Cannabis/Marijuana is dried leaves of the plant called Cannabis sativa or Cannabis indica. Strong or high potency strains are – sinsemilla (sin-seh-me-yah), hashish, and extracts including hash oil, shatter, and budder.
Out of several chemicals in marijuana, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is responsible for many of it’s psychotropic (mind-altering) effects. It’s the THC that distorts how the mind perceives the world. In other words, it’s what makes a person high.
Marijuana is the most commonly used psychotropic drug in the United States, after alcohol. Teenagers of 8th and 10th grades who say they use marijuana daily has increased. With the growing popularity of vaping devices, teens have started vaping THC, with nearly 4% of 12th graders saying they vape THC daily.
For years, the typical image of a cannabist or cannabis smoker is of a ‘lazy stoner’ who is sunken in couch for hours surrounded by a layer of smoke around them with half-eaten snacks lying aside. Liberalization of marijuana laws across the United States and changing attitudes about the drug have also helped to change that stereotypical image of a cannabist.
Also, increasing interest in cannabis from the medical and research communities has came up with interesting and valuable facts about the drug’s potential.
Fitness Enthusiast’s New “HIGH”
When a person smokes marijuana, THC quickly passes from the lungs into the bloodstream. The blood carries the chemical to the brain and other organs throughout the body. Marijuana over activates parts of the brain that contain the highest number of these receptors. This causes euphoria or the “HIGH” that people feel.
According to a survey, about 70% of individuals who used cannabis before exercise admitted that, doing so made work outs more fun. Furthermore, people spent more minutes per week exercising than the individuals who don’t use cannabis.
One possible evidence to this increased exercise tolerance/efficiency is exercise-induced euphoria that originates in the endocannabinoid system. A research conducted showed elevated levels of the endocannabinoid molecules in the blood of volunteers after they ran on a treadmill. Because cannabis targets the same receptors, thereby making it capable of generating those pleasurable feelings.
Assosiated Concerns
Beyond it’s emotional and psychological effects it also dramatically effects the physical capabilities of it’s users. Marijuana can affect coordination and reaction time, so users must consider their own safety and the safety of others around them if they choose to exercise while high.
Short Term Effects
- Altered senses
- Altered sense of time
- Changes in mood
- Impaired body movement
- Impaired memory
- Hallucinations (with high doses)
- Delusions (with high doses)
- Psychosis (risk is highest with regular use of high potency marijuana)
Long Term Effects
- Impaired Memory
- Impaired Cognition
- Breathing Problems
- Cardiac Arrhythmia
- Pregnancy Issues
In nutshell, the experts warn that users need to be careful while working out under the effects of marijuana because of its effects on cognition, balance, and motor control.
It also has the potential to increase the risk of injury depending on the kind of exercise.
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