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Cannabis commonly known as marijuana is being used widely for recreational or medicinal purposes. Have you ever pondered the edibles that you are taking inside your body, what they are capable of doing? How do your organs respond to them? And most importantly what power they hold to cast the effect on your body?
Let’s go down a brief introduction to get known about the chemistry between your body and marijuana to understand what happens in the liver when you ingest the cannabis.
What comes off when you ingest marijuana?
Everything that we take orally has to go through a first-pass effect. It means the things that we ingest have to go down the digestive tract and are entered and metabolized in the liver. And then finally, they become part of the bloodstream.
When marijuana edibles are ingested they follow the first-pass effect and enter the liver. The liver is the powerhouse of the body. It metabolizes cannabis, and cannabinoids are produced as a result of hepatic metabolism.
These cannabinoids upon consumption produce a psychoactive effect on the body and mind. More specifically, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is a cannabinoid that causes the euphoric and intoxicating effect, while cannabidiol (CBD) is responsible for therapeutic effects. The more the dose of cannabis, the more powerful, euphoric, and the long-lasting results of cannabis appear. Ingested cannabis effects are more intense and of longer duration than inhaled cannabis. After ingestion, cannabis takes time to onset its effect as it has to undergo the first-pass mechanism, but once the cannabis ultimately shows its action, they stay much longer than inhaling cannabis.
Marijuana effects on liver
Doctors recommend marijuana for its medicinal advantages and therapeutic effects. Moreover, the chances are equal either it can benefit liver health or it can deteriorate the liver wellbeing. It all depends upon the consumption of marijuana. If not taken as advised by the doctors, if not inhaled or ingested for medicinal purposes and rather than it is consumed as a habit to get yourself high, euphoric, and intoxicated, then results are harmful as obvious.
Marijuana; how it benefits the liver health
Medicinal cannabis, as doctors suggest, is helpful in many liver conditions like
- HIV
- Chronic hepatitis C
- Alcoholic or no alcoholic fatty liver disease
- Hepatic fibrosis
- Hepatic encephalopathy
Now the question is how its benefits liver health in those particular conditions?
The CB2 and CB1 receptors that are present in the liver are responsible for liver health. Activation of CB2 receptors and blocking of CB2 receptors is good for hepatic health as it alleviates fibrosis, decreases inflammation, and enhances hepatocyte survival.
And luckily cannabinoids like CBD activate the CB2 and block the CB1 receptors thus acting as a hepatic protective element that is quite useful if it is taken in underlying hepatic disease.
So cannabidiol (CBD) having therapeutic effects helps the liver as
- It decreases hepatic inflammation
- Alleviate oxygen distress
- Decline in fibro genesis
If marijuana is consumed alongside alcohol, then the therapeutic effect subsides.
How marijuana harms hepatic health
Marijuana when is taken through the oral route issued by a Florida medical marijuana doctor or another mmj doctor in a location near you, it has to go through various steps before showing its medicinal, pharmacological, and also harmful side effects.
The inhaled cannabis shows instant results, as the instant recreational sensation, and euphoric state, soon these feelings wear off after some hours. That is not the case when cannabis is ingested. Although the onset of action is delayed when marijuana is taken orally. Once the effect is built, it is evident, prompt, and has a long onset of action. Meanwhile, it intoxicates the body with more power as compared to inhaled cannabis. That is why you need to be more careful while ingesting marijuana.
After passing through the first-pass metabolism that takes place in the liver, marijuana metabolites enter the bloodstream and brain. Once the THC and CBD enter in blood and brain, there is no U-turn, and the effect either beneficial or harmful will appear. Besides the therapeutic effects in many hepatic conditions, cannabis also worsens liver health.
Chronic hepatitis C
Cannabis if taken for chronic hepatitis C, it increases the fatty liver. The doctor advised should be entertained with great care before taking cannabis. Those who have chronic hepatitis C need to practice extra care if they are addicted to cannabis. Although cannabis is antiviral, still its effects are not more beneficial and useful in those patients with chronic hepatitis.
It all depends upon the usage of cannabis with how much intensity you prefer to consume it. if it is ingested out of precautions, and if you went against your doctors prescribed amount, the cannabis effects are fatal and can lead to end-stage cirrhosis.
It is not a matter of liver when we talk about marijuana’s side effects. All psychoactive drugs have ultimately negative effects on mental health to the level that if you start taking these drugs you get addicted and when you want to get rid of that addiction, the withdrawal symptoms are even more fatal. The consumers who get addicted, have to experience the rehabilitation center to come back to a normal way of life.
These psychoactive agents or drugs directly act on the central nervous system and alter its regular way of pattern. Anxiety, cardiovascular effects, auditory or visual illusion, pseudo hallucination, ataxia, cognition, memory problems, and many more adverse effects have arisen on a high dose of marijuana.
Final verdict
What exactly marijuana does to the human body, although the scientific study on it is not fully conducted yet, still it is obvious what it tends to do to our body and mind. What kind of risk factors and what therapeutic advantages it has?
It is fully understood that marijuana edibles do wonders when ingested. They bring relief from pain and create a joyful sensation in the body and mind. At the same time, they can damage mental health. Before taking it inside your body, ask your doctor how to take it to get benefit rather than harm.
As marijuana grows in popularity, you can see a lot of edible made out cannabis these days. Cannabis is actually one of the substances we get from marijuana, which can also be used to manufacture medicines, rope, clothing, paper, and many other products. As a result, marijuana is not banned in many areas; thus, marijuana edible products can be easily seen in marijuana stores.
