Smoking cannabis is far less harmful than smoking cigarettes.
Cannabis is a natural plant that happens to contain phytochemicals, which are chemicals produced by the plant. These chemicals, called cannabinoids, act on the cannabinoid receptors on the brain and elsewhere to relieve pain, suppress appetite, and improve mood, among other benefits.
These effects aren’t all that different from those of drugs like opioids and alcohol.
In fact, smoking cannabis has been shown to produce similar results to these drugs.
How does this happen?
When you smoke cannabis, the cannabinoids attach to the cannabinoid receptors in your brain. This triggers the release of endocannabinoids, which bind to cannabinoid receptors to relieve pain and other symptoms.
The endocannabinoids also help to suppress appetite and improve mood.
How does smoking cannabis affect your body?
Smoking cannabis is quite similar to smoking tobacco. The smoke contains a mixture of cannabis and tobacco, as well as other chemicals.
The THC and CBD in cannabis smoke are broken down by your body’s enzymes into non-psychoactive (or “non-psychotropic”) metabolites, which are much less dangerous to your health.
The body breaks down more of these metabolites when you smoke cannabis, which may explain why you feel the effects of cannabis more slowly than when you smoke tobacco.
For most people, this means that smoking cannabis is much less harmful than smoking tobacco.
Does smoking cannabis cause cancer?
Cannabis smoking has been shown to increase the risk of developing several types of cancer, including:
- Lung cancer
- Oral cancer
- Esophageal cancer
- Stomach cancer
This may be because cannabis smoke contains cancer-causing chemicals called polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).
These chemicals are thought to be generated by burning cannabis, and they can damage your DNA.
If you smoke cannabis, your body may not be able to break down these PAHs as well as it could if you only smoked tobacco.
If you smoke cannabis, your risk of developing lung cancer is increased, but it’s not clear if it’s increased by smoking cannabis or if it’s just a coincidence.
There is some evidence that smoking cannabis may increase the risk of oral and esophageal cancers, but more research is needed.
It’s also not clear if smoking cannabis increases your risk of developing stomach cancer.
Does vaping cannabis smoke have the same effects?
Vaping cannabis is often called “vaping,” and it’s less harmful than smoking cannabis.
Vaping cannabis will also cause fewer side effects than smoking, as long as the amount you use is under 5 milligrams (mg).
However, you may still experience some of the same side effects as smoking cannabis. For example, you may feel dizzy or lightheaded after using cannabis, which is a common side effect of vaping.
If you vape cannabis, you may also notice that your eyes and mouth feel dry after use. Vaping cannabis may also make you feel more hungry and tired than you normally do.
What happens when you stop smoking cannabis?
After you stop smoking cannabis, you may notice some of the same side effects that you had before you started. These side effects include:
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Dry mouth
If you smoke cannabis regularly, you may find that you have more side effects when you stop smoking.
If you don’t smoke cannabis regularly, you may experience fewer side effects than you did when you smoked.
If you smoke a lot of cannabis, you may notice that your body is resistant to the effects of cannabis. This means that you may have to use a very high dose of cannabis to feel the same effects.
Side effects of cannabis can be more likely to occur if you use cannabis regularly and if you have a heavy cannabis use history.
For most people, cannabis use is not a problem unless you smoke cannabis for a long time or use it every day.
What about using cannabis for medical purposes?
In the past, some people have used cannabis to help treat conditions such as:
- Epilepsy
- Cancer
- Parkinson’s disease
- Multiple sclerosis
- Autism
However, there’s been a lot of research over the past decade that has shown there to be no medical benefit to cannabis use for any of these conditions.
This doesn’t mean that cannabis use is harmful, but it does mean that cannabis use is not a good idea for treating any of these conditions.
Talk with your doctor
If you use cannabis regularly and you’re not sure if it’s doing anything for you, make an appointment to see your doctor. It’s important to discuss all of your symptoms and concerns.
You may need to stop using cannabis for a short time if you have side effects.
You can also ask your doctor to recommend a cannabis use specialist if you have questions about cannabis use. There are many different types of cannabis doctors who treat people with a wide range of conditions.
The bottom is on how much you use and how often you use it. This is different from the amount of time you use it.
If you’re using it to get high, it’s still possible to get high on cannabis. However, it’s more likely that your body will be able to process it and that you won’t experience the same side effects as you would with tobacco.
It’s also possible to have negative side effects from using cannabis without ever smoking it.
If you have concerns about your cannabis use, talk with your doctor and consider starting a recovery plan for your cannabis use.
The bottom is on how long you use cannabis.
If you only use cannabis occasionally or you’ve never smoked cannabis before, it’s unlikely that you’ll have any negative effects.
However, if you use cannabis regularly and you have no other health problems, talk with your doctor. They can help you decide if it’s right for you.
If you use cannabis, it’s important to use it safely and under the guidance of your doctor.
The bottom line
Smoking cannabis is much less harmful than smoking tobacco, but it can still cause health problems.
If you regularly use cannabis and you’re concerned about your health, talk with your doctor. You can also start a recovery plan for your cannabis use.
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