What are the ACTUAL (side) effects of smoking cannabis?

What would be the the short-term effects of someone smoking cannabis? (Please don't say feeling stoned)

And...more than that, what would be the long-term effects of someone smoking it regularly? (i.e., once or twice a week?)

Scroll to see replies

Reply 1

Tomac

Short-term = the "high" and combustion in your throat

Long-term = all the **** chemicals from your dealer messing up your throat

Reply 2

RJ555

I think most of the lung related side effects (irritation, buildup, damage) could probably be avoided through proper vaporisation. A lot of these problems come from the fact that cannabis users don't use adequate filters, so they are getting worst byproducts of the burning tobacco/drugs/papers.

Actual side effects:
-Hunger/appetite stimulation (this can be a positive for some people/underweight or cancer patients etc)
-Impairment of STM Short Term Memory (debatable as to whether this is temporary or permanent) may be useful in PTSD cases
-Paranoia and mental health problems (as above; also likely to be only in susceptible people - those with a family/personal history of such problems)

Pretty much similar to many prescription medications, everything has side effects listed just in case. You can pick up a pack of diarrhea tablets warning of possible fatal consequences. ;p

HOWEVER, since its obviously illegal the sources are likely to feature pollution and a lack of regulation/testing which introduces a whole load of other risks (bad fertilizers/chemicals/additives), so thats the main issue really.

Reply 3

pinkangelgirl

Original post by Ree69

would you class once or twice a week as regular? :/ i hope not lol

I think cannabis is RUBBISH but brilliant at the same time!? I smoked pure cannabis (didnt mix it with fags) and we had the good stuff of the plant.

All it does is make me giggle NONE STOP. Everything is funny. But at the same time it made me panicky and questuon things- question why i was with the person there, id feel really worried and confused and paranoid about things. Id find things weird and freaky when normally i wouldnt. It was a really weird feeling.

Its slightly like being drunk but different.

Oh and it also made me feel incredibly spaced out, want to eat everything and a really disgusting sick feeling in my throat/stomach. Like sick that wouldnt come out :/

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 4

HighRoller

Virtually no undesirable side effects if taken in low doses.

Excess use in the short run -
Altered perception
Ringing in ears
Munchies
Couch- lock
Blood shot eyes
Increased Herat rate
Paranoia (though in many it has the opposite effect and just calms them down)

Long term use if it's smoked can produce a chronic cough though it's worth noted that although cannabis smoke is an irritant to the lungs there is nothing which proves a link to cancer.

Reply 5

n00

Here you go, from the patient info leaflet for sativex. Which is a cannabis tincture.

Like all medicines, SATIVEX® Oromucosal Spray may cause side effects in some patients.
These may include dry mouth, throat irritation, feeling sick, being sick, abdominal
discomfort, tiredness or drowsiness, weakness, loss of balance, falls, blurred vision, difficulty
with speaking, dizziness, faintness or loss of consciousness, vertigo, feeling abnormal or
drunk. Other side effects may include diarrhoea, increase or decrease in appetite, anorexia,
changed sense of taste, tooth discolouration, thirst, loss of energy and abnormal liver function
tests. Certain psychiatric symptoms have been observed with the use of SATIVEX®
Oromucosal Spray; these may include worry, confusion, disorientation, poor concentration
and/or impaired memory, a feeling of unreality, general happiness or sadness, hallucinations,
feeling other people are against you.

Stinging or discomfort in the mouth and tongue and sometimes mouth ulcers may be
experienced if SATIVEX® Oromucosal Spray is sprayed in the same place in the mouth.
Rarely a local sloughing of the mouth surface may be experienced. This is usually overcome
by varying the area in the mouth where SATIVEX® Oromucosal Spray is sprayed. Do not
continue spraying SATIVEX® Oromucosal Spray onto sore or inflamed areas. If soreness
persists inform your doctor.

Some patients have experienced a slight increase in heartbeat, feeling faint and occasional
faints on first taking SATIVEX® Oromucosal Spray, therefore you should avoid over activity
immediately after taking the first few sprays of the medication or until you are familiar with
the effects.

If unacceptable and unwanted effects occur, do not take your next dose. If you are worried
about these side effects you should consult your doctor. Normally these effects can be
expected to wear off within a few hours. When returning to your medicine the dose should be
reduced or the time between doses increased.
If you suffer any of these side effects and they become troublesome or continue, or you feel
unwell in any other way, seek advice from your doctor.

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 6

kopite493

1. nope this would be the media people are only paranoid about getting caught not i general after-all it is illegal
2.bad chest is actually only if your a idiot ad smoke it with tabacco

there are no proven side effects /thread

Reply 7

bmqib

don't do it, it's haraam. at least cook it, rather than smoking it- at least it's healthier

Reply 8

bmqib

Original post by kopite493

Reply 9

Supertoaster

House mate started smoking it last year and got addicted to it, we all used to buy 20 quids worth every few weeks, but he now spends about £40+ a week on it, doesn't go out drinking anymore, has to smoke it before he leaves the house (even on mornings before going into uni) or he'll suffer from severe anxiety and panic attacks.

As far as I know, there are no physical effects, just depends on how you handle it psycologically, just don't become reliant on it.

