Cannabis is psychoactive, meaning it affects the mind and/or behaviour. Its main effects include a “mellow” good feeling as well as giggling, and the frequent short-term side-effect of increased appetite (the “munchies”). Larger doses can cause an increased perception of sight and sound, eventually leading to mild hallucination, usually auditory.
Other effects include paranoia, short-term memory loss, and nausea, especially if used in combination with alcohol.
No overdose due to cannabis has ever been recorded in two millennia of medical history. The estimated lethal dose of cannabis is 20,000 to 40,000 times the level of a normal dose. In comparison, most prescribed drugs have a lethal dose around 10 times the normal dose.
Although a mild tolerance of the drug can be built up, it is generally not thought to be addictive. However some people can build up a psychological dependence. There is some evidence linking long-term use to depression as well as aggravation of pre-existing mental conditions.
The long-term effects of cannabis still need more study. One of the most important and widely shared concerns regarding cannabis is that its high tar content (especially when it is combined with tobacco, as is common in Great Britain) could lead to an increased risk of lung cancer.
Marijuana
December 15, 2011
Legalization is the best thing that could happen right now, for so many reasons. I think it’s coming soon.