The top side effect of marijuana is the obvious reaction that you have, the high, which is generally termed perception distortion. This means that time, touch, sensation, sound, or any of the 5 basic senses can be completely altered or just mildly altered. Either way, it can be difficult to figure out what is really real and what just appears to be your reality at the moment. This side effect is often the reason that people smoke pot.

Unfortunately, the physical side effect of marijuana of rapid heart rate and lower blood pressure is dangerous. Physically, the heart is struggling to stay full of blood, hence the blood pressure drop. This is a pretty good set up for a heart attack or other coronary event.

Hallucinations don’t happen to everyone, but for those who experience them it is a strong enough side effect of marijuana that one can be turned off pot smoking for life. Hallucinations can be frightening and can include the belief that there is violence being perpetrated against you when in fact there isn’t. They aren’t fun like it is portrayed on TV, but it is one of those real and true out of control moments that can scare the pants of even a tough guy.

Another physical side effect of marijuana is suppression of the immune system. The THC in pot acts as a natural immuno-suppressant. This means that the elements (the white blood cells) in the body that are designed to attack infection often fail to do so. There have been a great number of studies done on this topic, and science has proven that one side effect of marijuana is the inability to produce a healthy immune system, either temporarily or permanently if pot use is heavy over a period of time.

Lung and throat problems can be caused by weed and the longer you smoke it the more likely you are to get ill from this particular side effect of marijuana. Pot smokers are actually doing more lung tissue damage than the average cigarette smoker. The short term effects are often dry mouth, scratchy throat and voice, and a burning down the throat and chest. This is from the harsh, unfiltered smoke that you inhaled deeply, held in the lungs, and then exhaled slowly.

While the side effects of marijuana can vary from person to person, there are numerous unlisted side effects. Every time you inhale potent pot you are asking for physical trouble either now or in the future. The side effects of marijuana are all in transcribed medical tests that prove the theory.

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Yes, there are short term effects of marijuana, and I realized that we were driving around about as smoked up as one could get. I guess the more I thought about when I was sober the more I realized that we were not the smartest bunch in the world. I really never took notice to whether anyone in the restaurant thought my behavior was strange. I was just relieved that no one was throwing forks and butter knives at me.

There are many possible effects of weed. Some of the first short term effects of marijuana include the distortion of perception, like thinking that someone is throwing knives at you. Distortion can include touch, taste, sound, time, and visual distortions. A lot of people respond with a loss of coordination. You can find that driving in a car while high is one of the worst things you can do. Of course, when one is high there is often that whole perception distortion effect going on so the likelihood of recognizing the potential danger is minimal. Decision making abilities are not as sharp.

One of the scariest short term effects of marijuana is the risk of a heart attack in the first hour actually increases by more than four times the sober risk rate. This is because the heart rate increases but the blood pressure drops significantly. This combination often makes it likely that a heart attack will occur even if there are no other risk factors.

Some people respond to pot more intensely than other people do. It’s not terribly unusual for some people to experience hallucinations, disorientation, delusional thinking, and impaired sense of memory. Others may very well not experience these things and find it unusual that a small percentage of people actually experience panic, paranoid thinking, and the inability to rationalize which leads to fear and distrust of those around you.

The common argument that pot is harmless is not really true. There are health effects to smoking weed just as there are for smoking cigarettes. It’s important to understand that the health effects of marijuana are serious so that you can make informed decisions regarding your health and your choices. Over time, some of the delusional thinking, paranoid behaviors, or other effects can become more permanent. Hence, the phrase “pothead” or “burnout.”

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Initially, after your first hit or two, there are some noticeable immediate effects. The heart rate increases and most people find that their throat or mouth become very dry. Bloodshot eyes are common within just a few tokes. While many people claim that their eyesight, hearing, and their tactile sensitivity are affected, scientifically speaking this is not really considered to be an effect. Some people feel that their sexual experiences are enhanced while others find that their sexual experiences are muted.

