The Straight Dope on Cannabis Overdose
With more and more people turning to marijuana when other medicines fail them, there is a renewed interest in cannabis' overdose potential. To determine whether or not someone can overdose on cannabis, we must first define the word "overdose." If we define overdosing as an episode in which enough cannabis is consumed to create unpleasant feelings, then yes, it is possible to overdose. If, however, we define overdosing as partaking in a lethal amount of cannabis, then it is not possible to overdose. It can be difficult to cut through the propaganda and hype created by the war on weed, so let's take a look at some facts about cannabis and overdosing.
A Lethal Dose
Researchers determine the lethal dose of a drug essentially by giving it to lab animals until they die. When researchers tried this with marijuana, they were unable to cause death in the animals. The result is that scientists have not been able to determine how much cannabis is deadly. They have, however, estimated that a lethal dose would likely be somewhere between 20,000 and 40,000 times the amount of cannabis found in one marijuana cigarette. To put it bluntly, pun intended, you would have to consume almost 1,500 pounds of marijuana within a fifteen minute time period to die from a cannabis overdose.
Natural Cannabis Immunity
A recent French study reveled another reason a lethal cannabis overdose is impossible. When a person smokes marijuana, the brain starts producing a hormone called pregnenolone, which counters the effects of cannabis. The result is a loop in which the more THC is absorbed by the body the more pregnenolone is produced. This cycle reduces the capacity for addiction and substantially increases the amount of cannabis consumption required to create a lethal effect.
Too Much Cannabis
In all aspects of life, it is possible to have too much of a good thing. When cannabis is the good thing you've had too much of, you may experience several unpleasant sensations. Signs that you've had too much include a sense of panic, racing heartbeat, dizziness, sweating and nausea. These side effects are much more likely after eating cannabis than smoking or vaporizing it because edibles take longer to work, leading some to ingest more while waiting for the first batch to kick in. If you experience unpleasant side effects, stay calm and remember that the effects will wear off soon. Drink a glass of orange juice, which has been shown to help people sober up faster, and go somewhere quiet to relax until your symptoms ease.
Although cannabis itself won't kill you, it can be a contributing factor to an untimely death if you're not careful. Like other medications, cannabis does impact your body and can cause you to lose consciousness. Because of this, it is important to avoid driving, operating heavy equipment and performing similar tasks after partaking. A little responsibility goes a long way, and as long as you are enjoying cannabis responsibly you need not worry about fatal consequences.
