4 Things You Should Know Before Consuming Cannabis

Cannabis, also known as marijuana, is a psychoactive drug that comes from the cannabis plant. The main active chemical in cannabis is THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol), which affects how you think, feel and behave. Cannabis is used for medical or recreational purposes. Some people use cannabis to relieve symptoms of various medical conditions such as cancer, glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, and chronic pain. Consuming Cannabis may also be used for spiritual purposes. 

Before consuming cannabis, it is important to understand the effects that it may have on your mind and body. More than this, it’s important to be aware of a few things before you consume cannabis, and if you have never tried it, here are X things you should know before consuming cannabis. 

Different Consumption Methods Do Different Things

The very first thing that you should be aware of, especially if this is your first-time consuming cannabis, is that different consumption methods do different things. What this means is that different consumption methods have varying onset times, as well as varying durations of effects. 

If you want to feel the effects between 5 to 20 minutes, and you only want the effects to last around 2 hours or so, then you should either smoke, dab, or vape cannabis. All three consumption methods have similar onset times and durations. However, dry herb vaporizers allow you to select a temperature that will affect the intensity of the effects experienced; lower temperatures mean milder effects, and higher temperatures mean stronger effects. Grasscity has introduced the electric dab rig which is a dab rig with a heater. It’s a very convenient method as the electric dabber uses electricity and heating coils to heat your nail or quartz banger to the right temperature.

If you are looking for consumption methods that have longer durations of effects, then you can try tinctures, pills, tablets, transdermal patches, and edibles. All of these methods have durations of effects between 3-8 hours, with edibles having the longest onset time at around 2 hours. 

Not All Marijuana is the Same

The next thing that you should be aware of is the fact that not all marijuana is the same, and you should do some research to find out the differences between specific strains. To give you a general idea of what this statement means, we can start with the intensity of effects. The intensity of effects that you experience from marijuana is a result of the concentration of THC used. If the strain has high THC content, you will experience stronger effects.

It does get a bit more complicated than this because different marijuana strains produce different effects. For example, some strains might have you feeling way more relaxed than others. Some strains might make you feel more energized. Other strains might give you a bit of a head high, as well as a body high. 

You Might Get the Munchies

Something that you should be aware of before consuming cannabis is that you might get hungry, very hungry. This is something called the munchies, and it’s one of the reasons why cannabis is recommended to people who are suffering from a lack of appetite. 

There are many theories as to why marijuana causes munchies, but the leading theory is that THC interacts with many systems in the body, specifically the endocannabinoid system. This system is responsible for managing many things, hunger being one of them. Another theory is that cannabis enhances your senses, such as taste and smell, which makes the idea of eating seem much more irresistible. 

You Might Get Paranoid

Another thing to keep in mind before consuming marijuana is that it actually might make you feel more paranoid than usual. Many people are unaware of this and shocked by it when it happens to them since cannabis is prescribed to people who suffer from PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). The reason it works so well for PTSD is that THC interacts with the amygdala, which is what controls your response to emotions like stress, fear, anxiety, and helps to change the response. 

Unfortunately, the amygdala also controls your response to paranoia, and when some people consume cannabis, the amygdala is overstimulated which results in increased levels of paranoia. One way to prevent this from happening is to take it slow. If this is your first time-consuming cannabis, there is no rush, and you should aim to consume a little at a time to find your comfort zone.