Serendip is an independent site partnering with faculty at multiple colleges and universities around the world. Happy exploring!
Munchies and More: The Effects of Marijuana on the Brain
Biology 202
2002 Second Paper
On Serendip
Munchies and More: The Effects of Marijuana on the Brain
Kathryn Fong
To many, marijuana is seen as a horrible narcotic that causes many
physical and social problems. To others, it's a harmless drug that
gives the body a relaxing sensation. Marijuana can be found on many
college campuses and high schools. It is estimated that at least 70
million Americans have tried it, and of those people, 10-14% become
dependent of the drug (1).
Marijuana is often referred to as the "gateway" drug, leading the user
to more serious narcotics. Marijuana users experience different
sensations, from excessive mellowness, fuzzy memory, to the munchies.
Some of the typical effects are impairment of memory, alteration of
memory, motor coordination, posture, cognitive ability, and sensory
perception. So what is it in marijuana that keeps users wanting more?
The active ingredient in marijuana is
delta-9-trans-tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC. The structure of THC is
very similar to the endogenous cannabinoids, or endocannabinoids for
short, which are naturally occurring chemicals in the body (1).The
THC binds to the receptors of the endocannabinoids, and activates the
neurons, causing the different sensations experienced during a high.
These receptors are spread throughout the brain. THC affects the
central nervous system, as well as the peripheral tissue systems. THC
can reduce pain, lower body temperature, and enhance appetite. It can
also be used for anti-inflammatory, bronchodilatory, and
anti-convulsant, which is why THC is used for medicinal purposes. THC
is used as a popular treatment for glaucoma by reducing ocular
pressure, and for neurological disorders such as multiple sclerosis,
Huntington's Disease, and spinal cord injury (4).
The THC acts on the receptors of the endocannabinoids. Two known
endocannabinoid receptors are CB1 and CB2, which are found in the
nervous system and the periphery nervous system, respectively. The
receptors are coupled with G-proteins and mediate the inhibition of
adenylyl cyclase activity, which in turn reduce the production of
cyclic AMP, cAMP. The reduction of cAMP formation blocks calcium ion
flow into the cells, which would disrupt the formation of action
potentials. This may attribute to some of the side effects to marijuana
use (4). Cyclic AMP and calcium ions regulate several neurotransmitters, including acetylcholine and dopamine (1). This may account for the nice and mellow feeling people experience when smoking pot.
The precise physiopathological responses between the stimulation and
inactivation of endocannabinoid receptors are still unclear, however,
it is known that the performance of the nervous system and the
peripheral processes, such as modulation of neurotransmitters, control
of immune, gastrointestinal, reproductive, and cardiovascular systems
are impacted. By observing the actions of the CB1 receptor, researchers
are able to determine different response pathways. The actions of the
CB1 receptors interact with thermoregulatory systems in the body. CB1
receptors also interact with sensory perception such as hearing, color
vision, and touch. Motor responses are also affected by CB1 receptors,
some motor responses being movement, coordination, posture, and muscle
function. THC has a high affinity to CB1 receptors, which may account
for the different sensations when one gets "high. Often times, a person
under the influence of marijuana feels an increase of body temperature,
hallucinates, seeing colors and objects that are not really there, has
trouble walking, or staggers around. It is the binding of the THC to
the receptors that cause this. The CB1 receptors and their
corresponding enzymes and proteins can be found in the thalamus,
hippocampus, cortex, striatum, substantia nigra, and cerebellum. This
shows that endocannabinoids and their substrates have a role in motor
and cognitive response (2).
THC may also affect the endocrine system. The CB1 receptors are found
in the hypothalamus of the brain, which regulates the secretion of
pituitary hormones. The release of the pituitary hormones can also lead
to the secretion of adrenocorticotropic hormones (2).
It is still unknown if marijuana is addictive, or contains any
addictive agents. An experiment was done with monkeys, in which every
time they hit a lever, they would get injected with THC. After the
monkeys figured out how to operate the levers, they hit the lever about
30 times per minute. This however, does not prove whether the monkeys
were addicted or whether they just enjoyed the sensation, and felt it
was a reward. In humans, about 10-14% of users become dependent. There
are many treatment programs that help those addicted to marijuana (3).
