A Beginner’s Guide: What you should know about Marijuana

Marijuana is one of the most widely consumed natural drugs in the world. If you are a first-time user of cannabis, there may be a string of questions in your mind about how to use marijuana safely, which form should you consume, what effects will be there, and whether there are any health risks. This beginner’s guide to marijuana will help you understand the different types of strains, benefits and health risks.

TYPES OF MARIJUANA STRAINS

Marijuana is available in several forms for consumption. Four major strains of marijuana are largely preferred because of their unique after-effects.

1. SATIVA

Cannabis Sativa is an excellent form for smoking if you want to stimulate your mind and sense. It boosts energy and mood. Improved focus and concentration are some other key effects of Sativa.

2. INDICA

Cannabis Indica is more suitable for individuals looking for relaxation after a tiring day. Reduced anxiety, improved sleep, and pain relief are some of the best after-effects of Indica. If you are having appetite problems, Cannabis Indica is your go-to form of weed.

3. HYBRID

As the name suggests, Hybrid weed is a mix of Sativa and Indica forms of marijuana. So it provides mixed and balanced effects of both forms of cannabis. The best part is that there are hundreds of options available for hybrid weed and you can choose the best for yourself.

4. CBD

CBD is a pain-relieving component of marijuana that produces little or no “high” at all. Its basic effects are on the body. It reduces inflammation, treats sore muscles and relieves muscle pain and post-workout pain.

HOW TO USE MARIJUANA?

There are plenty of ways to consume marijuana like joints, blunts, vapes, bongs, dabs, munches, edibles and so on. However, joints, vapes, dabs, may be dangerous ways of consuming marijuana as they involve smoking. Smoking involves inhaling the smoke into the lungs which are never safe. This can lead to respiratory problems. The good and easy ways of consuming marijuana involve ingestion of cannabis rather than smoking.

1. EDIBLES

Cannabis is available in the form of edibles like munches, baked goods, cannabutter and so on. The advantage of ingesting cannabis over smoking is that the effects last longer and it doesn’t affect the health of your lungs. It may take a little longer to hit the bloodstream and show the effects though.

2. TINCTURES

Tinctures are alcohol-based compounds of cannabis that can be mixed with drinks and consumed as a potion. Alternatively, you can use a dropper to pour a few drops on your tongue to get the cannabis effects faster.

3. SUBLINGUALS

Sublinguals are another way of experiencing the effects of cannabis without actually smoking it. Unlike edibles, sublinguals are kept under the tongue where they are absorbed by the mucous membranes of your mouth and show quicker after-effects.

4. TOPICALS

Topicals are more like pain relief creams, except for the difference that they are made of cannabis. The pain-relieving benefits of cannabis are well known. Topicals are creams or balms that can be applied to the skin to relieve spasms and aches without having any effects on brain activity.

BENEFITS OF SMOKING MARIJUANA

Cannabis has many health benefits in terms of mental and physical activities. It is an easy and natural way to form a balance between sleep, eating, and healing cycles. Here are some of the most noticeable benefits of using marijuana.

1. It enhances the quality of sleep as it relaxes the mind and body.
2. Cannabis boosts the creativity of an individual. They begin to look at things from a new perspective.
3. It is widely popular for its calming effects on the mind. It leads to an improved focus among smokers.
4. Marijuana eases out chronic pain, headaches, and muscle spasms. It is largely used for relieving pain in case of surgeries in the medical field.
5. Cannabis is a natural way of cutting back on the use of other synthetic drugs, tobacco, and alcohol.

HEALTH RISKS OF MARIJUANA

Marijuana smoking can cause mildly negative effects on the body. These health risks occur only when cannabis is used in uncontrolled amounts leading to drug abuse. If you are consuming it on a once-in-a-week basis, you may not have any of these risks. Here are some of the harmful effects of marijuana:

● Cannabis abuse may result in delusions, hallucinations, loss of walking direction, and so on.

● Frequent use of cannabis in large amounts can increase the heart rate.

● There may be a drop in bone density of marijuana abusers.

● It can have breathing problems like acute bronchitis, shortness of breath, coughing and wheezing.

● Marijuana use may affect the receptors of the brain, causing disorganized walking and speech problems among the users. As long as it’s used within controlled amounts, there is nothing to worry.