How to Get Rid of #Marijuana’s Negative Side Effects - by Emily Earlenbaugh, PhD - Steem's First Cannabis Loving DoctorsteemCreated with Sketch.

in #marijuana7 years ago (edited)

How to Get Rid of #Marijuana’s Negative Side Effects - by Emily Earlenbaugh, PhD ( @emilyearlenbaugh)

Marijuana can be a wonderful thing, whether you are a medical patient finding relief from pain, or a recreational user looking to relax on your off time. Still, for some, the negative side effects that can arise with cannabis use make it far less appealing. There are few things as frustrating as using something to relax or heal but finding yourself even more anxious, or more in pain after using it.

Anxiety, headache, paranoia, rapid heart beat, difficulty thinking, hallucinations, lack of motivation and even increased pain are all known side effects of THC but they don’t always occur, even for the same patient. When I first started using cannabis I found the situation to be very hard to predict. Some types of cannabis were incredible - giving me relief from my pain and anxiety which leaving me with a clear mind and tons of energy. Other times, I would try some and end up in even more pain, or find I had side effects that left me feeling too anxious, disoriented and tired to get anything done.

Eventually, I learned more about the different types of cannabis, and methods of using it, and found a regimen that worked well for me. Now I almost never get negative side effects and if I do - I know how to get rid of them right away!

If you have trouble with this too, here are a few tips to kick the side effects.

1) Lower your dose

This might seem obvious, but a lot of people don’t realize that cannabis can be even more effective in smaller doses. Research has shown that patients who get pain relief from cannabis can actually see their pain worsen if they take too much. So if you are having negative side effects, especially if you find the same strain gives you negative effects only some of the time, try lowering your dose. You may find yourself spending less money and getting more effective relief.

2) Pick your Strain Carefully

There is a lot of variety in the cannabis plant. One of the most important variables is the plant’s strain, or genetic lineage. There are thousands of different cannabis strains and each one has a different taste, smell, and set of effects. These different strains also have different chemical profiles, with unique blends of cannabinoids, terpenoids and flavonoids. Depending on the blend, you can get very different effects. It is important pay careful attention to what strains are working for you and which aren’t. I can only use about 10% of the strains I find in my area to manage my condition. The rest give me negative effects. So when I was getting started I spent a lot of time recording my positive and negative experiences, so I could hone in on the types that work for me. Now I know certain things about my preferences. I do well with strains that are high in THC, but also have specific terpenes like myrcene and beta-caryophyllene.

I know that I like strains that other people describe as sedative indicas (even though for me they feel more energizing than sedative) and that strains people describe as heady or cerebral usually give me negative effects. By paying careful attention to the strains and chemical profiles you try, you can start to notice what works for you and what doesn't. This can make all the difference.

For those unsure how to get started with this process, check out my course the Mindful Guide to Cannabis. I have each step clearly outlined and offer tracking tools to make it easy.

3) Experiment with Method

The way you use your cannabis can have a big effect on how it feels to you. When I was getting started, I tried almost everything in my search for the best method- smoking, vaping, dabbing edibles, topicals, teas… I found that certain methods gave me great relief (like smoking joints, and taking certain types of low dose edibles) but other methods gave me negative effects. If I vaporize, I get jittery and anxious with a headache. If I eat edibles at night, I sleep poorly. By noticing these variations, it is much easier to avoid the methods that gave me bad effects. If you’ve had a bad experience with one method, try some others. And remember to always start small with dosing and work your way up - new methods can sometimes be surprisingly more potent than what you’ve been used to.

4) CBD to the Rescue!

While THC, the most well-known and studied chemical in the cannabis plant, can contribute to many of these side effects, CBD (another one of its compounds) has been shown to reduce or eliminate THC’s negative effects. Many medical patients find a blend of CBD and THC is most effective because the synergistic blend between the two provides balanced symptom management, with a less overwhelming high.

If you are already in the midst of a bad cannabis experience, taking a few drops of a high CBD tincture and holding it under your tongue can help eliminate the negative side effects of the THC. I keep a bottle of this high CBD Moxie Meds Tincture with me in case. Then, if I ever feel negative side effects come on from, I take it and feel better within minutes.

With these handy tricks, I’ve gone from someone who got negative side effects the majority of the time, to someone who almost never gets them at all. Try them yourself and see if they help!

//How about you… I would love to learn about what negative effects you have encountered. Have you found ways to manage those effects? Comment below!


🔥🔥🔥 Emily is a freelance @KushSmokers author and we hope everyone enjoys her Steem articles. She is new to the Steem community and was introduced to it through the #KushSmokers onboarding program, so please take a second, follow Emily, as she will be posting on her own account as well as under the @KushSmokers handle, alongside many other new high quality authors such as Emily in the near future!🔥🔥🔥

Read Her Introduction Post Here:
https://steemit.com/kushsmokers/@kushsmokers/welcome-our-first-freelance-kushsmokers-author-why-i-left-academia-to-teach-people-about-cannabis-by-emily-earlenbaugh-phd-my

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Thanks @kushsmokers, for bringing @emilyearlenbaugh, on to Steemit! What a great resource. I'm excited to learn from/with you.

The only negative effects I've ever experienced from cannabis, didn't truly come from cannabis. I've experienced:

  1. Paranoia -- but that was from living in a highly restrictive and ignorant environment that criminalized cannabis, while promoting fatal pharma crap.

