Reading time - 7 minutes - June 1, 2021
Weed, marijuana, cannabis, bud – these are just some of the synonyms for mother nature’s beautiful plant. When extracted from, the marijuana plant has the ability to become many different strains, and each strain has many varying effects. You can vape it, smoke it, drink it, eat it, rub it into your skin, the possibilities are endless. No one bit of weed is the same.
Therefore, how can we actually answer the question: what are the effects of weed? In a world of CBD products, THC products, cannabis concentrates, edibles, creams, it’s hard to know if there’s a simple answer to the question of: what are the effects of weed? The truth is, unless you’re watching an 80s anti-drug advert, then there really isn’t a simple answer. This subject is often swept up and twisted by people who don’t want marijuana to ever be legalized, which is why today we’re going to be trying to find the purest, most truthful answer. As always, strap yourself in. Let’s go.
In order to figure out what effects weed has, let’s delve into the science behind it. Marijuana is a complex plant, which is why it’s been used to produce many different things over the centuries. Both for recreational and medicinal purposes. Oh, and also materials, like hemp fibre; let’s not forget about that!
‘Weed’ is one of the many names for the drug that comes from the cannabis plant. Weed is a psychoactive substance, which according to the wonders of Wikipedia, means: “a chemical substance that changes nervous system function and results in alterations in perception, mood, consciousness, cognition, or behaviour”. It’s also worth noting that coffee and alcohol are also both psychoactive substances. Although weed is psychoactive, there are over 400 cannabinoids within it, which means the ratio of each one is what gives marijuana its specific effects. The two most prevalent and well-known cannabinoids are THC and CBD. It’s the amount of these in a specific product that not only changes its effects on the user, but also in the UK, deems it legal or illegal. Therefore, to move forward, let’s take a look at the major differences between THC and CBD.
THC is a psychoactive property, which means it alters the brain’s perception. However, it’s very different from CBD. High percent THC marijuana will give the user the well-known ‘high’ effect. This can include: enhanced senses, light-headedness, nausea, euphoria and hunger (the well-known munchies). A usual batch of weed will contain 15-20% of THC. Anything above 20% is considered very strong. Cannabis concentrates are known for containing closer to 40%. To put this into perspective for you, any product that contains higher than 0.2% of THC is illegal in the UK. If you want to find out more about what’s legal and what’s not in England, check out our article: is weed legal in the UK?
CBD is not a psychoactive property, and whilst it’s the distant cousin of THC, it’s very different. So different, in fact, that it’s now legal in the UK. Because CBD is not psychoactive, it does not alter the mind’s perceptions. However, it does make you feel calmer and relaxed. Furthermore, CBD is used world-wide for medicinal purposes. It’s known to assist with pain relief, anxiety, sleep-deprivation, and depression. Thus, low percentage THC weed with high percent CBD, has a completely different effect than vice versa.
Now we’ve deciphered the difference between CBD and THC, we can look at the different types of weed products. There are endless amounts, so it would be impossible to go through each one individually. However, let’s take a look at the overview. Remember: each one has its own reason for existence, and its own special effects.
Weed edibles are simple enough to comprehend: they are products you digest that contain weed. These can come in the form of brownies, cookies, sweets, butter, and basically anything really. Because edibles are digested through the stomach, they usually take longer to have effect, but are usually stronger and more intense. Edibles can be high in THC or CBD. Again, the effect will depend on which type it is. Often people use THC edibles if they don’t like the harsh effect of smoking on their throat. Edibles also last longer, so can be eaten and be enjoyed throughout the day. CBD edibles are completely legal in the UK, whereas THC edibles are not. Not that that stops people.
Cannabis concentrates are a complex breed, but one thing is for sure, they are very very strong. As previously mentioned, they often consist of at least 40% THC. These are not only very difficult to make yourself, but they are also for the marijuana experts. Some variants of cannabis concentrates include: wax, butter, rosin and hash. They can be smoked in a joint, vaped in a dry herb vaporizer, or sometimes digested. If you want to read our best cannabis concentrates guide then make sure to check it out.
Buds are the most common form of weed. Or at least they were before we entered this futuristic, experimental world we’re now in. Buds are just the flowers from the marijuana plant and they can easily be grinded up and put in a joint or a dry herb vaporizer. Inhaling cannabis takes very little time for the high to kick in, hence its popularity. THC flowers or buds are illegal in the UK, and funnily enough, so are CBD buds. Simply because they look the same. Ridiculous, yes. THC buds usually contain around 15-20% of THC, and will give effects of euphoria and light-headedness.
Creams that contain cannabis extracts are medicinal. These contain CBD. The hemp pain relief cream is used to aid with pains or soreness. You can simply rub the cream into the skin for 30-60 seconds and it should slowly soothe the pain. This is an example of weed being used for medicinal purposes, rather than just recreational.
CBD oil is a very similar concept to the CBD cream, except as well as assisting with pain relief, it also can help with mental health issues like anxiety and depression. CBD oil is simply a bottle that you can drop into your tea, other drinks, food, or directly into your mouth. It’s an easy and quick way to experience the soothing effect of CBD.
As you can see, it’s hard to nail down an exact description of the effects of weed because weed can take many forms. However, it seems the best way to attempt to give one is to split weed up into its recreational purpose and its medicinal purpose. That way, we can highlight what effect weed does have for different purposes.
Medicinal weed, high in CBD, has the potential to have beneficial effects on a range of issues. The effects of medicinal weed are endless. The calming, relaxation effects have been able to assist with a great deal of problems. The issues include:
If you want to find out more, check here.
The effects of recreational weed are obviously very different and for an entirely different purpose. The reason THC weed has been used for recreational purposes for centuries is because the effects it has can make users feel very good. Here’s a list of effects weed with high THC can have:
Although weed, both medicinally and recreationally, have many positive effects on users. It wouldn’t be right to ignore studies that have suggested the negative sides of cannabis. Like with anything, overuse can cause damage. Weed has been known to show bad side effects if used too much, or used at an early age. These include:
As you can see, weed is a mammoth of a creature. A beautiful one at that. It can find itself in many forms, and can have many varying effects. Therefore, how can we answer the question: are the effects of weed good or bad? I suppose, in a way, we can’t. The fact is, weed is, like anything, good in moderation. CBD has of course taken the world by storm and is now being utilised for health benefits. However, THC also brings happiness and relaxation to many. However, if overused, it can be relied on or cause certain health problems. Therefore, the effects and benefits of weed are essentially down to what you are using it for, and how much you use it. It’s personal to you.
As always, we hope you found this article enjoyable, but most importantly, educational.
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