It may more difficult to diagnose a marijuana addict because the
symptoms of marijuana addiction are not as noticeable as symptoms of
different dependence, such as alcoholism (1).
One thing that I wanted to find information on, but was not able to was
about the "munchies". My friend and I came up with the same question:
Do people actually experience the "munchies", or are it because they
heard that everyone experiences "munchies" after they smoke marijuana,
so they get the "munchies" too. Are the "munchies" a physiological
effect of marijuana use, or just a psychological effect? Though I did
not get an answer, I think it may be related to THC. This question may
require more research for the future.
References
1) Carrol, Linda, Marijuana Effects: More Than Just Munchies, New York Times, January 29, 2002
2) endogenous signaling system: chemistry, biochemistry, and physiology, from the Internet Journal of Science - Biological Chemistry
3) Hooked on Hash, from New Scientist, 2000
4) The Pharmacology and Biochemistry of Cannabinoid Receptors, May 1997
|
01/24/2006, from a Reader on the Web In regards to Katheryn Fong's Marijuana study. The Munchies are a very real thing. When I did use marijuana by smoking or drinking a tea. I did notice that even when I had something to eat an hour previously I had the sensation of being hungry again. I knew I couldn't be physicly hungry again and I was eating insane amounts of food. I also noticed that I had the cravings for sweets one minute and salty fatty foods the next. I believe that the body wants something for the THC to bind with, preferably fats. The body may be doing this for some reason but I will be conducting studies in a few years myself. I no longer use Marijuana but felt this could help. |
"Marijuana dependence?" You are one of the people who create that myth and the myth that it is a dangerous narcotic ... Jared Barnett, 28 February 2007
i think marijuana is fine it's herbal and the doctors give it to thier patience someitimes ... Cassy, 10 December 2007
Remote Ready Biology Learning Activities
Remote Ready Biology Learning Activities has 50 remote-ready activities, which work for either your classroom or remote teaching.
About Student Papers
| This paper reflects the research and thoughts of a student at the time the paper was written for a course at Bryn Mawr College. Like other materials on Serendip, it is not intended to be "authoritative" but rather to help others further develop their own explorations. Web links were active as of the time the paper was posted but are not updated. |
What's New? Subscribe to Serendip Studio
A Random Walk
New Topics
-
1 week 16 hours ago
-
1 week 3 days ago
-
1 week 3 days ago
-
1 week 4 days ago
-
1 week 4 days ago
Comments
marijuana
Most of the information is very fascinating and interesting. Thank you very much for sharing this post. I learned a lot from this.
Cannabis is really indeed magical
Thank you for sharing and spreading awareness! Cannabis is really indeed magical. As studies progress, it unfolds a lot of possible uses and applications in science and medicine. I hope this could be the future treatment of a lot of diseases. It has endless capabilities!
excessive use
Too many, marijuana is seen as a horrible narcotic that causes many physical and social problems if you are using it excessively it could have a bad effect to your brain as a user.
Reason for munchies
Munchies is real because......it weed speeds up your metabolism and your blood sugar starts to drop....so you crave sugar. If you start to feel clammy and shakey (where I'm from its called a.whitey) eat some chocolate and have a sugary drink you'll start to feel normal again in a few minutes. Peace out.
munchies
In Chinese acupuncture medicine the way meridian energy works the effects of marijuana cause the stomach/stomach energy meridian to 'steal' energy from the liver/energy. In effect amping up the stomach & increased energy is increased appetite. Long term problem is the now depleted liver is seen to function at only 20% it's normal healthy level. You need a healthy liver obviously .. I even think some 'paranoia' is related to this liver depletion also .. It's a stress to the system and effects the state of mind. Prolonged/strong use for the liver experiences kind of like leaving a pan on the burner until everything is burned out if it but still frying away.