The short term memory is almost always noticeably different when smoking marijuana. Short term memory effects can be as simple as not being able to recall what you ate ten minutes ago or it can be severe enough to make one forget his or her name, address, and phone number. This effect generally dissipates once the THC effects, or the high, has worn off.

Most people can not get a firm grasp on the passage of time. Some people might think they have been sitting in one place for hours when in reality only twenty minutes have passed. Others find that the opposite occurs, that time has stood still when in fact several hours have gone by. There is a definite sense of loss of coordination and an inability concentrate on a single task. Driving a car is never recommended because the altered mind often can not signal the body to perform appropriate actions. Combined with the altered sense of time, and a loss of ability to react quickly, driving high is a very dangerous idea.

Some people experience an induced anxiety attack every time they smoke weed. There is a sense that you do not really have much control over your body, and sometimes your thoughts, and this can be a situation that creates a severe anxiety attack. This is not something that happens to all smokers, and those who have experienced this type of pot related anxiety attack generally do not continue to smoke marijuana.

There are pain relieving effects that go along with smoking marijuana, as well as a potential for a calming and soothing effect. People who are withdrawing from harsh pain medications like methadone find that during their worst periods of withdrawal, one or two hits of marijuana can help them whether the storm a bit better. Of course, this can become habit forming and the withdrawal symptoms will last longer. Yet when limited on use, it can relieve the physical and emotional pain of narcotic withdrawal.

Dependency can happen to some people. When someone becomes addicted to weed, they tend to suffer from difficult relationships, isolation from those who do not smoke, job loss, and eventually low self esteem. With long term use, smoking pot can damage the lungs and create the condition known as COPD, chronic obstructed pulmonary disease.

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2. Marijuana: Is it Harmful?
3. What are the Health Benefits of Marijuana?

Here’s the truth the way that I see it. Yes, marijuana is harmful. So are cigarettes, chewing tobacco, alcohol, and processed foods. So are about 90% of the medications that our physicians prescribe for us. I think it comes down to the level of harm, and the overall harm on a society. Let me explain. You can’t be fired from your job in this country for smoking a cigarette or having a nightcap in the privacy of your own home.

However, you can be fired for lighting up or drinking during working hours because there is an expectation of behavior that we are all supposed to meet. Back before my time, when marijuana was sold in head shops right next to the necessary paraphernalia, people loved it. They flocked to it. And overall, they used it extensively.

Science can be skewed to fit the need. While scientific findings are generally pretty accurate, the interpretation of those findings is left up to those who want to see a specific result. Thus, I don’t believe that anyone can truly identify whether or not a little smoke is truly any more harmful to our bodies than half the legal stuff we do.

There is certainly a certain amount of negative side effects, but I don’t think it has been proven beyond the realm of the same negative side effects of a fried chicken dinner eaten once a week. I also know that I have been prescribed medications that were considered necessary but had a twelve week withdrawal period. My brain had to heal. Is marijuana dangerous? I know it can’t be any more dangerous than a prescription for methadone for pain relief. When pot was legal, there was not the same push for antidepressants, mind altering pain drugs, or other long term medically endorsed ideas that keep people hooked on their meds for life. When pot was legal…

Conservatives got scared that we were about to start a society that wandered around perpetually high. That would be a bit like having a society wandering around perpetually drunk. Lives would be lost in car accidents and babies would be born with serious health problems. We would have lost our structure and that need to show up on time. If pot had been a recreational product that people kept quietly in their lives, it would probably have remained in the same class as cigarettes. But people loved their pot and smoked outside on their lunch break. Kids showed up at school with two or three joints for the day.

The most harmful part of marijuana is the inability to use it with discretion. Physically, I don’t know whether it’s any more dangerous that a lifetime diet of processed foods and a lifelong prescription to mind altering antidepressant medication. But I do know that without balance in life, we end up wandering about on a ship without a sober captain, and there is more harm in that than whatever we choose to do to our own bodies.

