Is Taking Marijuana Something I Should Always Do? Are Attitude and Mindset an Issue?
Marijuana, also known as cannabis, is one of the most therapeutic plants in the world. It transcends different levels of ailments from physical pain to mental health issues, emotional problems, and even the sickness of the soul. It really is nothing short of a miraculous plant. No wonder it has been villainized for the longest time. You can say that the acceptance of cannabis use can change a lot of things in the world, including the economy.
The internet is playing a huge role in the “demystification” of cannabis, though, and we see the modern world opening up to marijuana like never before. Efficient information dissemination has been crucial in cleaning the cannabis’ bad reputation these past few years, which lead to waves of marijuana legalization all around the globe.
People are slowly remembering the value of the cannabis plant, not as a recreational drug but as a potent medicinal herb. We say “remembering” because our ancestors had already recognized this in the past, but as years passed and as the tobacco and pharmaceutical industries boomed, marijuana has been unjustly shelved as just that—a harmful and scary drug; a substance that anyone and everyone should steer clear of. In the late 60’s this marginalization became and all out political and government assault culminating in the unsuccessful and costly ‘war on drugs’.
If Marijuana Is so Medicinal, Is It Really Okay for Me to Take It Regularly?
We can talk about the politics of cannabis all day, but what we’re really here for is to answer this important question: if marijuana is so medicinal, is it okay to take it regularly?
There are different levels at which one can address this question, so allow us to go through these different layers to try and answer this multi-faceted question with all our best. We’ve already hinted at what these levels are above, so let’s just go through them again.
On a Physical Level
First of all, allow us to just address one issue before we go any further: overdosing. Can one really overdose on cannabis? Honestly, no. There are a lot of different marijuana strains, and all these strains have a different effect on the person taking it.
The effects and potency will also depend on the method of taking it (for example, edibles versus vaping), as well as the current state of the person during his or her pot session (is the person happy and currently in a quiet environment, or is he depressed while watching a heavy metal concert?). All these factors make up the type of experience you can expect from cannabis. “Set and Setting” is the popular alternative therapy parlance when using psychotropic plant medicines to help shift mood and mental patterns. ‘Set’ is for mind-set. This is your attitude and the purpose you bring to using cannabis, that is, your intention. ‘Setting’ is where you choose to take the cannabis. Are you choosing a supportive positive location and environment, one which is peaceful and without negative distractions, and perhaps with someone nearby if you have trouble processing what the plant brings up in your mind.
Then again, in the end, we can confidently say one thing: no one has ever died of overdosing on cannabis yet. To potentially threaten your life, you should be able to ingest a huge amount of cannabis in a short amount of time, which is simply close to impossible. In fact, before you even reach that state, you have probably already fallen into a deep, restful slumber.
Anyway, having said that, it doesn’t mean that there are no health risks involved if you do decide to take marijuana daily. According to an article published by Global News Canada, it will boil down to two factors: your age and the method of your cannabis consumption.
Your Age and Your Intake Method Plays a Crucial Role!
As it turns out, cannabis, or at least THC, is not recommended for people with still-developing brains (young people aged 21 years old and below). That’s because it can mess up the last few years of a young persons mental development. This plant medicine is helpful for adults that have need a circuit breaker mature and established emotional and mental patterns that have become a problem, either by past conditioning and problems, or perhaps due to shock and trauma such as that which military veterans may bring home with them.
Meanwhile, another factor to consider is whether you’re smoking it or not. Smoking is always harmful to one’s respiratory health, regardless of what substance is being consumed. This is due to the harmful elements produced by the process of combustion. Vaporization involves controlled heating to vaporize the useful volatile compounds without dangerous carcinogenic compounds produced by burning that tag along for the ride when cannabis is smoked. Think of this when next you are tempted to smoke an old-fashioned joint.
On a Mental Level
Let us now move on to the next level: our mind. Cannabis has undoubtedly potent psychoactive components like the ever-magical THC. This doesn’t mean, though, that its partner component, CBD, doesn’t have anything in store for our mental health, because it does.
As for taking cannabis regularly for mental health issues, your current mental state will actually dictate that. We recommend consulting a professional if you’re planning on taking cannabis as a therapeutic aid in your current condition.
Just know that as you take it regularly, the more that your mind will get used to it as well. There is a huge possibility that your dosage will increase over time if you don’t seek professional help and do counseling together with your cannabis “supplement.” The act of processing with a professional what cannabis can reveal to a person in the mind and emotions is an important part to using cannabis for therapy with the benefit of long term change and healing. Recreational users using cannabis in an unguided way can miss out on this.
On an Emotional Level
Cannabis can also help us deal with personal issues. Most references out there combine emotional health with mental health, but for the purposes of this article, we are going to refer to them as two different levels.
We simply recognize that there are times that you’re overwhelmingly depressed not because you have a mental issue, but you simply got your heart broken recently or you feel absolutely stuck. It’s a normal process of life to be hurt every once in a while or feel that your life is going no where and will never change. These are also time times when some of us may increase our cannabis dosage or frequency.
Based on our personal experience, yes, cannabis can definitely help you to sort out your emotions. It can help you meditate on them (more on this later), increase your creativity, and shift your focus towards more productive things. Ultimately, these would allow you to just let go.
However, as we have mentioned earlier, we recommend seeking the proper balance on how you take cannabis for it to not to lose its efficiency in helping you to balance your mood, and this is best done with the help of a therapist professional in monitoring how you are progressing as well as helping you to process what is happening with your feelings.
On a Spiritual Level
Finally, some people take marijuana regularly for its spiritual aspect. Cannabis can help you in your meditation practice, straightening out your energies, and even heightening your frequency and creativity. This, of course, depends on the spiritual practice of a person to start with and the particular strain of cannabis selected also plays a big part.
We personally don’t see anything wrong with this because if you’re truly taking marijuana for spiritual purposes, then it lowers the risk of constantly increasing its dosage, or simply taking cannabis in seeking the ever elusive emotional escapist thrill that some recreational users may be looking for. Cannabis usage can be a great tool in a serious spiritual practice and practitioners will be aware of when the plant can aid in their practice and when it is not needed so the frequency is very much controlled and usage is mindfully determined.
The Bottom Line
In the end, we honestly believe that marijuana is a great plant that can support you through all the aspects of life. However, as with all types of potent medicine, taking it will require a great deal of discipline and responsibility and any medicine should no longer needed when healing is complete.
Take a look at it this way: if it worked for you the first time, you don’t want to overuse it and lessen its effect, right? After all, you want it to work every single time. By increasing the frequency, you will also be coincidentally building your body’s immunity to its properties, making it less efficient in time—something that we won’t want you to experience. Be mindful and disciplined in using the plant.
That’s why we really recommend spacing out your intake and taking it only as needed, and of course, for the sake of your lungs, don’t smoke it. If you really want to feel the “soul” of cannabis passing through your body as you breathe, vape it instead.