Yeah I'm sure marajuana is not addictive at all ... Hmmmm
im sorry but I have been
im sorry but I have been smoking for 6 years off and on and im for one not addicted to it and to I have never had an out of body experience... it happens to give me energy and motivate me and yes at the same time I get the munchies but my body knows when to stop and when I have had enough I smoke it peridocally throughout the day not necessarily to get high but to relax I see nothing wrong with it yes some people use it as the "gate way drug" but not all of us do. its an all natural thing its grown through mother nature ways and I think they should legalize it I have been told the best grown is grown by the government they just don't wanna legalise it cux they cant tax it so theres nothing wrong with it what so ever. when u experience weird things that means ur stuffs laced. never smoke something unless u honestly know what its it.. have fun and enjoy stoners.
before and after
I used to smoke almost everyday a few years ago and during the first 3 years I had never experienced Paranoia or anything bad during the duration of my high in fact it was the opposite I would always be in a good mood , very outgoing , creative, ect...
However that all changed one day out of nowhere after I smoked I started feeling nauseous and brake into cold sweats I had started to experience Paranoia and that's when things really changed all of a sudden my favorite things to do became my worst enemy I would look over my shoulder wondering if anyone knew I was high I avoided talking to anyone in fear of not being able to speak properly I was constantly embarrassed of the way I looked and dressed . I figured the first few times this happened that it would go away and because I had heard people telling stories of when they as well experienced similar things. That it was something every pot smoker would go threw from time to time . I was not willing or ready to stop smoking even with that many bad experiences . I also had heard from people that when they started to feel paranoia or the other things I had mentioned that they would just teach them selves to change their train of thought if they were feeling like people were judging them they would start to picture themselves in a completely different situation and eventually they would forget what they were even paranoid about in the first place and this allowed them to enjoy they rest of their high. I had continued to smoke everyday and I had tried the change your thought method and believe it or not it had worked some times but not all the time . The last day I smoked pot I had smoked with my best friend we smoked together all the time and neither of us ever thought anything bad about the other wile we were high but on this day after we smoked I started to feel like he was judging me and thought that he was staring at me constantly I felt like he knew I was having theses thoughts and that when he would look at me he only seen a looser that could not handle her pot and in an instant I decided to use the change of mind method and it started to work but for me it was not fast enough so I got up and went to excuse myself to the restroom but I never did make it that far as i was walking ac crossed the kitchen I had fainted and went into convulsions. My friend did not no what to do so he just sat next to me until I woke up ,when this finally happened I remember being real confused and my friend telling me I was not making any sense when I spoke to be honest I thought something was wrong with him because in my head things sounded pretty clear . I was getting frustrated with the situation it felt like I was dreaming and nothing was real .My friend drove me home and made sure I got into my house and up to bed safe that day however he made it a point to show up the following day to explain the events of what happened so I guess I fainted had convolutions and I had urinated myself . I decided right then I would no longer be able to smoke pot ever again and until this day I have not touched it and have never experienced fainting,convulsions or self urination again I am not writing this to get people to stop smoking or to have anyone believe the same thing might happen to them I still think they should make pot legal and support my friends and family that still currently smoke. I just wanted to share my before and after . thank you
Reply to comment
I'm 55 and live in Brazil. Until de age of 20 (1977) I used to smoke pot almost every day to relax. One day I had cold sweat and paranoia , exactly the same you've mentioned. I then quit pot for many decades. After medical check ups I was told I had anxiety disorder and this was the cause of my paranoia in 1977. Decades after, in (2010) I had a weird panic attack and I was medicated with Paxil (chek it out). After 4 months I quit Paxil (I told the Doctor to F... off) and went to Bromazepam (1/4 pill daily - self medicated). Nowadays (2013) I self medicate myself with Cannabis. I don't smoke it, I chew it and sometimes I do swallow it. All you need is 1/10th (one tenth) of a normal joint , keep it in your tongue for 15 minutes and keep chewing. You will feel absolutely well and renewed with a great internal piece. Watch out not to swallow too much otherwise you'll get too high.
For real
For real. I hope this is an Internet facade, because you should never be consuming weed as edible in the plant form. Do not consume weed.
