There are many misconceptions around marijuana. On major misconception is that a marijuana overdose can kill you. When people refer to the effects of marijuana, they are primarily referring to the effects of THC. The short answer to this question is that marijuana, or more specifically THC, the active compound, cannot kill you, and this is explained in more detail below
How THC Works
THC works by acting on the endocannabinoid system. The endocannabinoid system is responsible for basically all of your key physiological processes. This includes memory, cognitive and emotional processing, hunger, sleep, mood, pain, pleasure and temperature. As you can see, these are very important processes. Cannabinoid receptors in the brain are stimulated when cannabinoids slot into these receptors. THC very closely mimics a common cannabinoid, anandamide. So THC is essentially acting as a compound that is already found in the human body. And when this compound is ingested it works wonders on the incredibly important endocannabinoid system stimulating everything from hunger to happiness to arousal. The health benefits of THC are outstanding and it is one of the healthiest compounds known to mankind.
But can a Marijuana Overdose Kill you?
There has never been one death associated from a THC overdose. It is possible to die from having too many heavy metals in your body, which poisons the system. It is possibly to die from liver poisoning from ingesting too much alcohol over time. The closest parallel to saying that you can die from a marijuana overdose is saying somebody died from overdosing on water. It is technically possibly if for some reason the person kept drinking water and his or her lungs drowned as a result. And it might be possible to die from a marijuana overdose if the individual was able to stay awake and keep on inhaling smoke for an incredibly prolonged time period. In this extreme case, it might be possible that the THC would trigger some other condition that might result in a death, but most probably would not. The most probable and likely scenario when people take way more THC than they should is that they pull what is known as a “Whitey”. This is named because the skin goes white, the person will feel sick and nauseous and will throw up. This is usually the worst-case scenario, and is most common in thin people with low blood pressure.
Some people might take too much THC and get into a fatal car or gun accident. In this instance, it can be said that stoned driving was at fault for the fatality, and the death did not arise from a THC overdose. It is almost as logical to say that the individual overdosed on motor vehicles which led to his or her demise.
There might be a few incidents where the ingestion of THC could possibly result in a fatality. The most likely scenario is that the THC triggers a preexisting condition, most likely heart palpations and cardiac arrests. The THC would then trigger the cardiac event which could very possibly result in death. People who are prone to heart attacks might want to take it easy on the THC.There are also reports of people who simply do not respond well to THC, and in some isolated incident for unknown reasons this could trigger a potentially fatal event. The human organism is quite complex and little understood by scientists, despite all the studies and claims. Many people with preexisting psychological disorders experience an increase in symptoms when they ingest high amounts of THC.
Don’t worry about the THC
Marijuana (THC) is probably the most human friendly substance on the planet. It is one of the substances least likely to kill you. There are far more worrying items to attend to than worrying about the effects of a humans second best friend. Of far more potency are the lesser known and more subtle killers – the fluoride in tap water, GMO food, chemicals in makeup, electromagnetic waves from constant WIFIand exposure to toxins of all kinds. And marijuana is most certainly not free from toxins. With all the buzz and hype of how amazing marijuana is – claims that are more or less accurate – if your supply is contaminated with lots of chemicals and toxins, then a THC overdose is the least of your worries. Always ensure that whatever you are ingesting is organic and toxin free. With all the hype it is easy to get carried away, and many growers and cultivators are failing to comply with basic standards for marijuana cultivation, using chemical son their crop and selling the supply to merchants eager to cash in on the marijuana craze. Choose your strain carefully.
