Weed FAQs

Daily weed use has its risks and rewards. Concerning the risks, it has been shown to lower the amount of grey matter in the brain’s orbitofrontal cortex which governs decision making and mental processes. This depletion can lead to psychiatric problems and personality disorders. Addiction, car accidents, and pregnancy complications are also worth considering. On the plus side, daily marijuana use has a series of health benefits like pain relief, regulation of blood sugar, and weight loss.

“Stoned” means to be under the influence of drugs, especially for recreational purposes. The slang term usually refers to marijuana, but it can also refer to other drugs and occasionally to alcohol. “Getting stoned” is the action of doing drugs, while “being stoned” is the state of being high. Synonyms include high, blasted, loaded, and spaced out. The opposite of “stoned” is “sober.”

THC is a chemical found in marijuana. It is responsible for the majority of marijuana’s mind-altering effects, including euphoria, hallucinations, pain-relief, and short-term memory loss. THC is an abbreviation for tetrahydrocannabinol. It is part of a group of compounds called cannabinoids; there are at least eighty to a hundred cannabinoids found in marijuana, but THC is one of the most studied and most potent. THC acts like cannabinoids produced in the human body.

It is a popular notion in the marijuana community that smoking weed induces sleep. The same concept is also applied in medical marijuana when this drug is used to treat insomnia and other sleeping disorders. While weed does help you sleep, it affects users differently, depending on several factors.

By increasing endocannabinoid function, sativa strains of marijuana can be effective at treating depression. Researchers at McGill University discovered that when administered in small doses, THC can be effective at alleviating some of the root causes of depression, such as stress, by increasing serotonin levels. Conversely, in large doses, or when given to adolescents, cannabis can actually cause or worsen symptoms.

The short answer is yes, the leaves, just like the stems, flower buds and extracts from the marijuana plant can be smoked. They can also be vaporized, eaten, brewed in a tea or put into a tincture. The big, fan-like “sugar leaves” of the plant can be harvested, dried out, and smoked but it won’t produce the kind of high you might want in the end. The best way to “smoke” the leaves is to harvest them and then use a machine called a pollinator to shake them free of their trichomes for use in hash, resin, canna-butter, or other extracts.

Shatter is a cannabis concentrate in glass form that contains up to eighty per cent cannabinoid content compared to the 5-18% found in traditional cannabis. For this reason, it produces a significantly more poignant high, with some reporting serious hallucinations and psychosis. Shatter cannot be consumed using traditional methods and requires a special rig to consume. Even the most veteran cannabis users are advised to use with caution.

In several studies, marijuana users were found to have lower Body Mass Indexes (BMIs), slimmer waists, and lower rates of obesity and diabetes than people who don’t use marijuana. However, this may be correlation, not necessarily causation. While this information is promising, further research is needed before asserting that marijuana is a helpful weight loss drug or a good way to prevent diabetes or obesity.

Cannabis is typically broken up into three different kinds of flower: indicas, sativas, and hybrids. Indica strains, have calming effects are a popular choice for nighttime use, while sativas are said to produce a functional and “creative” high ideal for daytime use. Hybrids then are a mix between indica and sativa genetics. This method of classifying strains is controversial in that it’s not the most accurate way of describing each genetic strain beyond the plant’s morphology, flowering time, yield, and terpene profile.

Begin with a consultation from your authorized health care practitioner. Under their care, they can draft a medical document to act as authorization for medical marijuana. Simply contact your choice of licensed producer and find out what you need to register as a client with them. Once registered, you can place your order through the licensed producer.

To smoke weed, you must first choose your method: joints, blunts, pipes, and one-hitters are just some of the many smoking options available. The way you light up varies slightly by method, but in general, light one end and inhale from the other. Keep your lips slightly pursed to avoid getting saliva on your joint. Take deep breaths into your lungs, followed by another quick, deep breath before you exhale.

Weed causes your eyes to turn red as THC lowers blood pressure and causes dilation in blood vessels and capillaries. This is one of the primary mechanisms used in cannabis-based treatment of Glaucoma, as this vasodilation can help relieve unwanted ocular pressure. Products such as Visine or highly caffeinated food and beverages can help alleviate eye redness.

