Cannabis, weed, or marijuana, is a psychoactive drug that a high number of people around the world consume, both because of recreational or medical purposes. As you probably know, this is a highly controversial topic. However, this is a stance that is constantly changing, especially in the last couple of years. This is a fact that can be proven with more and more countries legalizing recreational use, medicinal use, or both of them.
All the symptoms that are related to cannabis consumption are pretty well-known like weight gain, increased appetite, dry mouth, memory impairment, etc. Also, we have a pretty good knowledge of the pros and cons of consuming cannabis.
Especially in the late 20th and the 21th centuries, we witnessed a lot of discussions that are related to this topic. We are not sure that the consensus about this topic will ever be achieved. Pro-cannabis public will always point the health and economic benefits, while the other side will talk about the cons and cannabis misuse.
A lot of studies were conducted in order to find the final decision on this topic but without success. And there is a talk about CBD oils. However, this is a whole another story for another time, but if you want to get some knowledge check this website.
Today, we are going to talk about the safety of cannabis consuming when a person is sick. When we say sick, we talk about the flu. Like with every time you are consuming cannabis, there are both pros and pros of that situation. So, without further ado, let us sink our teeth deeper into this topic.
Smoking Cannabis While Being Sick?
The public is heavily polarized on this topic. There is a part of the public that believes that smoking weed can alleviate some symptoms of the common cold. If this is true, this would be possible because of cannabis’ anti-inflammatory compounds. On the other hand, the public that doesn’t think that way says that it doesn’t have any kind of impact on cold’s symptoms and that it can make them even worse than they were.
There are some grounds for these claims. It’s true that cannabis can irritate sinuses due to burning that produces both smoke and heat.
Potentially this can lead to exacerbating the respiratory symptoms. Plus, some percentage of the public says that claims that other types of consuming cannabis can cure some of the symptoms of the cold. If you are interested in learning more about different ways of consuming cannabis, you can take a look at CannCentral.com.
Currently, there are no research that could prove what are the exact effects of smoking weed while a person has a cold. Nonetheless, there are some researches that can shine a light on the general effect of cannabis and what are the potential influences on people who have a cold.
Are There Cannabis Compounds that Can Help with Cold Symptoms?
You should know that cannabis has two ingredients called terpenes and cannabinoids. In 2018, an article was published by CCR where we can see what those compounds could have some anti-inflammatory effects on a human body. This can have a good effect on some of the symptoms like puffy eyes, inflamed sinuses, and pressure headaches.
Generally, cannabis is widely used for pain reduction, especially for pains and aches, which are pretty common symptoms of a cold. Some papers are even stating that cannabis can even help people who are experiencing chronic pain.
Truth be told, we don’t have solid grounds for all of these claims. We can say that this situation is like walking on thin ice. Naturally, it’s not that drastic.
Can Smoking Weed Worsen Cold Symptoms?
There is no direct evidence that can show us that smoking weed can make these symptoms worse. Moreover, there are some research that can give us just a glimpse of this possibility. Also, there is common sense. The last thing your respiratory system needs when you are sick is smoke. Try to light a cigarette while you are sick and you will get the same result.
When it comes to studies, we can see from a review published in 2018 that there are weak connections between respiratory system symptoms and smoking weed. Some of those symptoms are wheezing, mucus production, and coughing.
So, the person who is sick could find herself in a much worse situation if chooses to smoke weed at the same time. As we said, there is a significant number of people that claim you should consume other types of cannabis if you are sick like edibles, CBD oil, etc.
Does Smoking Weed Interact with Cold Medications?
There are some claims of smoking weed can interact with taking medications for cold or flu. There is some truth in these claims. For example, some of these medications are producing the same side effect as smoking cannabis.
Taking both of those at the same time can make them even worse. Some of the symptoms that are shared by cannabis and medications are drowsiness, dizziness, dry mouth, etc. It’s needless to say that people who consumed both of these should avoid driving a car.
Bad Sides of Smoking Weed While Sick
There are several uncomfortable symptoms that can be caused by the flu or cold like sneezing, headaches, cough, scratchy and sore throat, sinus pressure, etc. According to some percentage of the public, some of these symptoms can be avoided with cannabis smoking. The other part claims otherwise.
However, we are giving a single advantage to the second one. One of the things that prove that you should avoid smoking weed if you are sick is that inhaling.
There is already too much pressure on a persons’ lungs. The main factors you need to consider here are heat and smoke. Both of these elements are possible irritants. So, smoking marijuana could cancel out other anti-inflammatory benefits that terpenoids and cannabinoids are going to provide.
Also, they could have an effect on phlegm production which can irritate the respiratory system even more than it already is. The conclusion is that other types of consuming cannabis can provide you with some alleviation when it comes to cold symptoms.