  2. Rage -- but that was from being TAXED to PAY FOR a failing War on Drugs, which is really a War on Consciousness.

  3. Shame -- but that was from confusion from propaganda B.S. I had mistakenly internalized as true.

Thankfully, to know better, is to glow better.
HAPPILY FOLLOWED + RESTEEMED!

Of course! I like your style by the way!

Some great points in your post @erikaharris 👍 Would be interesting to see a study on cannabis' effects on hair if we can ever get the research restrictions loosened!

Love the way you put it. It seems it's making it's way to legalization but it should have never been made illegal in the first place.

Love your post. Just resteemed . Steem on Kush!

Thanks @lengle2811 :) much appreciated!

Much appreciated!! We will keep them coming 3-4 times a week!

Do you ever find that smoking too much oil can cause a sort of migraine effect over time?

Too much of anything with high thc can cause a migraine like headache- but I would also watch out for residual solvents in oil - which might be the real culprit. I used to get headaches from BHO- then I switched to rosin (which has no solvents used for processing) and my headaches stopped. I'm all about the solventless stuff now.

Thats most likely why, I mainly pick up BHO and sometimes Co2 but I'll try and start getting used to the rosin flavor I guess :p

It took me about a month to switch my pallet from BHO to rosin. Been over 2 years and never looked back since =-). Like switching from Soy Milk to Milk or similar pallet reprogram...

lol rosin tastes better than bho imo

I concur with all of @erikaharris' negative effects. Though I'd like to add:

  1. Sorrow -- when my stash runs out and I have to go get more.
  2. Planking -- when I've smoked too much and cannot move.
  3. Spinning -- when I've smoked an especially potent strain of hash and the world starts spinning, which then leads back to #2.

I've taken to traveling to the majestic lands that have legalized cannabis to undercut the issues involved in #1. While visiting the Netherlands, I learned to keep a glass of sugar water at the table to mitigate the effects of #3. And, these days, I seriously only deal with #2 when I'm battling insomnia and have access to my bed where planking is ideal.


Just followed @erikaharris, @kushsmokers, and @emilyearlenbaugh
Resteemed and Tweeted. If any of you are on Twitter, hit me up with your handles.

You can follow this Dude at:


SteemIt: @cosmo.crator
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Hey @kushsmokers very nice read first of all. Totally enjoyed :)

I used to be an assidual smoker when I was younger and although I managed to accomplish all my goals back in the day (studying and being a good kid) I figured that I was smoking way too much.
I'm 25 now and smoking way less than before. Once a week, usually on saturday nights with friends. Sometimes paranoia comes in the way and that's inevitabile, you're not mentally illed if you get paranoid when smoking marijuana. Momentary mind status and emotional stability as well as stress play a huge role. My advice is don't smoke when you don't feel 100% comfortable. If you even think "should I smoke today?" don't do it. THC enhances feelings.
I find deep breathing and autogenous training to be the best solutions to paranoia and fast heart beat yet it's pretty hard to apply these when in a crowd or in a bar. Ask a loyal friend to keep you company outside while you practise some deep breathing. that should help in most cases.

Guys, marijuana doesn't kill anybody and I'm a huge believer of it being a strong component of many medical solutions but don't abuse!

Thanks for sharing @budgetmarketing 👍 Some great tips! Also be aware that those who smoke regularly ironically get less side effects than those who use occasionally- as a chronic cannabis user your body adjusts to the daily medication and you don't get the same effects like paranoia, difficulty concentrating and the focus on breathing you described. For occasional cannabis users these can hit heavy, so reducing your frequency of use may be the thing that brought back the symptoms. Not to say you should use it more- but it is a factor to consider. For medical patients running into this, it can be helpful to try using cannabis more regularly but in smaller doses of this type of effect interferes with their use.

Oh yes, totally agree. When I used to smoke frequently those symptoms where much likely to rise.
Thanks for your answer and hope to get in touch with you again in the future :)

What negative side effects?! Hungry, happy, sleepy?

Those are the positive effects 😉 But I hear you - cannabis is an amazing plant and many people get no negative effects from any of it. I wish we were all so lucky! 😊

Thanks @kushsmokers for the great article. Followed and Upvoted. When feeling hungry just drop by @progressivechef for some delicious food!

Thanks for reading @progressivechef ! Have you ever mixed cannabis into any of your food? Infused dinner parties are so much fun 😊

I would love to try this experience dear @emilyyearlenbaugh , never did it before. This subject is so much taboo in my country, and if you are caught with marijuana you can end your life in prison and lose your possession. Need people like you to open the eyes of the authorities!

Very informative stuff Doctor, thanks.
I feel like newer smokers need to take it easy with the potency of modern strains. They should absolutely start with lower THC and higher CBD levels, with a focus on pain and inflammation relief.
I see a day very soon when opioids will be (mostly)replaced by CBD rich tinctures.
I am looking into combining: CBD
THC
Tameric
Moringa oleifera
and any other you may suggest to form a natural anti inflammatory pain reliever. A tincture I suppose. Any ideas? Thanks#kushsmokers

Many of the terpenes also have anti inflammatory effects - so it's great to use high terpene cannabis concentrates for tinctures with that purpose https://www.hellomd.com/health-wellness/what-are-terpenes-and-what-is-their-effect

then you need to ingest black pepper which increases the uptake.

Thanks for the link!

And cacao which triggers the same receptors.

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