Cannabis sales spiked as soon as stay at home orders and lockdowns started to commence in cities across the USA. Most people began to stock up on cannabis supply and in no time marijuana sales surged. Particularly in the states that have deemed marijuana businesses essential. Some studies went on to say that marijuana can alleviate the symptoms of medical conditions such as anxiety. Which is being felt all across the globe because of the ongoing situation. However, smoking marijuana in these critical times is a debatable topic.
According to lung experts, smoking marijuana is bad for lung health. Regular smoking can increase the risk of contracting coronavirus. Not only this but regular consumption will also lead to severe complications from the coronavirus disease. Given the reports we have regarding tobacco and COVID-19, marijuana smoking will also cause respiratory problems. Thus making the lungs even weaker. However, some patients use a medical cannabis card to purchase cannabis products to treat specific medical conditions. The main reason why medical marijuana has been deemed essential in major states of the USA. So, let’s see how cannabis smoking can impact your lungs and what are some of the alternatives you can go for instead.
Can I Smoke Cannabis During the COVID-19 Crisis?
As most canna-users might be struggling with this question at the moment, there’s one specific thing they need to keep in mind. I understand that smoking marijuana is a very tempting option for people who regularly use recreational cannabis. And this option becomes even more tempting given the inaction during the stay at home protocol initiated by authorities. Though there are some things you need to take into consideration before deciding to smoke the stock of marijuana you have at home.
First thing first, smoking is not good for your immune system. And according to the guidelines published by WHO it is very important to keep the immune system healthy and particularly the respiratory tract as coronavirus causes difficulty in breathing. Although some anecdotal evidence suggests that cannabis can cause the immune system to strengthen, yet, some experts suggest that a suppressed immune system occurs as a result of regular cannabis smoking. This means that smoking cannabis is not a desirable option during these times, particularly when coming in contact with a COVID-19 affected individual can prove fatal.
In fact, the director of the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention warns people regarding the symptoms of coronavirus. Ideally, the symptoms of coronavirus include a runny nose, respiratory issue, and fever. However, it has been recently noted that most coronavirus patients may show no symptoms and spread it to people who are vulnerable to the virus. And that includes people who smoke regularly and are at risk of exposing their weakened immune system to the COVID-19.
All in all, the best option right now is to choose an alternative cannabis consumption method. For instance, you could switch to edibles especially if you have underlying medical conditions such as asthma, or even heart problems and a weakened immune system.
Preventive Measures To Protect You From COVID-19
As you can see that smoking marijuana during these times can prove dangerous. But there is one more important thing you need to keep in mind as a canna user. This includes sharing joints. You might think that you are quarantined and sharing joints among friends with no COVID-19 symptoms is fine. But according to the warning issued by the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, even the healthiest person can feel okay but still have the coronavirus. So, to stay safe be wary of any kind of human contact.
This also means that you can’t share your cannabis with anyone until the situation is under control. You see the whole point of quarantining is avoiding contact from neighbors, friends and close relatives in order to curb the spread of the virus. This way you are helping the healthcare community and reducing the burden on the shoulders of the doctor. After all, if too many people get affected at the same time, there won’t be sufficient medical staff to take care and this will leave many affected patients unattended. To ensure you help the medical community and others fighting on the frontline, you need to choose alternative methods of consumption and forget about sharing your cannabis stock till the pandemic is curbed completely.
Alternatives To Cannabis Smoking
For medical marijuana patients, who rely on medical cannabis for their treatment and use smoking or vaping as consumption methods can switch to other methods. These methods can work effectively for patients who take medical marijuana for chronic pain, sleep, or even anxiety. As we all know that COVID-19 can affect the respiratory system and develop lung-related issues. With this in mind, you would want to seek alternatives that are medically effective and best for your medical problems.
For instance, you can look forward to using products such as edibles, CBD oil, tinctures, and chewable. In fact, CBD products like oil, sublingual, and tinctures are non-psychoactive forms of cannabis. They provide many health benefits without creating the high that THC brings. Also, if you live in the USA, you can access marijuana products under the guidance of a qualified MMJ doctor. Not only this but you can also get marijuana products online. This way you will avoid the risk of contracting the coronavirus.
Besides, people who grow marijuana at home with the help of a medical marijuana grower license can convert the buds into edible forms of cannabis. They can even make food items and add cannabis buds to any food to help enhance the overall flavor. However, it has to be kept in mind that cannabis edibles take time to produce the effects. The reason being that edibles are digested first and then they travel through the bloodstream to produce the desired effect. So, take things slowly when you consume cannabis in the form of edibles because they are powerful and quite effective.
Final Thoughts
So, there you have, your guide to smoking cannabis during the pandemic. Ensure that you stay away from cannabis smoking particularly if you have respiratory issues and you deal with weaker immunity problems. If smoking and vaping as a consumption method works for your medical condition. Then you can speak with your doctor through the process of telemedicine. The doctor will present you with the right advice and preferably advise you on selecting the right alternative cannabis consumption method. Also, these are tough times. While we may advise you on choosing other methods of consumption. We also understand that some patients require medical cannabis in order to treat their medical condition. And completely avoiding cannabis can prove dangerous for their health.