Around 2.3 million UK adults between the ages of 16 and 59 used cannabis last year.
That's almost seven per cent of all adults, say the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
The Class B drug, also known as marijuana, weed or pot, is illegal unless medically prescribed in Britain. It causes many psychoactive effects, mainly due to a compound named delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
THC is able to spread quickly to the brain via the lungs and can lead to short-term and long-term physiological and psychological effects.
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Right away, heart rate typically increases by 20 to 50 beats per minute, according to Weed Wonderland. At the same time, short-term cognitive effects include making it harder to retain new information or follow conversations.
Time perception can also get distorted, with minutes feeling like hours. And it turns out that the effects can kick in after just 2 minutes.
First few minutes of smoking weed
As mentioned, one of the earliest noticeable changes is an increased heart rate. Your pulse can apparently rise by 20–50 beats per minute from a normal range of 50–70, and can remain elevated for up to three hours.
20 minutes in
Blood vessels in your eyes dilate, often causing redness. And if you consumed cannabis via smoking, THC will be fully absorbed into the bloodstream at around 20 minutes.
This procedure basically stimulates the brain’s pleasure centres and dopamine, which produces the relaxed, euphoric feeling commonly associated with weed.
Some individuals, however, may experience anxiety or panic attacks.
Around this time, THC also stimulates the 'olfactory bulb', increasing appetite and triggering the infamous 'munchies', even if you’re not hungry.
30 minutes in
After half an hour, effects are said to reach their peak and can last between five and six hours.
Users may feel sleepy, confused, or experience uncontrollable laughter.
Cannabis can affect people in different ways, with timing, dosage, and method of consumption being key.
It comes after a former drug user who smoked weed regularly as a teenager shared the benefits he felt after giving up cannabis for six months.
In a video posted on his YouTube channel, Dorian Develops, he said: “After being sober for a while, I’m noticing that my anxiety and depression were definitely elevated by smoking weed every day, it wasn’t reduced.”
“Now I don’t feel as winded anymore, I feel like I have way more endurance in my lungs,” he added.
“I feel like I can breathe easier, I don’t wheeze anymore.
“It’s so much easier to be motivated to go to the gym when you don’t wake up and smoke.”
If you want friendly, confidential advice about drugs, you can talk to FRANK. You can call 0300 123 6600, text 8211
Anish Vij