Can you eat hash?
In this short article, we will answer the question, “Can you eat hash?” with an in-depth analysis of hash, the consumption of hash, signs of hash consumption and the short-term and long-term effects of using a hash.
Can you eat hash?
Yes, you can eat hash. Hash has been considered a psychoactive compound in marijuana that has a role in making people feel high.
What is a hash?
Hash, botanically known as Cannabis sativa or Cannabis indica, is a reddish-brown resin of the cannabis plant. It is smoked after being dried and pressed into small blocks. It can also be consumed by adding to food.
The resin contains high amounts of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol or THC, the main mind-altering ingredient found in the cannabis plant.
People who use hash may experience a pleasant euphoria and a sense of relaxation.
Other popular consequences may comprise increased sensory perception (such as brighter colours), snorting, modified perception of time, and enhanced appetite.
Consumption of hash
Hash can be consumed in several ways among which dabbing is the most common method. Dabbing is the process in which there is a small water pipe that has a flat deep bowl. This set-up can bear high temperatures.
For eating purposes, the hash needs to undergo decarboxylation so that it will not cause any harm to the consumer.
For more safety purposes, it is better to consume hash along with butter or any fatty material so that it can easily pass into the stomach.
People who excessively consume hash, prefer the use of a vaporizer as it is smokeless, odourless and easy to carry and hide. Using a vaporizer to consume hash is commonly known as “dabbing” or “vaping.”
Effects of hash consumption
Short term effects of using hash
Short-term effects of hash include
- Disordered learning and memory
- The trouble with thinking and problem solving
- Distorted perception (sights, sounds, time, touch)
- loss of motor coordination
- increased heart rate
- Anxiety
- Dry mouth
These effects are even greater when a person combines hash with other drugs, such as alcohol.
Long-term effects of using hash:
Excessive use of hash in the long term can lead to:
- Psychological effects including paranoia, anxiety, panic attacks, and hallucinations.
- Alterations in heart rate and blood pressure may occur
- Increases the risk of schizophrenia in exposed individuals.
- Can result in addiction. It influences the brain’s reward system in the same way as all other drugs of addiction, and the probability of addiction increases significantly for those who start at a young age.
Additionally, long-term use of hash can double the risk of anxiety, depression and a series of attitude and personality changes, recognised as “motivational syndrome.”
This syndrome is described by a decreased capacity to carry out long-term projects, a sense of apathy, limited attention to appearance and behaviour and reduced ability to concentrate for extended periods.
Individuals who sniff hash often have similar respiratory problems, like the ones who do cigarette smoking. These people may have chronic cough and phlegm, symptoms of bronchitis, and more frequent chest colds. They are inclined to lung infections including pneumonia.
The smoke of hash may contain some of the related cancer-causing chemicals found in the smoke of cigarettes.
Hash has also been found to impair memory, judgment and perception. Learning and attention skills are reduced among people who consume hash in excessive amounts.
It has been found out that the use of hash from a young age can negatively affect brain development and IQ levels.
Signs of hash consumption
Signs of hash consumption include:
- glassy red eyes
- slurred speech
- loss of motor coordination
- distorted perception
Signs of withdrawal
People who try to quit the use of hash suffer from mild withdrawal symptoms that include:
- irritability
- trouble sleeping
- decreased appetite
- anxiety
- cravings
No medicines are available to control hash use disorder, but behavioural support can be effective.
How long does it take to feel the effects of hash?
Hash enters the bloodstream immediately after consumption. The effects can be felt within minutes and they rise in about thirty minutes. If the hash is ingested, such as in baked goods or edibles, it takes a little longer to be absorbed into the blood, usually from twenty minutes to an hour and a half.
Once in your system, you may feel like the effects have passed after 2 to 3 hours, although there can be some impairment for as long as 24 hours. However, the time extremely varies with concentration.
If you are not a frequent user, the effects of hash consumption on mindfulness, concentration, and memory generally pass 6 hours after ingesting or smoking hash.
However, if you are a frequent user, the effects can last for a maximum of 28 days even after you stop using the hash.
Conclusion
In this short article, we have answered the question, “Can you eat hash?” with an in-depth analysis of hash, the consumption of hash, signs of hash consumption and the short-term and long-term effects of using a hash.
