The Negative Effects of Weed on Health and How to Counter Them

Weed, marijuana, cannabis, whatever you want to call it these days has been a hot topic throughout various states and is now legal in many of them. That said, while many are looking strictly at the benefits, we would be amiss to discount some of the negative effects of weed on health. While these effects may or may not turn people away, we should look at various ways to counter these negative effects.

In this article, we will dissect some of the negative effects of weed on health and what you can do to counter them (should you choose to use it in a state where it is legal).

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not meant to treat or diagnose any condition. It is recommended that you speak to your healthcare professional before using weed, as well as check the laws where you live to ensure it is legal to possess and use with or without a medical prescription.

Negative Effects of Weed on Health and How to Counter Them

Below are some of the common negative effects of weed on health and the things you can do to help counter those effects.

1. Cognition Issues

A common effect of using marijuana is that many notice changes in their cognition. Those who smoke weed or consume it as an edible may do so to calm themselves. Some even describe the feeling as being put into a “trance.” If you want to get somewhat nerdy with what actually takes place in the body, CB1 receptors become activated through Adenosine 2a receptors to provide you with such a sensation. 

If you need to maintain your focus, it may be a good idea to counteract the negative effects of weed on health and mental performance by taking caffeine. Caffeine can actually help block those Adenosine 2a receptors, which can help you shift out of the “trance” and back into a more focused state. It can also lower your chances of becoming addicted to the effects associated with marijuana.

2. Anxiousness

While most people associate marijuana with relaxation, some can feel anxious through its use — particularly the day after. Anxiety can have many negative effects on health and could cause cortisol levels to rise, heart rate to increase, and many other effects.

To counter these negative effects of weed on health, you can increase the release of dopamine and glutamate by ingesting a form of caffeine when the symptoms arise.

3. Reduction in Thyroid Hormone

One of the biggest roles that the thyroid plays deals with your metabolism. A sluggish thyroid could cause you to gain weight more easily and notice the accumulation of body fat storage increase. When the thyroid cannot produce enough thyroid hormone, this can take place.

Unfortunately, one of the negative effects of weed on health deals with the fact that marijuana has been shown to decrease thyroid hormones. If you combine this with getting “the munchies” (another known side effect of using marijuana), you may find yourself shifting into a caloric surplus without realizing it — leading to weight gain. Cleary, gaining weight as is can lead to even more negative health effects.

For those looking to counter marijuana lowering their thyroid hormone production, you may want to utilize red light therapy specifically on the thyroid. Red light therapy can help regenerate the thyroid to function optimally and produce thyroid hormones without issue. You can go to a clinic to have this done or purchase a personal unit to be used at home.

4. Lower Testosterone Levels

Men should pay close attention to this section in particular, as testosterone is a crucial hormone that serves many purposes. 

The negative effects of weed on health can make their way to the testes and start lowering your testosterone levels and production. Obviously, this is incredibly important if you care about your health, anti-aging, and preservation of your lean muscle mass and growth. As we age, we start losing testosterone as is (which typically begins around the age of 30), the last thing we need is to have another force acting upon it and causing it to plummet even faster.

THC found in marijuana has been found to decrease testosterone. Additionally, as levels of testosterone drop, a rise in estrogen may take place. Not only does this potentially cause you to lose your hard-earned lean muscle mass, but it can also lead to an increase in body fat storage. 

To help counter this and help reverse the effects, there are a few things you can do. 

The first thing you can do is get out in the sun. Direct sunlight helps you take in natural vitamin D through your skin, which can play a role in boosting testosterone levels. 

The second way to help ensure your testosterone levels don’t drop due to marijuana is to use red light therapy. For this, place a red light therapy device in front of the testes to help support the natural production and release of testosterone. 

The third thing you could do is utilize some sort of testosterone booster in your supplement regimen. At MuscleSport, we have your back when it comes to boosting testosterone with our Test Revolution. MuscleSport Test Revolution is an advanced natural testosterone booster that utilizes several potent trademarked ingredients to help maximize results and support healthy, normalized testosterone levels. 

5. Trouble Sleeping

Last on our list of negative effects of weed on health is sleep. Those who don’t value sleep tend to see the most side effects. Why? Because sleep helps many aspects of your health — everything from hormone levels, stress and cortisol, muscle recovery from workouts, energy levels, and more. 

If you wake up and feel drained as if you didn’t sleep at all, it may be due to marijuana causing a decrease in cyclic AMP. Cyclic AMP is responsible for helping boost your energy as well as enhancing cognitive and mental performance. When cyclic AMP is thrown off through the use of marijuana, your circadian rhythm can also be thrown off, and you may find yourself hitting your alarm in the morning, wishing you had a few more hours to sleep.