Not that long ago, you couldn’t buy marijuana in a shop – you would need to do it in a dark alleyway. Thankfully, times have changed. Marijuana is no longer described as a drug that will ruin your life or make you go insane. Although it has some side effects, and you can even get addicted to it, every year, more and more states in the United States make it legal to buy bulk weed.
In 2018, the government in Ottawa decided that when it comes to Canada health of its citizens won’t be harmed by the legalization of weed. In some places, you can buy marijuana if you have specific health issues, whereas in other places, you can buy weed if you are old enough. Below you’ll learn about the differences between recreational and medicinal marijuana. Let’s go!
What is the difference between THC and CBD?
Before we delve into the ways medicinal and recreational marijuana differ, you should learn about 2 most known compounds that can be found in weed – THC and CBD. Why? Recreational weed usually has higher THC content, whereas medicinal weed has more CBD in it.
THC is something that you are probably familiar with. It has several positive effects on humans – it provides pain relief, helps with depression, but also helps people with seizures. It is psychoactive, which means that if you smoke some weed, or eat edibles, you will get high.
CBD is another compound that can be found in marijuana. It doesn’t have psychoactive properties, although the studies have shown that it has a myriad of benefits.
- Products with high contents of CBD and THC are often used by people to manage their pain. CBD provides excellent pain relief, and to make it even more impressive, it has anti-addictive properties. It means that it could help save the lives of people who get addicted to opioids. It is often the case that people who are in a lot of pain – whether due to an injury sustained in a car accident or because of their hereditary disease try every possible method to alleviate pain. Unfortunately, drugs used to relieve pain are often strongly addictive. As a consequence, those drugs might do more harm than good. CBD, on the other hand, is not addictive. The studies have even shown that it can help people stop using addictive substances, such as opioids or alcohol, which are often used with the same goal in mind.
- Another positive effect of taking CBD and THC is that they help with anxiety. We often move through life at breakneck speed, only to at some point discover that something is just not right. It might be due to all the responsibilities or stress. When people visit doctors, they are often prescribed benzodiazepines. Unfortunately, there is a problem, not unlike in the previous case. Those drugs that are supposed to make us feel more at ease can be easily abused. It’s not to say that they are outright harmful, but if people don’t exercise enough caution, then it could be a recipe for disaster. Weed, on the other hand, has calming effects, but without any of the side effects of benzodiazepines.
The differences between recreational and medical marijuana
Okay, so if both of those compounds are so similar, what are the differences?
- If you suffer from mental disorders, THC could actually make you feel worse. We need more research on this subject, but its psychoactive properties can have an unpredictable effect on people. If you are unsure whether it is completely safe for you to smoke or consume THC, it’s best to contact your doctor first. CBD, on the other hand, lacks any severe side effects.
- If you are struggling with anorexia, then strains of weed high in THC would be better for you. CBD won’t make food any more attractive to your brain. When it comes to THC, though, you’ll only need to worry that you’ll eat too much.
- CBD is non-addictive, whereas THC has some addictive properties. It’s nowhere close to being as addictive as opioids or benzodiazepines, but it doesn’t mean that it’s impossible to get hooked on it.
- Smoking a lot of weed with high contents of THC leads to memory impairment.
It is impossible to die from smoking too much weed, though you could die from lung cancer. That’s why it’s better to vape or eat edibles. If you underestimate the power of edibles, you might discover that the entire universe is collapsing, though you won’t suffer any negative physical effects.
The tide has turned
Only a generation ago, the public perception of marijuana was much more different than it is now. Today, you can legally buy it in many parts of the world. In the United States, currently you can buy recreational marijuana in 11 states. If you have any medical conditions that could be alleviated by some weed, then in 33 states you can legally purchase medical marijuana (and won’t need to contact any shady individuals). In Canada, recreational marijuana has been legal since Cannabis Act was passed in 2018.
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