As I was sitting in my criminology class recently, I had the opportunity to learn about Amsterdam’s many fascinating laws that greatly differ from those enforced here in the United states. One such difference is the “coffee shops” that legally exist in Amsterdam which are able to sell marijuanna as well as “edibles”, which are the topic I am adressing. “Edibles”, otherwise known as “space cakes” are foods that contain cannibus. We are all aware of the controversial question of whether or not there are health risks involved in smoking marijuanna. This is a question frequently in the media spotlight and is a source of concern for the government and medical professionals as well. Upon hearing about the prevalence of edibles in this foreign country, however, I was compelled to wonder about the dangers involved in actually consuming and digesting this substance.
The Washington Times released an article on the CDC’s warnings about consuming edibles. A man named Levy Thamba bought a large cookie that contained pot at a pot shop in Colorado where these products are also legal. Despite being advised to break it into parts and consume small pieces at a time, he ate the entire thing and ultimately jumped off a balcony to his death. The CDC says that, “If you ingest a large quantity of edible marijuana in a short amount of time, you risk over-consumption, and in increased risk of mental health effects.” The autopsy on Thamba showed that his body contained 7.2 nanograms of active THC per milliliter of blood which is not nearly a lethal amount. This case doesn’t seem to point to any significant dangers involved in eating the drug, just shows that people are not aware of exactly how to use it.The Forbes website has an article that explains that, “With smoking, the peak blood levels happen within 3-10 minutes, and with eating, it’s 1-3 hours.” Because of this, people who eat an edible are tempted to consume too much due to the fact that they can not feel the effects. Also, the amount of THC in the product can vary greatly, making it difficult to know exactly how it will affect you. Forbes explains that “The most common presenting symptom to the ER are anxiety and panic attacks, and acute psychotic episodes – confusion, disorientation, delusions, hallucinations”. These symptoms are similar to the ones present if you smoke too much marijuanna as well. Immediate rare physical symptoms may include achycardia, impaired motor ability, and ataxia and last anywhere from 3 to 10 hours.
An article on the Life Science websitesuggests that eating the drug rather then smoking it may circumvent some of the adverse effects associated with it. Any risk of respiratory cancer would most likely arise when cannabis tars are inhaled with smoke; therefore, eating it would most likely avoid this. The possibility of THC being a carcinogen is still controversial, therefore making the danger of edibles also controversial.
In conclusion, some of the dangers of edibles are still equally as unknown as the dangers of marijuanna. There is most definitely not any clear greater danger in eating the drug rather than smoking it. More research on the effects of THC will be done as the drug laws change with time.
Photo Retrieved from: http://www.bloomwellbend.com/introduction-cannabis-edibles-pt-1/
Photo Retrieved from: http://www.coffeeshopmenus.org/Prix%20DAmi/Menus/Prix%20DAmi.html
Photo Retrieved from: http://www.marijuana1.co/marijuana-edibles.html
I found you comment that “…people are not aware of exactly how to use it,” very interesting. Maybe it would be a good idea to “teach” people to use marijuana or alcohol correctly. I know there are many ad campaigns that stress the important facts about both substances to the masses, but perhaps a mandatory exam, similar to those tests you have to take before you get your permit, would help society to avoid situations like the one you described.
Interesting approach on marijuana’s controversial affects. Originally, I assumed your blog would be discussion the typical stereotypes on marijuana, thus, was pleasantly surprised to read about your original outlook. Due to the many controversial and recent law altercations on marijuana policies in the United States, I have heard and learned a fair amount about marijuana’s harmless nature. It was quite alluring to read about how edibles do not share this harmless perception. The first article discussed was a very powerful anecdote and was very surprising to hear. I am curious if there are many other similar anecdotes. Andrew has discussed how powerful anecdote stories may seem; however, they only hold so much value since there is not an experiment testing the hypothesis at hand. I would be interested to read about studies putting this particular anecdote and the possible dangers involved with edibles.