Did you know that 76% of people in Canada are aware of the adverse effects cannabis can have on your health? This statistic highlights the widespread nature of this drug, making it almost impossible to ignore in modern society. While weed might have a few notable health benefits, these benefits are only applicable in unique circumstances. For that reason, it’s important to understand the short-term and long-term effects cannabis has on your body. Once you understand this, you’ll be able to see the clear benefits of quitting weed. Interested in learning more about weed and the benefits of quitting weed?
You’re in the right place. Here’s everything you need to know.
The Evolution of Weed
Weed, otherwise known as cannabis, is a psychoactive drug that is derived from the cannabis plant. This plant originates from Asia but has slowly expanded throughout the world. Weed has grown in popularity across the globe despite the legal status of the drug, highlighting its addictive nature.
Cannabis contains around 483 known compounds, the two most notable being THC and CBD. While CBD is used in various health products in the medical industry, the THC component is responsible for the high.
The THC compound is what gives humans a ton of mental and physical effects. These effects include euphoria, an altered state of mind, and a warped sense of time and space. While this can temporarily reduce anxiety and pain, it can also lead to impaired short-term memory loss, uncontrolled body movement, and an increase in appetite.
While the argument can be made that the plant might have its fair share of benefits and drawbacks, weed has significant risks. The addictive nature of the substance can have a major impact on your quality of life, causing many to live a life of paranoia, anxiety, and depression.
Is Weed Safe?
The question of weed being safe is highly subjective and incredibly complex. Weed may not present the same dangers as other drugs do. Although, weed usage can quickly get out of hand and impact your quality of life. The negative effects of weed may be more subtle and should not be ignored.
Does Weed Make You More Confident?
While it’s true that weed can sometimes boost a person’s confidence, it’s important to note that these effects are temporary. Coming down from your high can put you in awkward situations where you can feel more insecure and exposed than before smoking it.
Benefits of Weed
Weed is growing in popularity around the world due to its unique benefits. While these benefits are limited, they can be helpful if you or someone you know has cancer, or other significant health concerns. Some of the benefits of weed that have been noted in various publications include pain management, aiding in cancer treatment and stimulating appetite.
1. Pain Management
Medicinal marijuana has been around for a while to help with pain management. Whether you have undergone a tough surgery or suffer from joint pain, weed is often used to help with pain management. In this way, weed can act as a natural painkiller to help you live comfortably.
2. Aids in Cancer Treatment
Weed is not just used for pain management; it can also help manage the symptoms of some cancer treatments. People with tumours or cancerous growth can sometimes use weed to help slow the development entirely. This can also help shrink the growth, allowing doctors to remove it surgically.
While this is a major benefit of weed, the application is incredibly unique and specific.
3. Stimulates Appetite
A side effect of weed is an increased appetite. While this can lead to weight gain, this is not always bad. If you need to gain weight for your health, weed can be an incredibly natural tool.
Disadvantages of Weed
As mentioned above, there are both pros and cons to using weed. While the benefits of weed are unique and specific, the disadvantages are widespread. Here’s a quick look at a few of the most notable disadvantages of using weed.
1. Brain Development Issues
Brain development is a continuous process that only completes once you are around 25 years old. If you are younger than 25, smoking weed regularly can negatively impact your brain development. One study even found that smoking weed negatively impacted the prefrontal cortex, the area of the brain that’s responsible for decision-making.
2. Increased Risk of Depression
It’s known that people that use weed regularly tend to be diagnosed with depression at higher rates than people who abstain. While weed can temporarily give you the feeling of relaxation, the key thing to remember is that it’s temporary. This is also true since people with depression often look to weed to help ease their symptoms.
3. Damage to the Lungs
Smoking weed still has the same dangers as smoking. Regardless of whether you’re smoking weed, cigarettes or cigars, your lungs will be subjected to filtering chemicals and enduring inflammation. This can lead to lung damage and other lung-related illnesses in the future.
This is why the best way to preserve your lung health is to abstain completely from smoking, weed included.
4. Decrease in Testosterone
Smoking weed is known for decreasing your body’s ability to produce testosterone naturally. This means that people who smoke weed tend to have lower testosterone levels than those who don’t. In this way, you can suffer from a lower sex drive, weight gain, and a lack of energy.
