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June 7th, 2023
Millions of people have used cannabis over the last thousands of years, so it’s safe to say that if the plant were excessively dangerous, we would know about it by now. Still, there are certain things about how we use the plant that require a bit of precaution under certain circumstances.
Cannabis safety is a topic that rarely gets brought up, and a lot of that is because the plant is known for being nontoxic, gentle, and generally safe to consume. But, regardless, we gotta go over all of the cannabis safety guidelines for beginners and advanced users alike, especially now that cannabis-infused products are becoming more widely available on the hemp marketplace.
Let’s get down to the basics first. Cannabis is a nontoxic plant that is generally tolerated well by all of us – with some minor exceptions. Psychoactive cannabis products, like marijuana flower, and hemp products infused with psychoactive cannabinoids like delta 8 THC, delta 10 THC, THC-P, THCV, etc., are unsafe for both children and pets. Why? Bcause their nervous systems have not developed to process these cannabinoids, and that can lead to neurological problems that require urgent care.
Generally speaking, though, human adults’ bodies can tolerate cannabis, even in large doses. That’s because our endocannabinoid systems are built to process the compounds in cannabis that separate the genus from all other plant life – cannabinoids. Cannabinoids are compounds in cannabis that are known for their powerful effects, and include: CBD, CBN, CBG, delta 8 THC, delta 9 THC, delta 10 THC, THC-P, HHC, and so on.
The body’s endocannabinoid system (ECS) uses these cannabinoids for regulatory purposes, by sending them to cannabinoid receptors throughout the body, where they attach and enable their corresponding receptors to regulate processes of the body that affect our overall homeostasis. This is why cannabinoids are associated with so many unique health benefits. Our endocannabinoid systems are able to accumulate cannabinoids without leading to any form of toxicity.
Now that we’ve established that cannabis is nontoxic and generally safe, let’s cover side effects, which do occur, even though they’re neither life-threatening, or even long-lasting. There is a bit of a misconception that only psychoactive cannabis products can cause these mild side effects, but in reality, they may occur with any cannabinoid, depending on your body, and how you take the cannabinoid itself.
Let’s cover those potential side effects now.
Cottonmouth is something we associate with a number of cannabis products – more commonly with psychoactive products, although nonintoxicating cannabinoids like CBD and CBN can cause it in some people well. It’s no cause for medical concern, and it’s due to how cannabinoids interact with the salivary glands.
Dry or bloodshot eyes are also pretty common when using cannabinoids, and no cause for alarm. This side effect goes away after a few hours at most, and you can always use eye drops to lubricate the eyes and solve the issue.
Most cannabinoids have been found to lower blood pressure, and while they’re at peak levels in the body, you may notice that effect. A lot of people report feeling their heart rate go up when they’re high, in particular. That’s partially caused by reduced blood pressure, but the sensation of it can feel more powerful than it is when you’re intoxicated, as THC cannabinoids have a tendency to make us feel more hyper-vigilant of what’s going on in our bodies.
Dizziness and lightheadedness are relatively common side effects, more so with psychoactive cannabinoids, but also not rare with CBD and other nonintoxicating cannabis derivatives. This effect is likely related to the reduction in blood pressure, in all actuality, and if you feel unsteady, you can simply sit down and wait it out.
Anxiety and paranoia are side effects that people report when using psychoactive cannabis products. While this doesn’t happen to everyone, it does seem to occur more commonly among those who are new to cannabis, have a naturally low tolerance, take too much of it, or are already prone to anxiety, either due to a mood disorder or circumstantial stress.
Just about any cannabinoid can make some individuals feel groggy or drowsy. Again, this is most common if you’re getting high off of a psychoactive cannabinoid product, but in fact, high serving sizes of CBD have been associated with grogginess and drowsiness as well. Some people are more sensitive to this effect than others, and at the same time, some people use cannabinoids specifically for that purpose, as drowsiness can be a welcome side effect at bedtime.
Some people feel a bit of a lack of coordination when they’re high off of certain cannabinoids. This isn’t surprising, as most intoxicating substances have some sort of impact on our motor skills. This is also why you should never do anything risky after taking a psychoactive cannabinoid, like driving.
Similarly, to above, some people may experience some confusion or forgetfulness when they’re high on cannabis, which is perfectly normal. Psychoactive cannabinoids can impact our cognitive skills, and interfere with short-term memory, alertness, and focus.
Like we said, these side effects are not considered dangerous by any means, and they generally wear off when the effects of the cannabinoid itself wears off – with one exception, which is that some people find that the drowsiness they feel lasts for a few hours after. So, how can you reduce the risk of side effects when taking cannabis?
For one thing, always consider your cannabis tolerance before trying any new cannabinoid. For instance, if you’ve never tried a psychoactive cannabinoid before, don’t start out with a THC-P product, which is 10 times as intoxicating as delta 9 THC, and likely way too much for a beginner to be ready for. Even if you want to take a nonintoxicating cannabinoid like CBD, CBG, or CBN, take your tolerance into account when it comes to dosing.
In general, whenever you’re trying a new cannabis product, start with a low dose. Consider following the recommended dosing guidelines on the product’s label, which are typically geared for beginners. It can take time to really work up a tolerance to cannabinoids, and what’s considered an average dose for an experienced user can be way too much for a first-timer.
Some product types take longer to take effect than others – edibles notoriously take up to 2 hours before they kick in, and even tinctures can take an hour or so. A very common mistake is taking more of a product because you’re not feeling its effects soon enough, when in reality, the product just needs more time to absorb. This is an easy way to end up with some of the side effects listed above, because you’ve taken 2 doses of a product instead of 1.
