Whether you have been smoking for decades or just a few days, chances are you have some questions regarding cannabis. For some, it may be questions like why the hell are the people that have kept the culture alive for so many years being pushed out of the legal market? For others, it may be questions such as why do snozzberries taste like snozzberries?
For the purpose of this article though we’re going to keep it at a happy medium and discuss some of the aspects that go along with cannabis consumption. Things such as the munchies, red eyes, the potential for cannabis hyperemesis syndrome, contact highs, and the inevitable drug tests. If you have ever been curious why you get the munchies after smoking weed or whether your non-consuming friends freak out about contact highs for a good reason or not check out the information below.
1. Are Contact Highs Real?
Yes, according to the science we have available, you can receive a contact high from secondhand exposure to cannabis smoke. A 2015 study looked at this more in-depth by sticking 12 people in a room together and allowing six of them to hotbox it while the others sat and watched. They then measured cannabinoid contents in everyone’s blood and urine samples that did not consume as well as their cognitive function ability.
What researchers found was that when consuming cannabis in a non-ventilated area those who are exposed to cannabis smoke even without consuming it can have a high enough threshold of cannabinoids in their system to fail a drug test. It also concluded that the same individuals can, in fact, receive psychological effects that many of us know as a buzz or high.
2. What Causes Red Eyes?
Let’s face it, we’ve all reach for the Visine more than once! Chances are if you’ve been consuming for a while though this isn’t as common of an issue for you as it may have been when you first started partaking in tokes. The reason why you get red eyes after consuming cannabis is that it lowers blood pressure but increases blood flow throughout blood vessels.
This increase in blood flow causes an expansion of blood vessels in the eye as well as throughout the body. Particularly in the eyes though you can note this increase in blood flow through what appears to be an irritation more commonly known as red-eye. If you suffer from red eyes after consuming cannabis try staying hydrated, consuming a strain with a lower THC concentration or consuming in well-ventilated areas. These methods have been known to help reduce the intensity of red eyes for many.
3. Can CBD Cause Me to Fail A Drug Test?
The answer to this question is kind of a grey area. It really all depends on the CBD product being consumed as well as the delivery method of consumption. If you are consuming CBD oil that is made using CBD isolate from Industrial Hemp that contains less than .03% THC chances are you will not fail a drug test.
However, if you are consuming a full spectrum CBD product that is derived from Industrial Hemp but also contains other phytocannabinoids, there is a chance that you could still fail a drug test from consuming these products.
The most likely chance of you failing a drug test by consuming CBD products though is if you are purchasing CBD products in a legal medical or recreational cannabis market. Many of these CBD products are derived from cannabis strains that also have higher THC concentrations than Industrial Hemp allows for so naturally those cannabinoids could be passed along to you through a CBD-rich product.
4. Is Cannabis Hyperemesis Syndrome Real?
Once again this is a question that really depends. This question, however, depends on what you believe. Since cannabis legalization, there have been many doctors diagnosing individuals with Cannabis Hyperemesis Syndrome based on a few common symptoms. Those symptoms include uncontrollable vomiting, specifically vomiting that is only relieved through abstinence from consuming cannabis and hot showers, and long-term cannabis consumption.
The symptoms that are commonly associated with what is being called Cannabis Hyperemesis Syndrome, however, are also very similar to that of poisoning from Neem oil. Neem oil just happens to be a very widely utilized product for cannabis cultivation. Neem oil is utilized to help fight off pests and other nuisances during the growing process.
So, is Cannabis Hyperemesis Syndrome indeed an issue that long-term cannabis consumers should have to worry about or is it merely the cannabis cultivation methods being utilized to grow the cannabis these individuals are consuming? I guess it all boils down to what you believe. This is definitely an area though that warrants more research especially as more places around the world provide access to this amazing plant.
5. Why Do People Get the Munchies After Smoking Weed?
While appetite enhancement is a welcomed side effect of cannabis consumption for those that have a hard time eating, for others it seems more like a curse. So why do some people feel the need to uncontrollably eat after consuming cannabis? More specifically why do people crave sweets, gluten-filled greasy cheeseburgers, pizzas, and other nonhealthy foods?
Unfortunately, I wish I could just tell you that it is a matter of no self discipline, it is actually a natural response due to the effects cannabis consumption has on your brain. This response is specific to how cannabinoids affect hunger signals in the brain. When cannabinoids are introduced to the body, the directly affect the release of POMC’s. POMC’s are a neuron that inhibits hunger. The strange thing is though, when this neuron is activated by absorption of cannabinoids such as THC, it does the opposite of what it should. Tamas Horvath, an author of a study regarding this topic put it best in an interview with Time magazine.
“It’s like pressing a car’s brakes and accelerating instead. We were surprised to find that the neurons we thought were responsible for shutting down eating, were suddenly being activated and promoting hunger, even when you are full. It [cannabis] fools the brain’s central feeding system.”
Now why we crave sweets and other nonhealthy items is another story. According to the Chicago Tribune, here is what science says.
“In a 2005 study, scientists found that cannabis use rendered specific neurons in the brain “more excitable” and inhibited the appetite-suppressing hormone leptin.
In 2009, research out of Japan found that marijuana might interact with taste receptors to enhance the sweet taste in foods, thus boosting cravings.
In a study published in 2014 in Nature Neuroscience, a group of European scientists found that exposing mice to tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC — the primary active ingredient in marijuana — enhanced their ability to smell certain foods and led them to eat more.”
So, there you have it! What other random cannabis questions do you have? Let us know in the comments or give us a shout out on social media and give us the deets!
Article courtesy of Expert Joints. Ashley P from CannaLance (Canna-Lance.com, @CannaLance, @MJWriter87)