The munchies are very real
The munchies are very real for most people after smoking you have the biggest urge to eat you become hungry for whatever, I didn't have the munchies until a year and a half of smoking when i was just really relax and happy on weed
...
I know its been said 100 times, but yes the munchies are very real. its something that really sucks for me because I am trying really hard to lose weight. I guess nobody would call me fat or anything but I play a few sports and I've recently put on about 20-25 pounds and I really want to lose it again. So i've been going to the gym and working out like crazy, but I get too bored at night, and usually smoke every night. Its like once I smoke, I can't go to bed without being completely stuffed. Sometimes I stuff myself to the point where I have physical pain in my stomach or almost feel like throwing up, and I still feel hungry! its a real piss off. So now for like the first time in 2 months, i'm not getting high before bed (well so far anyways). I know if I smoke anything I'm going to eat about 1500 calories that I don't need and wouldn't otherwise have. So I really wonder, is there anything I could do to smoke weed and not get the munchies? Never really wanted to try those loss of appetite dieting pills or whatever else is out there, but perhaps i'd give it a shot. I can't even hang out with certain friends for more than a short period of time unless I plan ahead of what i'm going to eat, its like I gotta go out and waste money on unhealthy fast food, or else I get high and leave in an hour cuz I can't think of anything but food. its a real piss off thats for sure.
I go to the gym as well and
I go to the gym as well and maintain strict diet but cant keep away from weed.i suggest you eat fill your stomach with low calorie food or vegetables with different recipes,thats what i do and i have successfuly been maintaining weight for the last 2 years that
i ve been smoking weed
munchies
ok, get ready for this one, lol.. i came up with this while.. you guessed it.. HIGH! you know how when you're high you have all kinds of "ah-ha" moments? first off, im well educated, good grades in high school and college, graduated with a bachelor of science, or a B.S., or just plain BS if you ask me, lol.. doesn't seem to help me get a decent paying job! :P anyway, pay rate whining aside..
so i was watching on the science channel a program about the brain.. yes, while high, VERY interesting.. and they mentioned that although the brain accounts for only 2% of your bodyweight, it consumes 20% of the body's energy.. and at that, it only consumes carbohydrates, specifically, glucose, which is basically sugar. or one could reverse that and say sugar is basically just glucose.
so given that, here's the ah-ha that hit me.. everyone knows that THC increases your brain functioning, at least at the time of being high, forget about long-term effects on memory or whatever. for me, my critical thinking SKYROCKETS when im high. so i believe, and this is just me and there's no way i can prove it, i believe that you burn a LOT of glucose/sugar/carbs when high and your brain wants/needs to replace it! well? whaddya think? mind blower huh! and at that, it specifically prefers to replace it with carbs and thus makes you crave sugar above all else. sure, we all would love to eat steak or be just as happy with a meat-laden ham sandwich with tons of cheese.. but we all know that we're never more delighted when high to eat sugary things, drink sodas, eat donuts, candy.. or even if you think more about nachos or pizza or doritos mcdonalds.. thats STILL heavy in carbs, via the bread of the pizza crust, the corn of the chips, or the starch in the fries.
thoughts? comments? i'd like to think this makes PERFECT sense, lol.. doesn't it just though?
:)
Cheating the Munchies!
Now THAT is a very interesting line of thought my friend.... Of COURSE your brain is doing triple back flips and then saying give me more energy to burn... But then theoretically, by somehow starving the body of the sugar it craves, you would be able to lose calories since the brain has already burned it...
I DO also have a slight cheat for the munchies, especially for those who like to lift weights... Whenever I get the munchies, I have a protein shake. Soon your stomach is full and you are most likely asleep (unless your rolling a new one...)