The Effects of Weed
Short-Term Effects of Weed
Knowing the short-term effects of smoking weed can prevent easily avoidable consequences. These effects can range from psychomotor behavioural changes to changes in memory. The main short-term effect of weed is the subjective feeling of being high. Depending on the impact of the high, you may experience decreased reaction time, increased paranoia, and hallucinations.
The short-term effects of smoking weed are also health-related as weed can temporarily increase your risk for several illnesses. This includes the risk of having a stroke or heart attack. This highlights the seriousness of the effects and why you should never ignore them.
Long-Term Effects of Weed
The long-term effects of weed can also range from physical to mental effects. Physically, using weed regularly can increase your risk of a stroke but can also impair your cognitive abilities. This is particularly harmful to younger people who use weed before the age of 25.
Weed slows down your reaction times and can lead to long-term difficulty completing tasks. Some studies even show that people who use weed have higher dropout rates in high school and university, highlighting the long-term dangers of weed.
The cognitive issues that come with using weed are substantial. While the high you get from weed is noteworthy, the anxiety and depression that this can cause should also be noted. This is because the high can increase your risk of paranoia and depression.
It’s known that people who already suffer from anxiety or depression tend to use weed to minimize the symptoms, but the truth is that weed does not help in the long term. This means that it’s just a temporary fix that can lead to intensified symptoms
Benefits of Quitting Weed
Skin Health
Quitting weed can do wonders for your skin. This is because smoking in general can be incredibly harmful to your skin. By deciding to quit smoking weed you can help keep your skin looking and feeling great.
Respiratory and Cardiovascular Health
Since the most common consumption of weed is by inhalation, smoking this substance can have similar effects on the respiratory and cardiovascular systems as smoking cigarettes. The cessation of inhalation of weed can lead to improved heart and lung health.
Weight Management
Weed can do a lot of damage to your body’s natural appetite. This means that people who use weed can often struggle to maintain a healthy weight. In this way, quitting can help you achieve your body goals.
Cognitive Benefits
Quitting weed can help you improve your cognitive health. Research has shown that people who quit weed can improve their short-term memory and think clearer throughout the day.
As you can see, there are many benefits of quitting weed. These can include significant physical and mental health improvements.
Weed Withdrawal Symptoms
Weed withdrawal symptoms are something you should prepare for when quitting weed. These symptoms are not the same for everyone but can range from general pain to intense cravings. However, detoxing in a rehabilitation centre can help make the process a lot easier.
How Long Can Weed Last?
Weed tends to stay in your system for a few days after use. This further emphasizes the benefits of detoxing in a medical facility where you can control the withdrawal symptoms as they appear.
Weed Quitting Timeline
Quitting weed is a process. While this process is never the same for everyone, the symptoms and experience expand naturally over the first few months. Here’s a quick look at the timeline.
First 24 Hours
The first day after quitting weed is often the most difficult. There is some brain fog after quitting weed, but you can also expect to lose sleep and crave the drug intensively. These feelings linger for the first few days and start to ease after around 72 hours.
The First Weeks
The withdrawal symptoms tend to slow down after the first few weeks. In this stage, the most notable symptom is loss of sleep, depression, or anxiety. While this is a difficult stage, it’s important to power through.
After a Month
Once you have passed the month point, things are bound to get easier. This stage may still come with a few withdrawal symptoms but are generally a lot easier than before. It’s important to congratulate yourself during this stage and to acknowledge the growth you’ve achieved.
This can help give you the motivation you need to continue to abstain.
How To Treat Weed Addiction
While you may think that the best way to quit weed is to stop immediately, the truth is that slowing down your usage is the more effective method. In this way, your body can get used to the transition and minimize the withdrawal symptoms that you may go through.
This process doesn’t happen overnight. Hence why it’s so beneficial to partner with a treatment centre that can help you every step of the way.
Weed Addiction Rehab in Ontario
While weed may be growing in popularity; weed addiction comes with a whole host of issues that can significantly impact your life. This helps make the benefits of quitting weed incredibly clear for people of all ages.
If you need help overcoming your weed addiction, it’s essential to know that you are never alone. Whenever you’re ready, consider using our world-class services. Our dedicated team provides excellent care and an evidence-based approach to help you sustainably recover.
Interested in getting started and experiencing the benefits of quitting weed? Contact us today for a free consultation.