Hotboxing is an activity where a user(s) smokes cannabis in an enclosed and unventilated space like a closet, car, shed, or blanket fort. A study at Johns Hopkins confirmed that smoking in this fashion can get users far more intoxicated.  They achieved this by placing non-smokers in the same environment as those who were inhaling the smoke first hand, then measuring the effects that the second hand smoke had on the non-smoking participants.  Some refer to this as a contact high.

Cannabis has long been used for medicinal purposes around the world. Its’ cannabinoid contents– biologically active components that act on receptors of the central nervous system, hold vast potential for treating ailments such as nausea and vomiting and even help reduce pain and inflammation. Recent Cancer research involving cannabis has shown promise as a potential treatment option for this deadly disease.

CAMH considers marijuana an addictive substance. Users who start below the age of eighteen are four to seven times more likely to form dependencies. Compared to other drugs like opiates, alcohol and tobacco, the dependency rate of marijuana users is lower and withdrawal symptoms are much less severe. For those who are addicted, rehabilitation methods include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Enhancement Therapy and Marijuana Rehab Centers.

Research shows that the cannabinoids in cannabis promote neurogenesis: the brain’s process of growing cells. This process primarily occurs in the hippocampus, which is capable of producing more than 5000 new cells each day and plays a role in our memory, spatial orientation and learning. Studies done at universities in Saskatchewan, Brazil and Madrid indeed confirm that while most “drugs of abuse” suppress neurogenesis, marijuana indeed promotes it.

Sometimes discretion is needed when indulging in cannabis, which is known for having a very distinct smell. Dabs are one option to get high more discreetly. Dabs still smell like weed, but they do not smell as strongly as smoke from a joint. For best results, be sure that all the vapour from the dab goes out the window or — less ideally — into a vent.

While marijuana has not been clinically proven to help with hangovers, some people claim that smoking weed helps their hangover indirectly. Hangovers are caused by dehydration and the toxic effects of alcohol. Weed can help by suppressing nausea and increasing your appetite, thus helping you eat and drink water to let your body recover. Weed smokers also report that smoking makes them feel generally better when they are hung over.

Yes. You can get a hangover from weed, although it’s root cause and effects may not be what you envision. Traditional hangovers have been linked to the over consumption of alcohol, and their manifested symptoms include headaches, nausea and general sluggishness.  A marijuana hangover can also occur when a user exceeds their recommended dosage and will have similar symptoms, however the causation and severity of the aftereffects greatly differ.

CBD oil is a concentrated form of the cannabinoid cannabidiol (CBD). CBD is one of the most common chemical compounds found in marijuana, and it has many medical benefits. However, CBD is non-psychoactive, which means that it does not get you high. CBD still affects the human body, but not in the same intoxicating way that THC does. CBD oil is a good choice for patients who do not want to get high.

Marijuana seeds are small and oval, with a greenish-brown color. They commonly need to be purchased separately, but you may find the odd stray buried in your weed bud from time to time. If rolled up along with your marijuana and smoked, the seeds will pop or crackle when lit on fire. This may give off a strange taste and smell; making your smoking experience considerably worse.  There are no health implications to consuming weed seeds.

Dabbing refers to the consumption of highly concentrated doses of cannabis called dabs. Dabs are sticky oils made from extracting THC and other chemicals from cannabis using solvents like carbon dioxide or butane. Dabs can also be called butane hash oil, budder, wax, or shatter. Dabbing is considered the fastest way to achieve a very potent high, but it has been the centre of controversy because of dangerous production methods.

Terpenes are fragrant oils found in the resin glands of cannabis. When inhaled, they assist cannabinoids in penetrating the blood-brain barrier and have implications for the production and destruction of both serotonin and dopamine. There are several different kinds of terpenes, each with their own medical benefits. They are useful in treating inflammation, depression, anxiety, suppressing fluids, fighting bacteria and healing wounds. Though promising, legality of testing is an impediment to terpene research.

Marijuana plants have different appearances mainly based on their status as Sativa, Indica or Ruderalis plants. Sativa plants are taller, produce fewer flowers and are more often grown outdoors, where they can reach heights of twenty feet. Indica plants are best grown indoors and are shorter and bushier in appearance. Ruderalis plants have varied leaflets, shorter stature and are small in size.

The cannabinoids found in cannabis can provide many health benefits to the brain, such as promoting new cell growth, being a neuroprotective agent and reducing the build-up of amyloid plaques, which cause Alzheimer’s disease. Conversely, regular use of cannabis as an adolescent can affect the developmental stages of your brain negatively.