Besides all the extra muscle you make because of it then burns more fat from your body etc etc
when people dnt get weed they get mad
why do people get mad when thy can get high i think that it the same as some one who get high
uhmmmm have you been high before or are you just talking tests.
i read the article and theres a lot of big words congrats. that doesn't mean everything said was true. first off "when one gets "high. Often times, a person under the influence of marijuana feels an increase of body temperature, hallucinates, seeing colors and objects that are not really there, has trouble walking, or staggers around. It is the binding of the THC to the receptors that cause this. The CB1 receptors and their corresponding enzymes and proteins can be found in the thalamus, hippocampus, cortex, striatum, substantia nigra, and cerebellum. This shows that endocannabinoids and their substrates have a role in motor and cognitive response (2). thats a lie. i get high and i have many times and ive never seen hallucinations, seen colors or objects that are not reallly there(p.s. that would be a hallucination) ive never had trouble walking or stagger around. idk that er'ked me and proves that she does not honestly know what she or whoever the poeple who wrote that article actually know what they're talking about. so why should believe more in depth that the other parts of this article are completely true and not just some gathered data that was expressed with the beliefs of some people. thats my piece hate it, love it, ponder it, debate it and get back to me at Nick Gowland on "facebook", or email me at , or haha ironically at
marijojuana
I think your spot on isn't it wonderful the extra brain power you seem to aquire when you smoke marijojuana?
My Mistake...
She did make references and this paper (Biology 202
2002 Second Paper) was obviously not current any facts at all
Which Nick Gowland?
I agree with a GREAT deal of what you have said above. I am RN with a Master's Degree in Nursing WITH Multiple Sclerosis.... I believe the original author of this post may be be doing one of a few thing...Unsing Old Outdated sources? Fabricating her facts? I don't know as she listed NO references...Any College professor would Flunk her and If she did the research it would be published in Currents literature. I am a strong Supporter of Marijuana being made legal! Cigarettes are...They cause cancer ... THC helps and sometimes Cures it. Look at alcohol...It is legal. Right now I know they are making progress with Medical uses and even using actual pills of it in the Hospitals. I sure think it helps more than it has EVER Hurt!
I'm a disabled RN & in the
I'm a disabled RN & in the neuroscience field. I agree the medical uses should be utilized like any other chemical that is as safe. Tylenol has more risks. The drug companies would lose significant profits if federally allowed. Unless they get into the manufacturing of THC products, that is.
Marijuana affects everyone
Marijuana affects everyone differently
Paranoia
I did indeed feel paranoia this weekend when I smoked. I also felt paranoid before that and prior to this weekend I knew I was going to get paranoid of tue weed, so I did it anyway hoping to feel a different high.
It seems I get paranoid because when I get high I look down upon myself and face the realities, rather than in real life I could care a less about my insecurites and pretty much gave up on some of them, which are embaressing i will not disclose. But like when I look in the mirror in normal state I look good looking but when I look when I'm stoned I look like a ugly thug. I feel like a supreme human being in a piece of shit body. It's fucking crazy, probably because I take concerta in the morning. anyway, it have to learn to sway away from being paranoid and accept who I am and simply realize that all of us humans are the SAME. Yes, I said it, the same. When I was high I came up with the thought that we all really do consolidate into 1 when we die. Actually if your reading this I am you and you are me, with different personalities, but the same minded. The reason we act different is because our body or physical state's brain tells us how to act with our mind. U see, we act how we are told to act, or in other terms how our brain tells us how to talk to people and how much desire, dedication, passion and so on and so on our brain will give to us. Why do you think, oh man why did I say that? Or what did I just blur out of my mouth? We act what is easiest to us. Some people have funny jokes their brain gives them, some don't. Some people are fucking smart, some are dumb. But, in that core, essentially who is controlling that machine is you. Which is me. We are the same, just stuck in diametric bodies. Think about it, if we were really different than it would be science to extreme that when I'm high I won't be able to understand. Meanwhile, thats my stoned thought .... Can you top that?
Are we all one
When I read your post about weed and us all being one, I found your line "When I look in the mirror, I feel like a supreme human being in a piece of shit body", absolutely hilarious. I decided to quote you on facebook, but then I thought no; what if someone googles that line and finds I have been on a website all about weed....Some people are so against it and it makes me angry. By the way I have the same thought as you when I look in the mirror, but recently, when I am not stoned, this is reversed, which makes me feel even more depressed. It was devastating to find out that I am not ugly, as there must be something else wrong, and there is. I am fine (Fucking insecure, neurotic and emotional).
