A few months ago we found words like pandemic and quarantine in either history books or spoken by a character acting in a medieval drama. However, recently all we do is use words like pandemic, social distancing, and lock-down as daily jargon. Of course, after an ease in lock-down restriction, life has geared up a little bit, but most of us still find ourselves struggling with the pandemic blues. As a result, we indulge ourselves in all sorts of activities.
Be it a couch-locked cannabis session or a Netflix marathon every day after dinner. With the pandemic around, everybody is busy buying cannabis from state dispensaries using a local (MMJ card in Temecula) medical marijuana card or state-issued ID. However, have you ever wondered increasing the dose of cannabis may cause you to reach a possible dangerous limit? Even if your body becomes tolerant to a certain range of dose, you will feel nostalgia and your favorite memories of the past will appear more often than ever.
Yes, these experiences caused by the psychoactive effects of cannabis are examples in themselves. But some of the great scientific works reveal that staying in an unrealistic world might cause us to lose our sense of living in the present and worrying about the future. Which, in turn, is not good for our mental health. So, dosing heavily on cannabis during the pandemic might not be a wise choice. Here in this post, we will help you understand why.
What Does Research Say?
A 2019 study suggests that heavy cannabis use is not good for the mind. You see, when you use marijuana regularly at a higher dose, your body becomes susceptible to certain side effects. They can come in the form of nausea, hallucinations, vomiting, and even negative emotions. This study published in the journal Consciousness and Cognition revealed how heavy cannabis users catch negative emotions, particularly the ones linked to bad memories.
This behavioral trait comes as a result of fading effects which of course we will cover shortly. But first, here’s what you need to hear, behavioral traits such as negative emotions are most commonly found in patients suffering from mental health conditions. These mental health conditions include depression, anxiety, and PTSD. Even some preliminary search shows that there is a strong connection between depression, negative emotions, and anxiety.
This is especially relevant because we are navigating through disturbing times. And given the surge in cannabis use, it is safe to say that a lot of non-cannabis users have jumped on the bandwagon of both medical and recreational marijuana. A report revealed that cannabis use was highest in March and since then the graph has only gone upwards. Besides, in a poll, it was found out that 40% of millennial’s and old-time canna-users were using marijuana since the pandemic struck the world. Not only this but significant reports in several reputed new channels showed how marijuana sales have spiked despite lockdown restrictions put in place. So, all in all, the existing statistics reveal that cannabis use has definitely risen by a huge percentage.
What’s More
The only exception is that people are more careful about the safety of their lungs. In other words, by now we all know that the coronavirus is a respiratory illness. In order to keep the lungs healthy and safe, most patients and recreational users have shifted to safe consumption methods such as edibles and CBD oil.
However, safety can only last as long as you use the cannabis dose carefully. This is the reason why you should get 420 evaluations or consume cannabis under medical supervision. Especially if you have a medical condition then, you can use your MMJ card in Temecula to purchase highly potent cannabis strains in your state (California). That said, let us delve deeper into the connection between negative emotions and high cannabis use.
The Fading Affect Bias
Ideally, the fading affect bias is largely associated with a psychological phenomenon. Scientists have observed over the years that humans easily connect with positive emotions and memories. They hold onto positive memories for a longer period and more tightly to even cherishing memories. Researchers and scientists call it a psychological immune system. However, the only exception, in this case, is that the fading affect bias is seen in individuals with no serious mental health conditions. On the contrary, it can easily affect individuals who use drugs.
That said, let us take a look at a research or more precisely a survey presented in the form of a questionnaire. It showed how 51 non-cannabis consumers and 46 heavy marijuana users recorded their favorite memory. In the study, consumers who used cannabis at least four days per week and who non-users were given scores. If the subject scored ten, it meant he or she experienced an extremely unpleasant memory.
As the subjects provided a written description of their memories, their intensity of emotions was recorded side-by-side. The subjects were also asked to rate the memories according to the time of occurrence. Eventually, the researchers found out that both novice and regular marijuana users showed fading affect bias. However, for cannabis users, the ‘fading bias’ was less than non-users. Simply put, the study showed that marijuana consumers hold onto negative emotions moreover a certain period as compared to those who have never smoked cannabis.
How Does Cannabis Trigger Negative Emotions?
After looking at detailed studies and the association of cannabis with depression and negative emotions, here’s what you need to learn. First and foremost, excessive cannabis use is associated with a lot of degenerative memory causes. For instance, over general autobiographical memory. In simple words, the inability to recall certain memories in detail. In fact, previous studies also show that some memory damages are associated with mental health conditions such as depression.
The studies note that when cannabis users describe a happy event, they tend to give a vague description. For example, I went on an excursion without mentioning any details or how a certain event made them happy. Although the study did not point out why cannabis triggers vivid memory losses. Also, why do marijuana users hold onto negative emotions? On the contrary, positive reports suggest that cannabis use can decrease inflammation, add extra energy, relax the body, and calm the mind. Moreover, cannabis allows you to experience daily routines from a fresh point of view.
Final Thoughts
It is worth noting that researchers have long focused on heavy cannabis users. While the pandemic might have pushed some cannabis users to reach for the strongest dose. There are certain things you might want to consider. For instance, let’s talk about the effects it can have on your brain. Particularly, the scientific proof we have tried to mention through the studies mentioned above.
Also, regular cannabis smoking means that you are introducing tons of THC inside your body. In turn, excessive amounts of cannabis increase the chances of developing mental disorders. You can have developmental disorders such as anxiety, panic attacks, memory loss, and other mental health problems. So, make sure that you use your you consume a supervised dose and if you need any help you can get MMJ evaluations. These evaluations will help you learn whether you qualify for cannabis use or not. If you do, you will get a state-issued medical marijuana card, like an mmj card in Temecula or cannabis card in San Jose. you can use the same to purchase high-quality products from state-licensed dispensaries.