Medical marijuana edibles are foods, drinks, or other types of digestible ingredients infused with cannabis. Cannabis can be infused in different ways through several different processes. Most of our medically edible marijuana, including cookies, gums, and capsules that are infused using an oil extract processed. Other medically edible products are produced by extracting the drug from the flower with a direct solvent, such as butter.
Medical marijuana edibles contain tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a psychoactive stimulant substance that can be smoked, warmed, or cooked for consumption. However, marijuana doctors say THC consumption is thought to produce a stronger feeling than smoking or inhaling.
The best part of edible is that they can produce a long time effect. Some can last up to eight hours! Even at lower doses, edible consumers can enjoy mild euphoria, relaxation, and a sense of acceptance of the situation for hours at a time. This is especially useful if you travel by car for a long time or wait a long time between activities.
How do medical marijuana edibles work?
Once upon a time, edibles were limited to homemade brownies that tasted pretty bad and contained a mysterious dose of THC. Today you can find medicinal cookies, popcorn, nut mixes, lollipops, ice cream, gummy bears, chocolate bars, chewing gum, etc.
Unlike inhaled cannabis, edible ones let the content of cannabinoids enter the bloodstream by digestion in the gastrointestinal tract. The process is much slower than inhalation but produces powerful effects. After consuming edible products, the experience can be very different from smoking or evaporating cannabis, so marijuana doctors advised patients to exercise caution to avoid taking excessive medication.
The Best Marijuana Edibles for Depression
Cannabis has been used as a medicine for centuries to treat depression. Today, studies show the antidepressant effect of cannabinoids in the hemp plant. In particular, the cannabinoid delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) has been found to be useful, especially for depression.
Research also shows that consumers rely on cannabis edible products to help them with their lifestyle, wellness needs, and depression. Edibles can have a relaxing effect on the mind and body due to its cannabinoid composition. They are discreet and precisely formulated to promote system balance. Also, edibles are more than just a delicious delicacy; they are a popular way to relieve stress and depression.
The most significant advantage of cannabis edible is their low dose formulation. Many edible brands offer 3 mg – 5 mg – 10 mg strength, allowing you to practice titration to achieve the perfect effect. These small doses, low dose and also allow micro-dosing. The ability to create the optimal amount of cannabis “for testing” is one reason people are attracted to edible products for depression.
Below are some of the best marijuana edible strains to use for depression:
1. Soothing Cranberry Gummies – These edible gummies are one of the most delicious edible products available on the market to help depression. You can buy their blueberry and chill gummies in packs of 10 gummies with a concentration of THC: CBD in a ratio of 1: 1 (5 mg per dose). It would give you the same relaxing and calming effect.
2. Sympa-Tea – This cannabis infuses herbal tea is a good option for depression. 3mg of THC and 20mg of CBD in each bag work synergistically to create a calming effect that soothes muscle pain and stimulates the mind for better relaxation. You can keep the tea bag submerged longer for better taste. Its fast-acting effects and optimal cannabinoid composition make it an ideal choice for depression.
3. Indica Cinnamon Gummies – These delicious sweets and gummies will surely take you on an excellent night trip. Their cannabis-induced cinnamon candies are potent in THC derived from pure indica strains. Marijuana doctors say that these edibles are more effective and less aromatic to taste. You can find varieties of flavors of these edible products that will relax you before bed.
4. Sensi Chew Insomnia – The Sensi Chew Insomnia is a chocolate bar containing 100 mg of THC, divided into ten pieces. Each piece acts as a portion and would help you relax and fight depression. It contains 4 mg of melatonin to help you adjust to your sleeping habits. In combination with cannabis, melatonin enables you to stay asleep, has anti-inflammatory properties, and helps relieve pain and reduce stress levels. It is perfectly edible for depression.
5. Stratos THC Infuse Tabs – These edibles are an excellent alternative to prescription sleeping pills. They are the perfect solution for a good relaxation and were created to maximize the absorption of cannabinoids into our system. Infused with cannabis oil made from pure indica strains, these cards are intended for relaxation. Cannabis oil is used here and is prepared with CO2 oil extraction, and Indica strains are used in the extraction process to obtain THC, which creates a calming effect.
6. Kin Slips – Kin Slips offers a variety of sublingual products infused with cannabis. A pleasant mixture of Kin slips enters our body directly into our bloodstream through the mouth’s oral mucous membranes. Traditional marijuana edible, such as sweets or cakes infused with cannabis, when consumed, can take an hour or two to show their effects, while these edible strips are activated within 15 minutes of consumption.
7. Day Dreamers Dream Catcher – This smooth and creamy chocolate bar contains 360 mg of THC. The chocolate bar contains six pieces containing 60 mg of THC each, which makes serving easier. Each piece is equal to the amount of THC in marijuana, giving you a more consistent high.
Marijuana edible is an easy and forgiving way to consume marijuana and experience the health benefits. Most of these edible products are readily available, and you can buy them whenever you want, but you must use them according to what an All Natural MD Marijuana Doctor says.
Cannabis edible comes in different forms, varieties, and concentrations, and people react differently to doses, so it can be challenging to find the right amount. However, marijuana doctors suggest that beginners should start with about 4.25 milligrams of CBD if they have low levels of depression. Get Started today.