About

There are a lot of great health benefits to using medical marijuana, and I want to say that straight away before I get into the nitty gritty of this article. The truth is that, while many people rely on using cannabis to treat a variety of health conditions, there are certain risks of using marijuana in high potencies. Like with any drug, cannabis has its drawbacks. However, it is important to point out that a lot of the health risks associated with marijuana usage only apply to users that consume extremely high potencies of THC on a regular basis.

Medical marijuana patients generally do not fall into this category, so I don’t want you to become paranoid about your marijuana usage after reading this blog. However, there is a great demand in the United States for highly potent marijuana strains. In fact, it is displayed in the way that products are priced.

If you want to enjoy some of the concentrates and flowers with very high percentages of THC, you are going to have to shell out quite a bit of cash. The truth about marijuana in the United States is that it continues to become more and more potent with every passing decade. Back in the 1960s and 1970s when marijuana was extremely popular, the average potency was anywhere from 10-14% THC. Nowadays, that number is dwarfed by strains that contain anywhere from 20-26% THC, and that is just for flowers and buds alone. Concentrates can range all the way up to 80% THC and even higher. So what are the implications of this phenomenon? Well, state and federal governments have already been stepping in to try and reign in the potency of cannabis in several states. That is why Colorado has already enforced a 15% THC cap on all products in the state, and other places are looking at following suit.

So why am I saying all of this? Well, I think that it is important we talk about all of the aspects about cannabis, not just the ones that make it look good. The truth about using marijuana regularly with highly potent strains is that it can cause long-term medical problems that marijuana users should be aware of. One such medical problem is the risk of cardiovascular damage and increased risk of heart attack. Now, there have not been many clinical studies done that give us insight into the long term effects of cannabis, but we do have some that are fairly insightful. One such study suggests that cannabis can actually increase a patient’s risk of heart attack after smoking enough, and this number goes up if a patient has a history of heart attack or stroke in the past. That is why doctors are very careful about prescribing medical marijuana to patients with underlying health conditions.

Another health risk that is associated with heavy doses of THC over a prolonged period of time is in the form of decreased cognitive functioning and memory loss. Ever heard of the saying “weed kills your brain cells”? While this is a myth and not scientifically accurate, it is still true that weed can create a negative impact on one’s brain, specifically in the memory department. Anyone who smokes weed will tell you that their brains feel much foggier all the time, especially if they smoke regularly. Overtime, there are concerns that THC can completely reduce one’s ability to think critically, clearly, and recall things from memory. Again, this is not scientifically proven, but there are studies that show similar results. I hope that this article was helpful and insightful for you, but I don’t want you to be scared of weed now.