
One could classify marijuana as a depressant. However, depending on the situation, dosage, and cannabinoid-terpene profile of the cannabis variety being used, it can also be categorized as a stimulant or a hallucinogen.
Depressants are medications that affect your central nervous system and reduce brain activity. They consequently cause you to feel drowsy, calm, and sluggish, and you might have trouble concentrating and remembering things. We always recommend that before beginning to use marijuana for medical purposes, you speak with a medical marijuana doctor. Whether marijuana is appropriate for your circumstances will be determined by the doctor.
Cannabis is categorized as a depressant because it has the ability to produce these effects. But we’ll also talk about how marijuana can have stimulant or hallucinogenic effects.
Categories of Drugs
Marijuana is classified into at least three of the four major drug subtypes. These include opiates, stimulants, depressants, and hallucinogens.
Because cannabinoids impact the endocannabinoid system (ECS), which in turn affects the behavior of other receptor systems, such as serotonin, dopamine, glucocorticoid, and GABA receptors, cannabis can be classified as a stimulant, depressant, and mild psychedelic. Cannabinoids can affect opioid receptors even though they are not opioids. Because of its wide range of effects, medical cannabis may be able to lessen or even eliminate the need for some prescription medications. This is also the reason why medical cannabis might be regarded as a “plant medicine.”
Stimulants
In contrast to depressants, stimulants increase rather than decrease brain activity. In addition to making you feel happy or euphoric, stimulants can raise your heart rate and blood pressure, which will increase your sense of alertness. Caffeine is a mild stimulant that many people take on a daily basis.
The majority of stimulants function by causing your brain to release more dopamine and norephedrine. Dopamine and norephedrine are two substances that influence brain activity, just like GABA. Euphoria results from elevated dopamine levels, while elevated norephedrine causes elevated heart rate and blood pressure.
It should be mentioned, though, that not everyone experiences this effect from stimulants. For instance, Ritalin, a stimulant prescribed for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), can actually make the patient feel more at ease and relaxed.
Stimulants can be useful when you need to feel more alert, depending on the desired result. However, improper use of stimulants can lead to negative side effects such as fever, tremors, confusion, anger, panic, and rapid breathing and heart rate.
Depressants
Drugs known as depressants reduce activity in the brain and other parts of the central nervous system. Alcohol is a well-known example of a depressant that most people are aware of. Furthermore, benzodiazepines and other prescription-only medications are depressants.
The majority of depressants function by raising the brain’s concentration of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). GABA is a chemical that has a number of effects by reducing brain activity.
Depressants like benzodiazepines are used to make people feel calm and drowsy because they cause a decrease in brain activity. Some can put you to sleep, while others have a mildly sedative effect. Benzodiazepines are frequently prescribed to treat epilepsy and anxiety disorders.
Although depressants can occasionally be helpful due to their sedative and calming effects, abusing them can have serious consequences. Low blood pressure, addiction, sluggish breathing, poor memory, headaches, dizziness, and difficulty moving can all be examples of this.
Hallucinogens
Psychoactive substances that produce hallucinations are known as hallucinogens. Experiencing something that is not actual or present is known as a hallucination. Another word for hallucinogen is “psychedelic,” which you may also hear, though the terms aren’t exactly synonymous.
Since the most hallucinations happen with higher doses or when drugs are misused, some drugs are not strictly hallucinogens. However, hallucinogens are substances that can change your mood, perception, and mental functions, including speech and thought.
It is tough that hallucinogens function by triggering brain receptors that serotonin typically binds to. However, each brain may react differently to different hallucinogens.
Given that some people experience unpleasant perceptions, hallucinations are frequently regarded as a negative drug side effect. Additionally, because cognitive impairment is not always ideal, they are seen negatively. Despite this, hallucinogens are still widely used recreationally, and psychedelics’ potential medical benefits are extensively studied.
Opiates
Opiates are a class of medications used to treat extreme pain, usually following surgery. Opioids are therefore a type of painkiller, but they differ from the over-the-counter medications you may normally take. Opioids are typically only available with a prescription due to their adverse effects.
Morphine is the active component of some opiates, which are made from the poppy plant. Prescription medications include a variety of synthetic and morphine-derived opiate pain relievers with varying potencies.
Constipation, addiction, dependence, and respiratory depression are among the adverse effects, despite their well-known potency as pain relievers. Opioids are therefore only available with a prescription, and smaller dosages are advised.
Heroin, also known as diacetylmorphine, is a synthetic opiate that is illegal.
What Category of Drug Does Marijuana Belong To?
As you may have noticed, marijuana can be classified into nearly every subtype. Marijuana falls into one of three categories: stimulant, depressant, or hallucinogen. However, since cannabis is not derived from morphine or the poppy plant, it cannot be categorized as an opiate.
Why Marijuana Is Classified as a Stimulant
Because it can increase brain activity, marijuana can be both a stimulant and a depressant. Cannabis won’t likely make you feel alert, but it can raise your heart rate and blood pressure.
The type and dosage of cannabis determine whether it has a stimulant or depressant effect. THC, cannabigerol (CBG), a small amount of tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV), more limonene, and less myrcene may all contribute to the stimulant effect of marijuana. On the other hand, marijuana that contains more myrcene, humulene, and cannabinol (CBN) in addition to THC may have a stronger sedative effect. In the end, though, this relies on the dosage you are taking and how your specific body reacts to marijuana.
Why Marijuana Is Considered a Depressant
Due to its ability to reduce brain and other central nervous system activity, marijuana is sometimes referred to as a depressant. Cannabis, for instance, can lower blood pressure, relax muscles, and induce drowsiness. In certain situations, this may also result in headaches, dizziness, slow breathing, and difficulty concentrating.
Why Marijuana Is Classified as a Hallucinogen
Because marijuana changes your mood, perception of reality, and cognitive processes, it can have hallucinogenic or psychedelic effects. Cannabis is, in fact, occasionally referred to as a “mild psychedelic.” This effect will also vary depending on the type of marijuana you use and the dosage you take.
The Conclusion
Depending on the strain (chemotype), dosage, and other variables, marijuana can be classified as a stimulant, depressant, or psychedelic/hallucinogen.
Reducing your THC dosage and looking for products with more CBD and less myrcene would be the best first steps if you want to avoid the depressant effects of marijuana. Additionally, since these depressing effects can exacerbate one another, you should avoid using marijuana in combination with other depressants that have similar effects, such as alcohol or prescription medications.
You must have a medical marijuana card in Bergen in order to use marijuana for medical purposes. This will allow you to legally obtain marijuana and prevent you from facing any legal ramifications.