As marijuana legalization continues its slow, but inevitable, success at the state level, now seems as good a time as any to arm oneself with knowledge of exactly how the plant affects the body. There's actually a lot of science behind this drug, and we're learning more and more seemingly each day. Here's how weed works and what it does to your body and brain.
Endocannabinoids and you
he first step to understanding marijuana's effect is learning just enough about endocannabinoids to sound smart when you explain to your family that smoking a bowl before Thanksgiving dinner was actually good for you, and not merely a way to medicate yourself until you're numb from their inevitable judgement. Of course, both things can be true. But, back to the science stuff.
Endocannabinoids are the chemical messengers that tell your body to get its various processes moving, and when to stop. They're instrumental in maintaining homeostasis and play a role in a bunch of vital functions in the body, such as sleep, hunger, immune function, mood, memory, and more. They've been found in mammals, reptiles, plants, and other species. Since such cannabinoids, thus named after being first discovered in the cannabis plant, already exist in us, it's perfectly reasonable to spark up a fatty on occasion.
It's actually a bad idea to smoke it
But before we get ahead of ourselves, maybe smoking shouldn't be your primary form of ingesting mary jane. According to the American Lung Association, any form of smoke can be harmful to the lungs, regardless of the source. While a recent study shows that casual pot-smoking has not damaged user's lungs, longer-term smoking does show a very slight decline in lung function.
That's still more damage than any life-giving lung should suffer, so thankfully there are other ways to partake of the sweet leaf. One that is rising in popularity is edibles. Long gone are the days when pot brownies were the most adventurous culinary option for stoners. Now you can get just about anything "medicated," from gummy bears (which were just banned in Colorado) to whole cannabis-infused meals.
The science behind the munchies
Speaking of eating and weed, one side effect that nearly everyone who's smoked weed has experienced at least once, is the burning desire to suddenly become the MacGyver of cuisine. They'll concoct unheard-of food combinations, with sandwiches rivalling Dagwood's, all in an effort to eat everything in the kitchen. You might know this phenomenon as "the munchies," but why the munchies? Why does Snoop Dogg, despite weighing about as much as a beach ball, probably scarf down more noms than Garfield?
Believe it or not, science has the answer, because science is kind of the coolest. Scientists found evidence that THC, the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis, heightens the sense of smell. The scent of the food triggers a specific cannabinoid receptor, which in turn increases one's desire to eat it, partially due to scent and taste being connected. So next time you find yourself eating pickles dipped in Nutella and rolled with bacon after getting stoned, you'll know why
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