.
There have been several studies on the benefits of THC for sleep, and it is well known that activating the CB1 receptor leads to the induction of sleep.
Less Common Side Effects of Cannabis
Although the usual effects of cannabis are quite enjoyable, sometimes there are less common side effects of cannabis that can present themselves.
Because everyone’s endocannabinoid system is different, there will be different levels of receptors in your brain for cannabis to interact with. While one person could have an incredible evening of laughter, joy, and a good night’s rest, another person might become slightly uncomfortable or concerned, even paranoid.
While there are no overtly harmful properties to the cannabis plant, there are known unpleasant side effects that can occur with cannabis consumption, particularly with overconsuming cannabis.
This is why care should always be taken to consume the appropriate dosage for your tolerance level, typically negative side effects can be avoided by simply not going overboard.
But in case you do, here are some known, unpleasant, side effects of cannabis:
Paranoia (Scared)
Most commonly, paranoia is associated with the overconsumption of psychoactive compounds in the cannabis plant. This will be less relevant with Georgia’s Low-THC cannabis oil, where there is less than an effective dosage of THC in a single product. When people have consumed too much THC without biological familiarity with its psychoactive effects, it can be uncomfortable. THC is a potent psychoactive compound and overdosing too much cannabis can lead to heightened awareness, rapid or racing thoughts, and even temporary (technical) psychosis.
Although that might sound pretty scary, (and granted, in the moment it might be) they are all very mild effects that will wear off with some time and care.
Cannabis as a medicine deserves respect when consuming, and if you dose too much, you can go into an unpleasant space for a little while.
Memory Issues (Forgetfulness)
Cannabis consumption can affect your memory.
For some, like those diagnosed with PTSD, this can be an incredibly beneficial thing, as certain processes in the brain that are modulated by cannabis are connected to forgetting unpleasant or unnecessary memories that can cause lasting stress.
For others, forgetfulness may not be such an exciting side effect.
Cannabis typically affects your short-term memory more than your long-term memory, so you’re probably more likely to forget your car keys than your wedding anniversary.
There’s also no conclusive link as to why cannabis can help us forget whatever it is that we don’t remember.
And it gets more interesting because cannabis is approved in Georgia for Alzheimer’s and is used in many places to help with dementia related disorders due to the promotion of healthy cellular death and regeneration, as well as improved mood and decreased stress concerning memories for PTSD patients.
Reaction Time
Cannabis can affect your reaction time.
Although this is a particular field of interest for law enforcement and politics, cannabis is known to induce delayed reaction time in patients with lower tolerance levels.
On the flipside, there is a lot of confusion in the scientific world concerning tolerance level and the effects of cannabis consumption, and often studies are inherently biased in the way they approach tests and pre-clinical trials.
We know very simply that exposing a person who does not regularly consume cannabis to a high dosage and then performing a driving test will not yield the same results as exposing someone who consumes cannabis daily.
We also know that exposing the same person with a high tolerance to a new or unique product can yield different results.
And that all starts from a unique baseline of each individual participant in those studies, so it can become very difficult to find correlated evidence about how cannabis precisely affects reaction time.
But we do know that on average, cannabis can slow your perception of time as well as your reaction to it.
In some cases with new or unfamiliar users, this could be prevented, and care should be taken to set aside appropriate time and space for cannabis consumption.
Ultimately, there are many side effects of cannabis that could be experienced by any number of people.
Fortunately, cannabis is considered a safe and healthy alternative medicine that can provide many benefits with very minimal side effects, especially compared to those of dangerous drugs such as opioids and other pharmaceutical narcotics.
For Georgians, low-THC cannabis oil will prompt many of the healthy benefits from other compounds in the cannabis plant while minimizing the effects of THC, so you can look forward to a bit of an easier approach if you’re looking to avoid the psychoactive compound.
Get Your Georgia Marijuana Card
As a Georgia marijuana patient, you can legally purchase up to 20 ounces of low THC cannabis oil. For Georgians, this means getting the relief you need naturally and organically, and Georgia Marijuana Card is here to help.
Reserve your appointment today and get $25 off when we start processing applications!
Feel free to give us a call at (866) 781-5606, and we can help answer your questions about getting medical marijuana in Georgia