Cannabis has had a real renaissance. Part of that is finding all the wonderful ways it can better our lives. From sex to working out, weed really has made being alive much more tolerable. However, the dark underbelly of getting high is still out there, especially now that tourists are visiting states where cannabis is legal. Dr. Richard Clark, emergency physician and director of medical toxicology at UC San Diego says there’s been a rise in hospitalizations since California went green. However, you don’t have to get so high you think you’re dying. Keep reading to find out what’s up with cannabis-related hospitalizations and what you can do to prevent them.
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Did you visit a state where weed is legal and overdo it? Tell us about your experience in the comments!
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Legal Weed Hospitalizations
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Facts Are Facts
Since the legalization of cannabis, visits for cannabis poisoning in California have gone up by almost 49 percent, to just under 8,000 last year.
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Doctors Are Calling it an Anxiety Reaction
People aren't dying from getting too high, but more people are arriving at the ER complaining of being dizzy with an elevated heart rate and saying they feel funny. This isn't pleasant but it's unlikely to kill you.
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Not-So-Nice Side-Effects Are a Worst-Case Scenario
In extreme scenarios, there may be hallucinations and extreme paranoia. Hospitals and poison control centers have had an uptick in people complaining from these horrifying side-effects.
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You're Not Going to Die
On the slim chance that you Googled, "Too high, will I die?" the answer is an emphatic no. You don't need to go to the ER, either. Just stop what you're doing and lie down. The only thing that will end this trip is getting through it.
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Edibles Aren't Solely Responsible For Cannabis Poisoning
If you don't smoke marijuana on the regular, you can get too high from smoking. Legalized marijuana isn't the gross sticks and stems you're smoking back home. When you go into a dispensary, know they're pushing primo product for people who smoke on the regular. So tell the person helping you that you're a tourist. Explain that you want to enjoy a light high and not talk to God for the next eight hours. They know what this means and can help you.
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There's Not Enough Data to Support the Claim That Marijuana's Bad For You
Cannabis hasn't been studied enough to declare it "bad," but it is still a drug, so if you abuse it, you're going to regret it.
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Use Cannabis Responsibly
No one wants to call an ambulance because they're hallucinating from the 150-milligram edible they just ate. If you've never had edibles, start by micro-dosing. You can get edibles as low as 2 milligrams. Start there.