Regarding us all being one; I have thought very deeply about this myself, and while you can talk about the soul, the sole itself relies on chemicals and electrical signals to form your character, and when you change these chemicals and introduce new ones such as THC and CBD, we become different. Our sole denotes that choice, the choice to smoke weed is part of our sole, and any further choices are influenced by that experience. The thought about us all being one actually came to me when I was sober.. Too sober; I have gone without weed for two months and I am heading for a breakdown as a result, and this is because I need to do a blood test for a job to prove that I am not dependant. I am dependant, and thats no bad thing. Weed is good. It makes me extremely paranoid, but it's a paranoia I enjoy, because I can think; Oh it's OK I am only massively paranoid because of the weed. Tomorrow, I am buyuing some weed just to smell and admire until I can finally smoke it again. I need to know how stressed I can get with this situation, to make that first smoke after the blood test that much sweeter.
Anyway, back on topic. The thought came to me in an extremely stressed state, when I was sitting in Starbucks,and I looked at a man in his 50's walking up the street. Here was a man with a career, a family (probably), hopes, dreams, acheivements, JUST LIKE THE REST OF US. What makes him who he is is irrelevant...He operates under the same principles as a stay at home Mum, a Grandma, or a 3 year old child, using the same chemicals.
luv ur choice of words man
luv ur choice of words man from the heart n true*
i'm an avid pot smoker, i'm
i'm an avid pot smoker, i'm pretty much permafried. i don't find weed addictive at all though. it's not dangerous at all. i love it!
it does suck that the high goes away when you eat though. I smoke weed to help with an eating disorder.
i agree!
i agree with everything you said. im that same way. i have to smoke to eat, or else nooo appetite.
marijuana has never done me any harm. and was not a "gateway" drug for me either.
& i love embracing it, i dont care what other people think. i believe in the rastafarian ways. thats my life!
HATE ON ITTTTTTTTTTTTT
The truth to this story
The truth to this story is the cannabinoid receptors in the body. I was just looking at Marijuana Planet: The Forbidden Cure for cancer. There is a bunch of research there that supports the fact that cannabis cures cancer. There is a bunch of stuff there on Rick Simpson who has been making marijuana oil and giving it free to cancer patients. Here is a natural cure for cancer with no side effects.
I would like to tell you that
I would like to tell you that I love weed and I used to smoke it the whole time. Some people I know who have smoked it for longer than I have and keep smoking it seem completely unaffected. I, on the other hand, find it can make my thinking slower the next day and even longer potentially- sometimes to an uncomfortable extent. I am not your typical, illogic anti-marajuana madman as I enjoy the drug tremendously- all I am saying is that for some people it can have a pretty harmful effect on the mind and other parts of the body.
Don't knock it till you try it
"Often times, a person under the influence of marijuana feels an increase of body temperature, hallucinates, seeing colors and objects that are not really there, has trouble walking, or staggers around."
Hahah, oh is that what I'm experiencing? Why don't you just do some first hand experimentation rather than trying to learn about an altered state of consciousness that is completely indescribable by reading about it. The only crime is that it's illegal to explore one's consciousness through the use of this wonderful herb. That's mind control. Are you comfortable with your government controlling your mind? Limiting what you can legally experience? Telling you what to think?
Muncies!!!
I always get the Muncies buri don't HAVE to eat I can t and go on. But it is true that after you eat you high goes away
every time i get high i get
every time i get high i get the munchie!! when i eat munchies the stone feelings juss disappear very slowly.
