• A depressed feeling
• Relaxed inhibitions
• Paranoia
• Hallucinations
• Confusion
An important thing to consider when hearing claims and reading studies about marijuana is that most research has been performed on heavy users. Since the definition of the “recreational user” varies for everyone, and since we each have a unique biochemistry, it would be foolhardy to accept any study (whether favorable or negative) as the final word. Much more research is needed, and in some countries — especially Europe — that work is now underway.
Concerns about the safety of smoking are very high, which is one reason why people prefer to cook with marijuana. The smoke from a joint contains three times more tar than a standard cigarette, and five times more carbon monoxide. This information, combined with the fact that marijuana smoke hits the lungs at a higher temperature, leads people to believe that cannabis smoke is more likely to cause respiratory disease or cancer of the lungs than tobacco smoke. However, marijuana does not contain nicotine — a drug that is thought to be even more addictive than heroin. While marijuana smoking is definitely not “healthy,” it should be noted that most pot smokers do not have the same “pack-a-day” habits as cigarette smokers. One way to counteract the toxins contained in the smoke is to use a bong or water pipe, which can help filter out some of the impurities and carcinogens. However, bongs are not very easy to conceal, and in many places the legal ramifications of having paraphernalia are as severe as having the plant in one’s possession.
Of course nothing will minimize the effect of smoking as much as simply not smoking at all. Smoking pot may not be as convenient as eating it, especially for medicinal users, since the effects wear off sooner. It is not always possible to maintain your high if you smoke pot, especially if you are in a public place. There are many events that might be enhanced by a marijuana high, such as concerts, movies, and trips to the zoo, but these are not good places to light up. However, if you eat cannabis, there will be nothing to confiscate, and your high will continue.
People who use the marijuana plant for medical purposes (especially to relieve constant pain) often have to smoke up to five or six joints a day — a habit that may not be easily concealed from coworkers, the authorities, and others who might disapprove. Obviously if you are on the job, you don’t want the entire staff to know about your marijuana use even if the drug has been prescribed by a doctor to alleviate your suffering. Many people still have not accepted the use of marijuana as medicine, and combating other people’s personal bias when you are in pain is an unwelcome, additional stress. People who suffer from chronic pain may want to eat marijuana because the long-lasting high enables muscle relaxation and relief. Recreational users typically want a high to kick in quickly. However, medical users might actually want a slower release of the drug into their system, since it enables the high to last longer. This may mitigate the extreme of the high, but consistent relief is what some consider most important. To achieve this, consider eating doses of marijuana with larger serving sizes. As the body breaks down the food, the marijuana will be released in stages — a process very similar to a “time-release” capsule.
People have found marijuana to be effective in the treatment and relief of numerous ailments and terminal conditions. One of the first illnesses that pot was legally made available for was glaucoma. Marijuana has been proven effective in reducing ocular pressure, a condition that damages the eye over time. Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in the United States, and most sufferers of the disease are not physically helped by the medications currently available. Unfortunately, most of these people do not live in areas where their doctors can prescribe marijuana. There are many glaucoma patients who credit their remaining eyesight to marijuana use. Other advocates include cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, who use cannabis to stimulate their appetites. Their increased appetite helps them maintain the weight and strength to fight their illness. People living with multiple sclerosis, AIDS, and chronic migraines are all helped by marijuana’s properties. Since most medicinal users don’t want to smoke, for obvious health reasons, eating marijuana is their best option.
People may also choose to eat marijuana simply for economic reasons. Although you certainly can cook the flowers and the bud of the plant, it is just as effective to cook with the plant’s leaves. The leaves are useless to the grower once the plant is harvested, and they have to be pruned off the plant. Be aware that leaves are still just as dangerous to have in your possession — the penalties for a pound of leaf are the same as those for a pound of bud — so the grower has an incentive to get rid of the leaves as soon as possible. But, because the leaves are harsh to smoke and are not nearly as high in THC, they are not very valuable and are often given away or destroyed as soon as possible. When cooked, the leaves will be stronger than their equivalent weight in buds.
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