Some of the most common side effects are dizziness, fatigue, dry mouth, lightheadedness, drowsiness, and nausea. Side effects are usually mild or moderate and usually go away quickly, but sometimes serious side effects occur. Talk to a pharmacist at a medical cannabis dispensary if side effects occur. Find out easily what and how medical marijuana can help you or a member of your family.
Get involved in cannabis research so that, together, we can increase access to cannabis. Find out how cannabis can help people live better Tina MagrabiSenior Content Writer Medical marijuana, like any other medication, can have side effects. The side effects, such as not feeling pain and being able to eat and sleep properly, are positive. However, other side effects are not as desirable.
Below we describe some of the most common side effects of medical marijuana. The side effects of THC are usually the most obvious, which is not surprising, since it is the main psychoactive cannabinoid found in cannabis. At low doses of around 3 milligrams (mg) or less, THC may have little or no psychoactive effect, although there may be a slight sense of euphoria. Some people start with a dose of around 3 mg to 5 mg of THC when they consume edibles or tinctures, where there may be some euphoric and relaxing effect, but at a manageable level.
Another method is to use delta-8 THC, which is not as psychoactive as delta-9 THC and is still a natural cannabinoid. Psychotic episodes are likely to only occur in people who are already predisposed to conditions in which psychosis may be a problem (p. ex. For children and adolescents, regular exposure to high amounts of THC may have some long-term effects on memory, mood, and behavior, since the brain is still developing.
However, for people aged 25 and over, the long-term effects of THC are unknown (as is the case with many medications). In fact, neurogenic effects can even occur when older people use small doses of THC. Negative effects on IQ and memory generally occur when the user is young. Longitudinal studies have shown few long-term effects on executive functioning.
Eating cannabis also tends to have longer lasting and stronger effects than other methods of ingestion. While vaporizing, inhaling, or smoking small amounts of THC may provide a more immediate effect, they are not necessarily the healthiest methods of ingestion. Tinctures, topicals, transdermal patches, inhalers, suppositories and all methods of ingestion associated with the usual ways of taking medications tend to provide a more controlled release of THC; however, with some exceptions, it is difficult to find a company that produces a properly standardized product that releases a specific dose for each application. Some people use black peppercorns to obtain pinene and beta-caryophyllene to combat anxiety and reduce some of the negative effects of THC.
CBD is also used to cushion the effects of THC, usually by taking in equal amounts of CBD as the amount of THC ingested. However, although CBD can reduce the anxiolytic properties of THC, in small doses and in combination with THC, it can prolong the effects of THC to a certain extent and, at the same time, reduce its effects to a lesser extent, which cause more paranoia. Small amounts of THCV can also be used. However, at high doses, THCV has psychoactive effects, making it difficult to control.
So basically, as with any other medication, the dosage of cannabis is important. Although it is not psychoactive in the same sense as THC, the fact that CBD has a physiological effect means that CBD does have some type of psychoactive effect, but not one that seems to cause a significant alteration in perception. Some possible side effects of CBD are low blood pressure, lightheadedness, drowsiness, or even wakefulness and a feeling of “nervousness” if high doses are used. There is some evidence to suggest that the use of poor quality hemp-based CBD may increase the seizure rate in people with epilepsy.
CBD can also lower body temperature. In some cases, Parkinson's patients may experience an increase in their tremors, while high doses of CBD may increase eye pressure in patients with glaucoma. However, perhaps the main problem with CBD is not necessarily its side effects, but rather the fact that it inhibits drug metabolism. CBD desensitizes the liver enzyme, which is needed to process many different drugs and medications.
Age seems to be a factor when it comes to cannabis misuse disorder. People who use cannabis (and in particular high-THC varieties) during adolescence are more likely to develop cannabis misuse disorder. In fact, around 18% of people who start using cannabis in adolescence develop the disorder. People who suffer from addiction tend to have depleted levels of dopamine receptors that “make you feel good.”.
THC increases dopamine production, and regular use of high amounts of THC can reduce dopamine brain reactivity. However, different cannabinoids affect dopamine in different ways, and they do so unlike drugs such as cocaine or alcohol. Not all cannabinoids are psychoactive, so they're not likely to have much potential for abuse, if any. With THC, the amount of dopamine released is usually much lower than with other substances of abuse, and other cannabinoids and terpenes can mitigate some of its damage.
Most of the abuse potential associated with cannabis seems to come from the non-medical use of high-THC cannabis varieties in adolescents. When it comes to synthetic cannabinoids, it seems that it's certainly possible to overdose on them. This is because some types of synthetic cannabinoids can stop some of the essential processes in the human body. After all, the ECS is intimately related to homeostasis, and desensitizing or turning off the wrong part can cause some major health problems or even death.
For this reason, care must be taken with synthetic cannabinoids, even in clinical settings. Plant matter that is sprayed with synthetic cannabinoids and sold as “incense” or “herbal alternative” to cannabis should be avoided, and really should not be considered to be anything like natural cannabis. Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS) also exists, but the condition is extremely rare and its cause is precisely and specifically unknown. The syndrome usually occurs in daily cannabis users for a long time and causes them to experience persistent nausea and vomiting.
Until now, THC has been mainly involved in the development of CHS, and its consumption must be regular and abundant. In addition, CHS has not been associated with the consumption of unheated cannabinoids. As for the cannabinoids themselves, it is quite possible for a person to be particularly sensitive, allergic or intolerant to a specific cannabinoid or set of cannabinoids. Research in this area is much needed.
Because everyone's ECS is different and the pharmacology of cannabinoids is varied and complex, some people may have side effects that others do not. Get access to the benefits of cannabis by applying for a medical marijuana card through Leafwell today. Our doctors can guide you through a quick and easy process. Our in-depth analysis of the addictive potential of cannabis explains everything you need to know about using cannabis safely.
THC is a psychoactive substance and carries the risk of side effects, even in the form of a tincture. Anxiety and paranoia are the most common and tend to occur after drinking too much. You can wait for the effect to wear off or take some CBD oil to counteract the THC. CBD oil tinctures can often leave a lingering herbal flavor in the mouth, affecting the ability to enjoy food for some time after use.
While this may not seem like a negative side effect if you're someone who uses CBD oils several times a day, the results can be quite annoying. Tinctures are processed to have a fixed amount of THC per bottle, and the label will indicate the amount of THC you get per drop or full dropper. With THC tinctures, you have the advantage of knowing exactly how much THC is in your dose, with an accuracy that simply cannot be obtained with natural marijuana flowers. In addition to sublingual absorption, you can also apply THC oil to your skin; you won't get high, but THC has analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and possibly even anti-aging properties.
Compared to THC edibles bulk, which can take up to an hour to start working, THC tinctures work at lightning speed. So why might THC tinctures work for pain? THC interacts with the endocannabinoid system (ECS), which we all have.
