So let’s start with the basics. Cannabis, Mary Jane, Pot, Weed, Ganja, the sweet sweet green whatever you want to call it is derived from the Cannabis plant, which has three classes: Cannabis indica, Cannabis sativa and Cannabis ruderalis. Not to mention all the Hybrid strains growers are coming up with these days.

Negative short term side effects may comprise of a decrease short-term memory, dried mouth, red eyes, impaired motor skills and sometimes the feelings of paranoia or anxiety. Positive effects can be pain releif, relaxation, increased creativity, increased appetite, better sleep and athletes even use it to sustain themselves during heavy exercise.

Long term regular use however can have some negative and unwanted results. Some users report mental health problems after heavy daily use also leading to problems with dependency.

Effects can be felt within a space of minutes when smoked and approximately 30 to 60 minutes when it is cooked and eaten. They last for almost two to six hours.

Now, is weed addictive?

Heavy use can cause dependency and users will feel withdrawal symptoms when suddenly stopping. Although studies have found there is no physical addiction associated with weed (like there is for many other drugs), withdrawal symptoms can include craving, decreased appetite, sleep difficulty, irritability and strange dreams. The withdrawal period can last between 2 and 6 weeks depending on how heavy the use.

There has been no reported deaths or overdoses associated with the use of cannabis. The amount needed for the body to overdose on cannabis outweighs what a person can physically ingest. Even though cases can be sighted where marijuana use has been involved, there are no incidents where it is the sole cause of death or overdose. In fact, cannabis is safer than most other drugs. Around 88,000 people die from alcohol each year; this is more than the combined total of all other drugs. Cigarettes related deaths also make up a huge percentage of the total.

With recent changes in legislation around the United States and some other countries, scientists now have an opportunity to conduct substantial research into the drug, with the excellent results prompting for medical use of cannabis to be further studied and implemented around the world.

With the prospects of increased economic growth due to the cannabis market getting bigger by the day, it is expected many countries will follow suit and we may one day see legalization of the plant in the years to come.