Cannabis has been the subject of many conversations these days. With the recent legislation passed in Canada, and more states opening up their borders to cannabis legalization, one has to ask, “just how safe is this stuff?” Of course, the answer depends heavily on who you are, what kind of cannabis you are using, how often you consume it, what it is consumed for, the source, the potency, and many more factors. But the big question on everyone’s mind is this: “can you overdose on cannabis?” While it is a pretty mainstream drug these days and is considered on par with alcohol in many places, it still comes with many risks.
Let’s explore the reality of overdosing on cannabis so that you have a better understanding of what can happen.
Alcohol and Cannabis Use
If the powers that be are saying cannabis is akin to alcohol, then it’s important to point out that alcohol can be consumed to the point of overdose, and even death. People can literally drink themselves to death. So then, can someone smoke themselves to death? The truthis, we don’t yet know. We do know, however, that people don’t “overdose” on cannabis the way we would think of someone overdosing on a more harsh drug, or even alcohol for that matter. But there is such a thing as “too much cannabis” in someone’s system. But again, that “too much” depends a great deal on who you are and more. For instance, studies have been done to show that women are impacted in a different way than men. And if it’s like alcohol, we can assume that size matters when it comes to the rate and frequency of consumption. A woman weighing 114 pounds is not going to be smoking as much cannabis as a 240 pound man.
Cannabis Consumption Considerations
Another thing to consider when it comes to determining the amount of cannabis that is “too much” for you or someone else is the mode in which you consume it. For instance, people who smoke cannabis may be impacted by its effects differently than people who use the buds to back it into food products. In addition, if someone is using THC oils, the potency of the oil is going to impact the effects as well. If someone uses a vaporizer or glass pipes to smoke the oils, it will impact them differently than if it were added to food or diluted. The combination of consumption is such that it is very hard to determine what “too much” really is, and of course, there is the worry that first timers are going to overdo it because it’s legal. Just like teenagers getting their hands on liquor for the first time, there’s a growing concern that people are going to go beyond their limits with cannabis.
Mixing and Matching
Speaking of alcohol and cannabis, did you know that when consumed together, they have additional effects that aren’t present when consuming individually? This is an important consideration for first-time users as well. People often drink alcohol and smoke cigarettes, and with the growing legalization around the world, more and more people will be swapping out those cigarettes in favor of cannabis. The jury is out on whether or not consuming excessive alcohol can impact the effect of cannabis and vice versa. We can safely assume that more is not always better when it comes to drugs and alcohol.
Finding Your Own Bar
As with most things in life, you cannot take someone else’s word for how much cannabis is “too much” because you might be able to drink ten, double rum and coke drinks and someone else might not be able to stomach even one. Just because your buddy smokes cannabis twice a day doesn’t mean you will be able to do that. If you are going to use cannabis, it’s important to start slow and monitor how it is impacting you. Of course, with time, you might find that you can consume more with less side effects, but that might not be the case for everyone.
If you plan to use cannabis, ensure you are getting it from a reliable source and always ensure the quality is good. With the legalization limits growing, better quality cannabis is just on the horizon, which means more quality control, less issues, and less chance of overdose or using “too much” cannabis overall.