Cannabis - Is it the world?s natural sedative?

2009.04.02

Non-users of the drug cannabis or marijuana as it is more commonly known will often ask users what they get from it. Many people are quite intrigued by the substance but do not want to use it either because its illegal or they are worried about the side effects.

Now that cannabis seems to be leaving the dark stigma of its legality behind and is being looked at more closely for its medicinal properties it seems that more people are willing to talk about it. Even some are open minded enough to want to pay attention to its possible benefits. It should be added that pot as so many like to call cannabis is being looked at by researchers for its positive qualities regarding its possible anti depressant qualities.

These researchers are really not discovering much more than  seasoned cannabis users have known for years. It has the amazing quality at least for most people to relax them. To them it’s probably the most potent stress reliever that is on the planet today. There are mixed reports from individuals who partake in the use of marijuana though. Many feel it is a relaxant while others report it gives them a mind boost. Some users will say they find their thought processes slower while others report they respond much quicker while under the influence of the cannabis. These variations in effects have researchers quite intrigued.

There is a great deal of controversy over the negative side effects of weed which is the common street term for the substance. Naturally the biggest concern is the tendency for an avid user to move on to other illegal drugs with a higher dependancy. There are those that would argue that the dependency is not more severe or hazardous as to that of regular cigarette smoking. The counter argument to this is that recent studies have shown that cigarette dependency is severe for some individuals. It has been said it is almost worse than being addicted to heroin. Many cannabis users believe that there are no serious side effects to it and most of the stigma that is attached to is because of being considered illegal.

Researchers have not reached the point where they will condone cannabis has a safe or effective antidepressant. They are finding favorable study results that may indicate that the synthetic form of THC is effective in low doses as a form of mood stabilizer. One important and very negative aspect they have come upon is that if the substance is used in high quantities it can have an opposite effect that in turn makes the depression worse.

Based on the findings to date it makes one wonder if it’s the repeated use of cannabis that makes people need more to get the same effects that they once did in the beginning of their use. It almost seems to vary amongst marihuana users as to the amount they require to get the effects they are looking for.