Above The Ignorance
This is insane, I am tired of hearing of marijuana as addictive or a narcotic. As anyone who has tried it obviously knows it's not. I've been smoking weed on and off for 6 years now. The only reason i go off it is because I go to a boarding school and don't smoke there. It's not like cigarettes and nicotine where your body literally builds up a dependence around the chemical, its as addictive as an amusement park. It's really fun to go and it's always really cool, but you never NEED to ride a roller coaster, you never require it and if you did it every day, it loses its magic. The only reason weed was banned and still is illegal was because of the greed of William Randolph Hearst drove him to run a false fear campaign against the drug so he could continue his paper company. That same greed of politicians exists today, as does this stupid "War On Drugs", these ignorant religious and righteous zealots that believe they have to force their ideals on everyone else, so blinded by their need to repeat their ideas, to allow no one to be truly free in thought, but to be copies of their own faith and beliefs. As free, individual human beings we reserve the right to do whatever we wish to our bodies and minds as long as it doesn't hurt others. Marijuana hurts no one, especially not people unconnected with its use. And even if all of these medical statements were true, the effects are equal if not less deadly then cigarettes or alcohol. We deserve the right as people, as true, living individuals to smoke weed, regardless of any politician's greed or any zealot's belief.
not so safe weed
I have smoked cannabis on a daily basis for about 20 years now and if i could turn back time and never touch it i would. people say its harmless and that maybe so for a lot of people but not for everyone. I earn good money yet im always broke, i used to love going out with my mates now i just make excuses to stay in and get stoned, i adore my girlfriend who as it happens hates cannabis but could i give it up for her? honestly? probably no. I have used just about every single drug out there at one time or another but havn't used anything other than weed for the last ten years so im not talking out of my ass. I used to be the same and have the same views as a lot of other ppl on here i.e its harmless, use it in moderation and its fine, u can't get addicted, its cool etc wtf? HELLO IT IS ADDICTIVE! having gone thru heroin withdrawal i know how hard it is and nearly everyone who has also gone thru it will tell you that the physical withdrawal from heroin is hard but staying away from it after that i.e dealing with the phsycological dependence is much harder and basically that is why long term weed users find it so hard to stop because it becomes a way of life and thats a hard habit to break. so please stop saying its harmless because its really not!
Psychological dependence
Ive smoked about 3 years basically daily and will agree that it might not have the physical withdrawl symptoms other than just being foggy for a day or two. It seems for me that I can't go very long smoking it if it is available. Its not too strong of an urge to smoke but eventually I will miss it and start smoking again even though its become more of a habit than fun. It starts out being amazing that you've found something that makes you imaginative and go on little mind trips but then its just kind of becomes a daily habit that is not as fun down the road. But as far as it's psychological dependence I can say that nicotine is more "addictive" it feels like I can't go an hour without that but weed is just kind of a daily thing that is hard to stay away from for good. Its hard to just say I will NEVER smoke it again because if you last more than a month you will eventually want to get high again.
Yes
Aren't they called Cannabinoids?
you perceptions of weed are one sided
I experience paranoia and self consciousness sometimes when I smoke so I know weed is probably not for me, but I know it works for some people. You present facts displaying weed as a bad thing. Which is true but based on circumstance, a variable that cant be controlled. So, just wanted to know why you didn't present the positive effects of marijuana?
Study by Univ of Saskatchewan suggest Brain Growth
A study conducted by University of Saskatchewan, the study indicated that marijuana actually increased brain cell growth. The study was conducted on lab rats using synthetic material.
Not everyone gets the munchies
When I first starting using pot as a teenager I did get the munchies then, but now as an adult I do not get them anymore. I don't know if it's my age, the fact that I don't *need* to be snacking (I'm obese), or what. But I just don't get the munchies while high. I need to drink because I get cotton mouth though. I use pot on a regular basis now, it's the only thing that controls my fibromyalgia and arthritis pain.
