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Too many sources of information on cannabis offer accounts of its effects that are biased one way or the other. Either we get scaremongering about its negative effects or descriptions of its beneficial powers which fail to acknowledge so-called "side effects". (I say "so-called" because I don't believe any drug has "side" effects - all it has are effects which aren't used as a selling point. This goes for negative "side effects" as well as positive ones - remember that Viagra started life as a cardiovascular drug before its more commercial "side-effect" was discovered.) This page is therefore written in as unbiased a way as possible. It deals only with physical and mental effects - the social effects of cannabis are covered more on the page which looks at decriminalisation issues. To read about cannabis's effects on the human body and mind, click on one of the links below, using our friend Dave as your guide. In the following sections, to avoid ideological baggage, I have not distinguished between "positive" and "negative" effects - you can make your own mind up about that. However, I have distinguished between short-term effects (those which both take effect and fade very quickly and which constitute the "high"), and intermediate- to long-term effects (those which build up in your body over weeks, months and years). Please also note that although I have chosen a male model to grace this page, the information on it is relevant to both sexes. I'd just like to point out that when I mention "extreme effects" below, I mean REALLY HIGH, the sort of session even regular users have maybe two or three times a lifetime. You simply can't get these sorts of reactions much more often, as your body becomes tolerant to the drug and it becomes very difficult to actually ingest enough to push you to that stage. But they do sometimes happen... and they're certainly memorable when they do. I say this because, please, don't think that just because your head hasn't reached Venus tonight that there is something wrong with your stash. If you need to get that stoned on a regular basis, I would politely suggest you might have a problem. Most of the time you get a lower-level high: and there's nothing intrinsically wrong with that.
SHORT TERM This is where the majority of the "high" takes place. It is also the aspect of cannabis use hardest to describe objectively, for the "high" will differ between every person, and also depends partly on the environment and mental state of the person at particular times. You are very likely to feel only some of these things, and also may have had experiences which differ from these if you've smoked before. Obviously, intake is a factor - the more you have had, the more intense these feelings will be. The "timetable" of events will also vary, so I haven't tried putting these in any order.
In general, cannabis is a "downer" or relaxant, not an "upper" or stimulant like cocaine or amphetamines (speed) nor an hallucinogenic like LSD. Having said that, some breeds of "super-skunk" cannabis, and extremely heavy intake of any given sort, do have hallucinogenic effects (see this page for some more information on cannabis strains), but you have to rather overdo it to get this far: you will feel active effects long before reaching this stage. The most important thing to remember is that if you start feeling anything which you consider unpleasant, just stop smoking - anything you feel is most likely an effect of the drug which will wear off over time if you stop ingesting it. (If, however, you have eaten the drug, you may just have to sweat your way through it. This is why I strongly recommend (see this section) eating cannabis with great discretion. If this has happened, get yourself into a calm environment as soon as possible, and take sips from a glass of water or weak tea.) LONGER TERM The long-term effects of cannabis on the mind, the personality and the brain itself are a source of contention. Some doctors assert that repeated, long-term use of the drug can cause personality changes at best, actual brain damage at worst. However it should be stated that no definitive proof of this has been accepted by the medical establishment, with some (such as the British Medical Council) having stated that cannabis has no such long-term effects. Something that I have personally experienced, however, is a feeling of "mushiness" in the head through heavy and long-term use. There is the feeling that you are always slightly stoned, and further smoking is just "topping up" the effects that are always already there. This can be perfectly harmless and even beneficial in some ways as it contributes to a general feeling of relaxation with life, sustained creativity (though this can lack focus) and an underlying happiness. However, if things are not going well in your life, this could easily transmute into a feeling of helplessness and depression. Or, if things are mundane, lethargy and disinterest: smoking may become the only thing you have to look forward to, and this is certainly the best way to become psychologically dependent on the drug. Certainly - it should go without saying - if you find (or suspect) that heavy cannabis use is impacting upon your job or personal relationships, you need to seriously consider taking a few months off. Because of this "topping up", some of the other effects can become more-or-less permanent, though you find you get used to the more unpleasant ones such as paranoia, and can generally tune them out. However, short-term memory loss may well affect you frequently. Bear in mind though that these should disappear again if you take a break from smoking, and quite rapidly too. SHORT TERM Cannabis lowers the blood pressure, which is one reason why it both relaxes you and makes you feel light-headed. As a consequence, your heart has to beat more rapidly to move the blood up to your head, so your heart-rate increases. This can contribute to the feelings of paranoia or panic which you may feel if unused to the drug. In the short-term, none of these effects are dangerous in their own right, and if in a relaxed environment, will quickly pass as long as you haven't taken too much. If you've smoked a lot, you may also feel a shortness of breath. Again, this can be unpleasant if you are unfamiliar with it - you may feel as if you cannot catch your breath, or that you have to take very deep breaths, and become tense and panicky as a result. If you become used to cannabis however you can remind yourself that it is just an effect of the drug and like the others will wear off over time. Take regular, smooth breaths and the feeling should pass. LONGER TERM All the most damaging