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 10

Llamageddon

Original post by RJ555

HOWEVER, since its obviously illegal the sources are likely to feature pollution and a lack of regulation/testing which introduces a whole load of other risks (bad fertilizers/chemicals/additives), so thats the main issue really.

It's a pretty laughable myth that legalisation is a golden bullet for making a substance harmless or is even the most notable source of drug related illness. Not that this should matter and frankly I feel that keeping cannabis illegal is a lost revenue stream for the excheq.

Reply 11

username930845

Everyone's experience is a little different. Some notice relatively few changes, apart from things being very slow and mellow (being underwater was a good description). Others might find the 'high' to be a lot of fun and get very happy. This might all be mixed with thoughtfulness (possibly anxiety therein) and getting hungry.

In the short term, anecdotal evidence is generally that it is relatively harmless. It has a lot in common with alcohol in this regard, where usage brings out many different characters and short term effects are relatively light (as described above), provided you don't go crazy with it.

Very little scientific research has actually been done on the long term effects of repeated use. There are 'allegations', and I think that is probably the right word, of links to psychosis/paranoia/anxiety problems/possible brain damage. Nothing here is set in stone.

This is the part that is frequently argued about whenever the legality of cannabis comes up. It's very difficult to get a sensible answer in this regard - certain websites with one bias or another will tell you different things.

There are also the hidden dangers of you not knowing exactly what you are getting. It's almost equivalent to buying medicine from a complete stranger on the street. It could have been treated with all sorts of chemicals. These may interact badly with your system.

Then there's a legality issue, though police forces tend not to take cannabis very seriously in comparison to other drugs. There's a cost issue too. And once in a blue moon, someone has a really, really bad reaction to it too.

Reply 12

Carpediemxx

Original post by kopite493

Best to make sure you know what your talking about before you end the thread with your ultimate knowledge.

There are several studies that conclude that cannabis smoking can cause similar lung problems to tobacco smoke, inherently. A meta review indicating that is here:

C. HEATHER ASHTON, FRCP, Emeritus Professor of Clinical Psychopharmacology, Pharmacology and effects of cannabis: a brief review, The British Journal of Psychiatry (2001) 178: 101-106 doi: 10.1192/bjp.178.2.101

Paranoia is a difficult thing to quantify and study, so i cannot say whether it does or does not have consequences long term. A systematic review says that more evidence is needed and the effects on patients with schizophrenia (the main concern) is unknown.

John Rathbone1,*, Hannele Variend2, Hetal Mehta3 Cannabis and schizophrenia, The Cochrane Library, July 2009

Reply 13

n00

Original post by Llamageddon

It's a pretty laughable myth that legalisation is a golden bullet for making a substance harmless

I think it must be a myth that theres a myth that legalisation is a golden bullet for making a substance harmless cos the only people i ever hear say it are those saying its a myth. :s-smilie:

Or maybe its a little more devious than that?

Original post by Llamageddon

or is even the most notable source of drug related illness.

Guess that depends what drug you're talking about, but in the case of heroin it most certainly is one of the most notable sources of related illness. Of course the harm drug use does isn't only through illness. A criminal record is far more harmfull than any health issue the vast majority of cannabis users will suffer as a result of their use.

Reply 14

Llamageddon

Original post by n00

I think it must be a myth that theres a myth that legalisation is a golden bullet for making a substance harmless cos the only people i ever hear say it are those saying its a myth. :s-smilie:

Or maybe its a little more devious than that?

I was quoting somebody and it was a reference to what they wrote.

All. Collectively.

A criminal record is far more harmfull than any health issue the vast majority of cannabis users will suffer as a result of their use.

Probably more damaging to the persons mental health too. Of course it's very difficult to give somebody a criminal record from cannabis. A caution doesn't go on your record and won't come up on a CRB or PNC check (unless specifically requested and unspent).

Reply 15

SubAtomic

It affects different people in different ways, some kind of gene, kel kel I think or something like that, cannot remember as read it a very long time ago. But it was saying that people with this gene should avoid using as it can bring about mental illness, which I presume would be an underlying health condition waiting to be triggered.

Googled it and yes it must have been something I read somewhere. Here

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 16

n00

Original post by Llamageddon

I was quoting somebody and it was a reference to what they wrote.

Nope. Not something they wrote.

Original post by Llamageddon

I can't think of many things easier to give a criminal record for. A caution does go on your criminal record and will be visible on an enhanced check for sometime.

Reply 17

Llamageddon

Original post by n00

Nope. Not something they wrote.

It is.

I can't think of many things easier to give a criminal record for. A caution does go on your criminal record and will be visible on an enhanced check for sometime.

Caution =/= arrest, it won't be investigated, and whilst a caution could well come up on an enhanced CRB a street caution for cannabis is different and is typically used for intelligence purposes only.

You can join the police, be a doctor and teach school children with one, which I think is fair.

Reply 18

Teaddict

Depends on what the quality of the substance is, depends on how much you use, it depends on whether or not you mix it with tobacco and it depends on how often you do it over a period of time.

On the whole, assuming you smoke it pure and use it infrequently, it will do no harm to you at all.

Reply 19

SillyRodent

Some of these responses are mental. Cannabis is an extremely tame drug, I'm not interested in the long term effects myself considering I don't smoke often but in terms of short-term the effects are relaxation, clouded thought processes, the ability to enjoy music and **** films more. Some of these responses are describing the effects of MDMA.