chronic pain-fibromyalgia
I am on methadone due to extreme pain I had after my son was born 3 years ago. They think my nerves was damaged when the spinal block was performed. They struggled and had to insert the needle 5 times and from then i had lots of pain in my back, neck, migraines, legs, basically most of the muscles in my body. It's better, but can become very painful when very hot,cold,tension or 'overdoing' myself physically. I am also on ritalin to combat the fatigue caused by fibromyalgia and the methadone(30mg). My medical expenses, not being covered by any medical fund, costs me a fortune each month. Methadone in SA is expensive and you only get it in the form of a syrup,linctus physeptone, each 5ml contains 2mg methadone. At the end of the day you end up taking a lot of syrup, half a bottle daily. A few weeks after my son was born, I had so much pain, extreme, excruciating hell! I had only OTC painkillers and wasn't prescribed methadone at that stage, only been on it for about 5 months now. I asked a friend for a joint, because I don't even know how to roll the stuff. I was 27 years and it was the first time in about 10 years i took about 3 puffs. Cannabis makes me extremely anxious,like I am not in control of my thoughts or it feels like 'Twilight Zone',but i was ok after the 3 drags. I think it was because I was at home and felt safe, don't like being surrounded by people when I smoke and also don't like a lot of talking, it makes me very quiet. The thing is, I would like to try it again, because it sure as hell helped with my pain, but does drinking it as a tea make me less stoned or should I rather smoke it? I would like to go down with my methadone - too expensive each month,but still want to enjoy my quality of life, without pain. So, should I smoke or make tea? Does it interact with other medication. Thanks for any input!
Tea or Smoke?
Careful with tea and with any sort of edibles. Its great, because it lasts a long time and its strong and consistent as a high but if you take too much (which becomes a gamble sometimes depending on where you get your weed), you can get uncomfortably high and it lasts for an extremely long time :) :(
dont forget to bake it! :)
You can smoke it and put it in a tea but I think the best way is baking it. It takes quite a bit more pot and a little longer to react, but I find it better than smoking.
I also find it weird that all of the proper studys, that are done correctly are showing that pot has only possative effects. I suggest that people watch : THE UNION:the buisness of getting high it could help you understand why pot is illegal and how our government is lieing to us!
Smoke it.
In my experience dringing tea barley does anytthing compared to smoking a bowl.
you dont smoke boii!!! :p
you dont smoke boii!!! :p
Marijuana
The constant smoking can irritate ur lungs if ur not used to it. i recomend tea. it gets u more of a body high and take more of the pain away than smoking. plus if u drink the tea than ull be a lil bit more focosed on whats going on. being as ur not "retardedly high" hope some of this helps...
~Daylan Sours
nah bruh
tea gives you a caffeine high. i would rather smoke the ganja.
To answer some questions :)
I have been SMOKING for about 16 years and just recently got my license for Medical Marijuana :) I have found that not all forms of marijuana give me the munchies but I have found that indica's get rid of my pain and hybrids(indica and sativa combined) give me energy and take away the pain. All forms take care of my headaches- I was in a serious car accident with a drunk driver who was .18 three hours after the accident my head hit the front end of his '94 ford exploder while fastened in my seatbelt which I found out 2 years later that I have 2 torn discs in my L4 n L5. I refuse to put DRUGS in my body for which DRUGS only destroy your body from the inside out. All drugs can be taken in an overdose manner, Marijuana on the other hand is impossible to overdose on unless you are allergic to it you,have to SMOKE your body weight in a 24 hour period(good luck tryin to do that lol) I hope I didnt go astray too often and I answered your questions :)
i was just in a recent car
i was just in a recent car accident and i cannot believe that it took them two years to find something was wrong with you! did you go through post traumatic stress? (i don't know if you're male or female but everyone reacts differently to car accidents) i fucked up my head really bad and i'm in constant pain. the doctors keep denying me that something awful is wrong and are forcing physical therapy while my body hurts so bad and i feel worse after therapy. they put me on vicodin (i had to beg) and kept telling me about how bad it is, i asked them for a medical marijuana card and they denied it. they said they only prescribe it to cancer patients..i told them i smoke it anyway because it's literally the only thing that works without harming the liver! now if it could only not cause munchies...
dude, i went for the chocolate
dude, i went for the chocolate, the goldfish, cheese and lemonade...at 2:00 in the morning...if that's not the munchies then i don't know what is
the munchies
no the munchies r real..the first time i smoked weed i didnt kno anything about the munchies..iht is not a physcological effiect..its all brain..&& it makes u feel so so empty
munchies
munchies are nice but they can bore you if you have a lot of them