Certain side effects, like anxiety and paranoia, are more likely to occur if you’re already stressed or anxious. And, that’s why you might want to try out some of these newer psychoactive cannabinoids when you have a clear schedule. For instance, you’re more likely to start feeling anxiety and paranoia-like side effects if you’re too high while you’re at work, or surrounded by people, than if you’re laying down watching a movie by yourself at home.
Keep in mind that there do exist fake cannabis products on the market, along with ones that do contain cannabis extracts, but are made with low-quality or unsafe ingredients. Naturally, these products could give you all kinds of side effects, unrelated to the nature of cannabis itself.
So, how do you avoid such products to practice cannabis safety? Here are the best tips.
Always, always, always look at third-party lab reports before purchasing any cannabis product. This means that the product was sent away to a third-party laboratory, registered with the state, and dedicated to testing cannabis products for safety, purity, quality, potency, chemical composition, and legal compliance. The results that are given back to a company and published on their website are objective and unbiased, and even will tell you whether or not the product is safe.
Never buy a cannabis product from an unlicensed business. And, we also recommend avoiding gas stations, convenience stores, and similar types of retailers, where the people in charge of stocking products are unlikely to have expertise in the world of cannabis, to determine which products are safe/high in quality, and which are not. Always stick to dispensaries and hemp distributors who specialize exclusively in carrying only the finest, top-shelf cannabis products that exist. These businesses are maintained by experts in the industry, whose livelihoods depend on providing top-quality product.
Never buy a product without first reading the label. Most importantly, read through every ingredient in the product. Even if the product does not contain harmful ingredients, it could contain something that you, personally, have a sensitivity, intolerance, or allergy to, which means that you could experience dangerous side effects.
On a similar note, when you buy a CBD product for a pet, make sure that there are no ingredients in there that are harmful to your pet. Giving a pet owner a CBD product made for humans can be dangerous, as some of these products contain essential oils, herbs, and similar ingredients that are perfectly safe for humans, but toxic, or potentially deadly, to certain animals.
After taking a dose of a cannabis product, pay attention to how you feel. If something about how you feel is off, follow your gut, and don’t take that product anymore.
There is something to be said about the potential dangers of doing certain things while you’re high on a cannabis product. It’s incredibly important that you don’t drive when you’re intoxicated on a psychoactive cannabinoid, as this isn’t only dangerous due to impairment, but it’s also illegal. Similarly, don’t attempt to do anything potentially dangerous like working with sharp objects or heavy machinery, where an injury is more likely to occur, due to the cannabinoid’s effects on coordination and other cognitive skills.
Lastly, we want to talk about storing your cannabis products. Now, only certain products can become harmful to take if they’re expired, due to passing their expiration date, or being stored improperly, and those are oral products that contain ingredients that develop pathogens – such as certain edibles like baked goods. There’s also a chance of mold developing on flower if you’re not storing it in the right way.
Still, even if certain products do not go bad in a dangerous way after a while, we do need to talk about storage, because at the very least, products stored poorly or left to expire will break down and lose their efficacy, making them basically useless.
Moisture can damage a cannabis product quickly, so maintain a dry environment for storage, and don’t keep products in the bathroom, where moisture levels fluctuate from the shower.
Light, like moisture, can ruin the ingredients in your product, including the cannabinoids, so a dark place is the best option for storing any cannabis product.
Heat is the other element that can make your product break down quickly. Between that, light, and humidity, your best storage options are a dark, dry, and cool place like a cupboard, drawer, or closet.
Always make sure your products are sealed tightly when they’re not in use, as oxygen makes cannabis products degrade very quickly.
If the product requires refrigeration, like certain edibles made with fresh ingredients, make sure to stay on top of that, so that the product will last.
Lastly, keep your products indoors, as the outdoors sees too many fluctuations in terms of temperature, humidity, and light. This includes storing your products in a car, garage, or shed, where they are, ultimately, exposed to the elements, which can damage what’s inside.
One final area of cannabis safety that we want to get into applies to different product types. Certain product types require extra caution and care based on how they’re used, rather than the actual cannabis itself.
When it comes to smoking a cannabis product, of course, you need to practice some basic fire safety. If you’re smoking a pre-roll or a roll you made yourself, you don’t ever want to leave it lit and unattended, and naturally, you always want to be mindful of the lit end making contact with any kind of surface or material. If you’re using a pipe, you still want to be aware of any stray embers.
With vaping, you want to be cautious with the type of equipment you’re using. Always buy a high-quality vaping device from a trusted brand, and make sure that it’s a vaping device that’s compatible with the type of cartridge you’re using. For example, high-powered mod devices that are used for nicotine vaping are too powerful for a cannabis vape cartridge, and using incompatible equipment can be dangerous.
If you’re going to be cooking or baking with cannabis, you want to practice basic kitchen safety. Of course, any time you’re using a stove, you want to be careful about leaving the kitchen unattended. And if you’re using an oven, you want to make sure that you’re on top of how long the edible recipe needs to bake, as leaving your edibles in the oven past that point can cause them to burn, and, after a while, potentially start a fire.
While cannabis, thankfully, isn’t inherently dangerous, the reality is that any time you take something that’s intoxicating, you do need to make certain preparations to be as responsible and safe as possible. And, besides that, there is a small chance of encountering unsafe or fake cannabis products out there, so it’s critical that you know how to shop safely. Top way to avoid potential danger is to stick to a trusted retailer like GreenLife Remedies. Our Charlotte, North Carolina dispensary sells top-shelf hemp products in-person and online, and you’ll have the assurance that you’re buying only lab-tested products made with clean and safe ingredients.
Explore our selection of cannabinoid formulas, which include both psychoactive and nonintoxicating options, in a variety of milligram strengths for every person’s unique tolerance. We have it all, and we’re proud to offer only the very best, legal cannabis products that the market has to offer.
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