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1. Eating Marijuana – Hash Cakes Anyone?

Court documents show police found bags of marijuana, rolling papers, cash, and a plant that seemed to be recently pulled from the ground.

He’s charged with driving under the influence and possession, but Henry says the case should be thrown out.

Why?

Because he’s a member of the Hawaii Cannabis Ministry.

Henry’s attorney, George Marros, says, “Our position is if you’re part of this particular religion, you’re able to use marijuana for personal use, same thing Catholics would use wine for their sacraments.”

Cumberland County’s District Attorney, Dave Freed, calls the defense a novel one.

“My estimation is that is takes a certain amount of chutzpah to file something like this,” Freed says.

The Hawaii Cannabis Ministry is an organization that claims to celebrate “the constitutional right to practice cannabis spirituality”.

It also claims on its website that ordering a $250 “Sanctuary Kit” will protect your use of cannabis sacrament in any of the 50 United States and elsewhere throughout the world.

Freed isn’t so convinced.

“I’m not familiar with any cases, and we’ve done some research, allowing use of marijuana for religious purposes,” he says.

Henry’s attorney admits the defense is a new one, but maintains his client’s religious beliefs – no matter what they are – should be protected.

“We’re not allocating full-blown marijuana use that you can go on the street corner and sell marijuana to anybody. It’s for personal use, per your religion and that’s what we’re limiting our position and our argument to.”

The Hawaii Cannabis Ministry also advises followers to keep a copy of their ministry identification card on them at all times.

There’s no mention in court documents that Henry told officers the drugs were part of his religious beliefs.

In fact, there is question as to when Henry joined this religious group – his attorney wouldn’t say if it was before or after this arrest.

The motion to dismiss these charges will be heard in court next month.

As reported in: whtm.com/news

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As the marijuana/cannabis enters your body through a different channel (e.g. your stomach lining rather than your lungs), the hit will be different and take anything up to an hour to reach your brain…

That’s right, an hour to reach your head – maybe more – as your stomach first needs to digest the food in which the marijuana/cannabis is contained. However, once the hit arrives, it will be much stronger than for smoking an equivalent amount of pot, basically because you get 100% of it rather than losing quite a lot in the smoke and ash.

I advise eating it only with some discretion, particularly for the inexperienced user. Let someone experienced, who you trust, help you with preparation the first time so you can judge the strength, and will be on hand if your high gets too intense. The point being that unlike smoking, you can’t just stop. Once you’ve taken it, you’ve taken it, and you just have to see it through.

Don’t let that put you off eating it, however. Because it is an “invisible” hit, you can take it then just forget about it, and as long as the dose is right, just relax and enjoy the high. There are also some very tasty recipes around, and cannabis actually tastes quite nice in its own right! Add fruit and nuts ( see recipe below) for tea time treats.

Eating marijuana is also the healthiest method of taking the drug. You just need to be careful, that’s all, and the best recommendation there is to not take any more on top of what you’ve taken, until that high has arrived – don’t be impatient, it will come within an hour or so. If it hasn’t by then, question what you’ve been eating! Also, don’t mix it with alcohol.

ADVANTAGES OF EATING MARIJUANA

As I said, it is healthier, and acceptable to those with strong objections to smoking. You can take some and then go out for the evening while the high comes up, thus getting high in public (a rare pleasure for some – though would cause great paranoia in others). There are many different ways of preparation so even those who treat some with distaste would probably like others.

DISADVANTAGES OF EATING MARIJUANA

Also covered above. Cannabis is not dangerous, even if you take too much – there’s no such thing as an “overdose” (you need to take about 10,000 times as much cannabis as it takes to get you high to be reaching potentially fatal levels – the equivalent with alcohol is as little as 10 times). But a deep hit from eating too much can be quite unpleasant – at the same time it can be quite mind-bending in the best sense of the word. Do it at your own risk, but don’t run scared of it either.

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1. Marijuana as a Religious Sacrament?