effects of cannabis smoking come about because cannabis is so often taken alongside tobacco, and this is most emphatically true of the effects on the heart and lungs. Lung cancer, other respiratory conditions such as emphysema, and heart disease are, while not inevitable, definite possibilities for anyone who regularly smokes tobacco. Of this there is no doubt - if this concerns you, you should take your cannabis in a pipe or by eating it (see this page for information about how to take cannabis). Some research has suggested that cannabis can cause lung cancer in its own right in heavy users, and this is something all users should be aware of. On the other hand, there has as yet been no connection drawn between cannabis use alone and heart disease. Bear in mind though that cannabis does, at least, produce tar when burnt even without tobacco: investigating the barrel of any given cannabis pipe will prove that. SHORT TERM Ah - the (in)famous munchies! Believe me - these are no myth. Basically, cannabis stimulates the appetite. You will get sudden cravings for food - these are not unpleasant or painful, but they can be incredibly hard to resist. And, when combined with the general feeling of lethargy, and the loss of some of the precision skills necessary for any involved cooking, this explains the stereotypical (but mostly true) image of the smoking session breaking off for a trip to the take-away, a call to the pizza-on-delivery line and/or the raiding of the kitchen cupboards for crisps, biscuits, cornflakes or whatever is immediately edible. The munchies are fact, people. Live with it. They're even worse if you smoke cannabis in a pipe without tobacco: as the latter is actually an appetite supressant. It's also worth pointing out that cannabis dehydrates you. Make sure you keep your water intake up, although this is nowhere near as big a problem as with Ecstasy, except in extreme cases. However, if you've been drinking alcohol as well, or taken way too much cannabis, you may well feel very nauseous. If this happens, best to give into it and throw up, tuck yourself in a quiet corner somewhere afterwards, and sip water or weak tea to replace your bodily fluids. As to its effects on your digestion, these are indirect, really. Anyone feeling more relaxed and comfortable is going to digest food better - similarly, anyone feeling paranoid or tense is more likely to get indigestion. Both can be caused, or at least encouraged, by cannabis. LONGER TERM Smoking stimulates the production of stomach acid, and as cannabis is frequently taken in conjunction with tobacco, heavy smokers will suffer all the usual tobacco-related problems including a greater likelihood of stomach ulcers. I am not aware, however, of any evidence one way or the other that cannabis alone can cause these sorts of problems, but it seems likely that it would at least in part. However, at best, it would probably be best viewed as an additional contributory factor towards ulcers if your diet or other habits made you conducive to them in the first place. SHORT TERM Unlike alcohol, cannabis does not affect the male libido. In other words, guys, it won't give rise to any embarrassing Mr. Floppy incidents - there is no "smokers' droop". Nor does it have any negative effects on female sexual performance. Having said that, its lethargic effects (see below) might make both sexes feel less like expending the energy to have sex in the first place. In fact, as a depressor of inhibitions, cannabis can actually aid sex - though like every other drug, there comes a point when you've just had too much to function properly, particularly if mixed with alcohol or other drugs. In addition, it heightens physical sensation, and (as said above) also tends to emphasise the emotion you're feeling at the time: so, if you're in a mutually-enriching sexual encounter, a shared spliff or three could do wonders for your evening. LONGER TERM Cannabis has not been reported to have any effects on libido, for men or women, beyond the short-term ones listed above. However, its effects on fertility must be noted. Dr. Miriam Stoppard, in her book Conception, Pregnancy and Birth, reports that long-term cannabis use can seriously retard fertility in both men and women, but that the effects wear off after cessation of use; she recommends anyone trying to get pregnant stop smoking at least three months beforehand. (On the other hand - though this is only an inference from her words, not a suggestion - it could act as an additional source of contraception between two long-term partners, if starting (or expanding) a family is the last thing on your mind.) This is not a proven link, but it does crop up quite frequently and should at least be borne in mind. Taking this topic to its natural later stages, it should go without saying that pregnant women and their partners treat cannabis with great discretion, with very occasional (active and passive) smoking at best. Babies should also not be exposed to any toxins if at all possible once born, and anyone with children in the house should confine their smoking to private areas. SHORT TERM Cannabis use definitely gives rise to a feeling of lethargy that is not only mental but physical too. It will take more effort and energy to move around, and very energetic or rapid physical movements - running, fighting, maybe even dancing - will definitely seem beyond you (though you'll be able to do them if you have to). You will also start to lose your sense of balance, and become clumsier both on your feet and with your hands (though it's amazing how that doesn't tend to extend to rolling the next spliff). In extreme cases you may completely lose your sense of direction: movement will become very difficult. Having said that though, except in these extreme cases cannabis leaves you in control of your body a lot more than alcohol does - which, I think, shows that these effects are in fact mostly mental. When drunk you tend to blunder off anywhere, thinking you can move when really you can't. Cannabis, however, is almost the other way round: you're actually a lot more capable than you think. You will find that if you concentrate, or your need is particularly pressing (full bladders, I find, are notably useful here), you can move around normally - it'll just be rather s l o w e r than before. I wouldn't try anything fancy like waltzing or snowboarding, though. LONGER TERM Again, the most deleterious effects of smoking here come about through using nicotine. Deterioration of the heart and lungs is not going to do anyone's fitness or mobility any good. A relatively permanent feeling of lethargy and lassitude also contributes to a general loss of fitness in the regular cannabis user. |
