24. Is Weed Good or Bad for You? The History and Health Implications of Using Marijuana

In this episode, Sam answers a question frequently asked by listeners: is weed bad for us? After giving a full-on history lecture about the origins, importation, regulation, criminalization, and legalization of marijuana in medicinal and recreational capacities, she explores published and peer-reviewed research on the potential risks and health benefits of cannabis and, more specifically, marijuana. Listen to this episode if you're a health freak who's curious about the impact of marijuana on your wellness journey, or if you sometimes wonder whether you're using weed just a littttttle bit too much. Key moments: 02:26 Sam’s first time smoking weed lols 07:05 Why we’re doing an episode on weed 09:12 What is marijuana? What’s it made of? 09:29 THC (also known as Delta 9) 10:08 CBD and hemp 11:02 The difference between cannabis and marijuana 11:38 The history of marijuana in medical and recreational applications 12:13 The first recorded use of cannabis 14:55 How cannabis came to the west (as medicine and an intoxicant) 15:41 Early criminalization and regulation of weed in America 17:08 The back and forth between legalization and criminalization between the 1940s and 1960s 18:40 Minimum mandatory sentences are introduced for drug-related offenses, including marijuana 18:59 Counterculture pro-marijuana movements and the Controlled Substances Act 19:38 How weed is classified in the Controlled Substances Act…has legit not changed since the 1970s??? 20:59 Decriminalization in medical and recreational applications 22:26 Joe Biden’s effort to reclassify weed 22:59 The debate on marijuana 23:54 How many US adults smoke weed 24:33 Factors that influence how marijuana affects you 25:06 Important for weed users: Major increase in THC potency over the past few years 25:45 The same weed can affect you differently every time 26:07 How long it takes THC to hit (smoking vs. gummies) 26:53 How THC actually affects your brain 27:17 Anandamide, addiction, and behavior reinforcement 27:56 Short-term effects of marijuana 29:58 Long-term effects of marijuana 32:06 Marijuana use during pregnancy 32:25 The “smoking” part of smoking weed lol 33:20 Emerging research about short and long-term effects of marijuana use (good and bad - a lot more good here) 35:03 Is weed addictive? (Bad news lols) 35:19 Surprising rates of cannabis use disorder among adult users (and comparison to alcohol) 36:17 A quick self-test to determine whether you have cannabis use disorder (please still consult a doctor though bc I am not one) 37:56 Marijuana withdrawal 38:25 Can you overdose on weed? 40:05 My personal position on marijuana, after doing all the research 40:33 To legalize or criminalize? 42:33 Benefits (proven and potential) of CBD Visit ⁠Zocdoc.com/CAPSLOCK⁠. Visit ⁠FunctionHealth.com/CAPSLOCK⁠. Thanks for listening! New episodes are released every Sunday at 8 AM ET, so if you liked this episode, subscribe or follow to get notified about the next one. And please leave me a rating or review, so I can continue to improve the show. Talk soon! Follow along: Instagram: www.instagram.com/lifeincapslock TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@lifeincapslock YouTube: www.youtube.com/@lifeincapslock Threads: www.threads.net/@lifeincapslock Resources for this episode can be found here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices