Can You Overdose on Marijuana?
Marijuana is a safe and forgiving medicine. It is possible to consume too much. But, too much THC can make you feel bad. But you cannot have a marijuana overdose. If you’re not sure of the right amount of THC to take without having a bad reaction, our doctors can tell you how much during an in-person evaluation. You can find out if you are eligible for a Pennsylvania medical marijuana card recommendation by filling out our online survey!
Why can’t someone overdose on marijuana?
Medical marijuana is different from other drugs. Most drugs have one active ingredient. Medical marijuana has many different ingredients. If the active ingredient causes bad effects, there is not always another active ingredient in the medicine to make it better. That is why we see these bad effects.
However, full-spectrum medical marijuana contains a variety of active components. It includes THC and CBD, as well as hundreds of other cannabinoids and terpenes. The entourage effect is formed by these components working together. It also gives it a more balanced look, as well as one that is larger than the sum of its parts. It eliminates the risk of “overdosing,” since doing anything too much is avoided.
The bell-shaped curve in our reaction to medical marijuana (versus other medications) makes it more difficult to consume too much.
We have a different response to medical marijuana than petrochemical drugs.
With most medicine, a larger dose will have a more powerful effect. It’s not quite that simple when it comes to medical marijuana. Instead of a line, the dose-response curve for medical marijuana looks like a bell. On the other hand, taking too large a quantity can lessen the intended impact. Even stranger, if you take huge doses, you might achieve entirely different advantageous effects, such as programmed cell death (apoptosis) eliminating cancer cells.
Medical marijuana can have a biphasic, triphasic or multiphasic effect. What does that mean?
A biphasic schedule is one in which a person begins with a particular dosage of medical marijuana. When they consume more, the response may be stronger. If the user continues to ingest ever-increasing amounts, his or her response will eventually fall. It forms a bell-shaped curve that lowers over time. The downward curve means that it is less effective when the dose is low. It’s best to take a high enough dose in order to be effective.
Triphasic or multiphasic means that you can have a different response to medical marijuana depending on how much you take. When you change directions, it is a new phase. When you do more of something, there may be benefits. But what those benefits are might change depending on the higher dose. Instead of making nausea go away and appetite come back (low to moderate dosage), an ultra-high dose may cause cancer cells to die.
When you take higher doses of medical marijuana, there might be some bad side effects.
Different dosages of medicine can make you feel different. Higher dosages may make you feel bad. You may observe that these negative effects are caused by the THC component of medical marijuana. CBD, or Cannabidiol, does not have any harmful effects at any dose. Changing the ratio from 1:1 CBD to THC to higher ratios such as 4:1 or 8:1 CBD to THC, often results in the greater CBD component overpowering the negative effects of THC.
So, what might be the long-term consequences of using too much medical cannabis? The negative effects are comparable to those of medical cannabis when taken in the right doses. Vomiting, nausea, and diarrhea are all typical symptoms of the flu. Other common symptoms include sweating, tremors, panic attacks, spasms, sleeplessness, and anxiety.
Rarely, people may see things that are not there. They may also have trouble thinking clearly. There are some cases where people with psychological issues are affected, but they are usually only the ones who already have these issues. If you have any mental health concerns, use medical marijuana with caution. Some people may require a more CBD: THC ratio than is typical.
When you compare the potential dangers of medical marijuana to those of petrochemical pharmaceuticals, it’s easy to see that these are minor in comparison. 2.2 million severe adverse effects are caused each year by pharmaco-therapeutics derived from petroleum, according to FDA data.
Medical marijuana can have bad effects. But it is more problematic when other drugs interact with medical marijuana.
Medical marijuana can cause problems when you take other medicine.
Drug interactions can happen with your medical marijuana and the petrochemical drug. Due to these drug interactions, the drug doesn’t work as it should. It can have an additive effect, a synergistic effect, or a negative effect. This is why it is important to have a doctor who is trained and experienced with medical marijuana. For example, our Pennsylvania Medical Marijuana Doctors at Digidrs
Medical marijuana goes in the liver just like most other drugs. The cytochrome P450 enzyme system is the same in both marijuana and other medicines. Because of this, drugs are competing with each other and marijuana is also competing with the drugs.
What are ways to avoid problems with medical marijuana?
Medical marijuana is different from most medicines. You do not need to be judged based on your weight, age, or medical condition. Some people can take in a few milligrams of cannabinoids per day, and they will feel good. But other people will need to take in more than a few milligrams per day to feel the same way.
There are many things that affect how much medicine you need. Some people need more medicine than others. Some people might take more than one type of medicine. These are all determined by your DNA, genotype, phenotype, liver function, and so forth.
Start with the lowest dose of medical marijuana. Then go slow – you can always increase your dose later. This way, you are more likely to have a good experience without any side effects.
You need to take medical marijuana for a reason. Other things that you do may change how much medical marijuana you need. For example, individuals trying to destroy cancer cells or who have other serious chronic diseases might require several thousand milligrams of cannabis per day in order for the treatment to be effective. The cannabinoids in marijuana have a long list of benefits. THC, for example, is often responsible for the negative effects, so if you do experience any undesirable side effects, try a strain with a greater amount of CBD and a lesser amount of THC.
So, Medical marijuana can’t make you overdose, but it may make you feel different and some people get bad side effects. Taking the smallest effective dose is good for not only preventing bad things from happening, but also with drug interactions. Tweaking the levels of THC can help stop some side effects. Higher doses are more likely to cause side effects, so you might want to tweak down or add terpenes. Talk to a healthcare provider now and get your Pennsylvania medical marijuana card from https://digidrs.com/ if you believe it could benefit you.
DigiDrs
Find us on Social Media
