Is Marijuana a Hallucinogen? A Different Approach

The effects of marijuana may vary from person to person. Based on the user’s experience, marijuana can be categorized as a hallucinogen, depressant, or stimulant.

Marijuana is a drug obtained from marijuana seeds and the leaves, flowers, and stems of the Cannabis sativa or Cannabis indica plant. It is the third most frequently used addictive substance after tobacco and alcohol and many refer to it as a gateway drug as such. Marijuana has been traditionally considered a hallucinogen. Yet, many users report that it also has stimulant and depressant effects. Because of its potential benefits, marijuana has been increasingly used for severe debilitating conditions. These include HIV/AIDs, epilepsy, and chronic pain. Medical marijuana is available only through specialized facilities called marijuana dispensaries.

We look at the different properties of marijuana and what each of them means to your health. Besides, we also discuss the short-term and long-term effects of marijuana use.

Is Marijuana Addictive?

Marijuana can lead to addiction, especially if you consume large amounts for prolonged periods. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) reports that

Thirty percent of users may have marijuana use disorder. Addiction is a severe form of substance use disorder.
People who start marijuana use at a young age (< 18 years) have a 4- to 7-fold higher risk of progressing to a marijuana use disorder (MUD).
About 4.0 million people in the U.S. were diagnosed with MUD in 2015.

Addiction often begins with dependence. Dependence is when stopping drug use causes uncomfortable symptoms (withdrawal symptoms). Withdrawal symptoms occur within the first seven days after quitting and can include:

Irritability
Mood problems
Sleep difficulties
Decreased appetite
Cravings
Restlessness

Withdrawal from marijuana can last up to 14 days.

What are Hallucinogens, Depressants, and Stimulants?

Hallucinogens

These drugs alter your perception of your surroundings or yourself. For example, you may feel relaxed or spiritually awakened. Some users may see brighter colors, hear voices, or feel like they have detached from reality.

Commonly used hallucinogens in the U.S. are:

LSD (D-lysergic acid diethylamide)
Psilocybin (Shrooms)
Peyote (mescaline)
DMT (N,N-dimethyltryptamine)
PCP (Phencyclidine)
Ketamine
Salvia

Depressants

Depressants slow down communication between your brain and body. Thus, they make you sleepy, relaxed, and confused. Examples include benzos (Xanax), barbs (Fiorina), and GHB.

Stimulants

Also called CNS stimulants, these drugs increase alertness and energy levels. Examples include amphetamines, modafinil, cocaine, methylphenidate, and Ecstasy.

Marijuana Can Act as a Depressant

In some users, marijuana can slow down brain activity. Like other depressants, marijuana can cause:

Relaxation
Sleepiness
Muscle relaxation
Short-term memory loss
Dizziness
Slowed reflexes
Impaired thought processing
Problems with focus

Because of their depressant activities, some people use them to relieve muscle spasms, sleep problems, and anxiety.

Nonetheless, not every person responds to marijuana in the same way. Though marijuana use can help relieve anxiety temporarily, some users report increased stress and related symptoms following marijuana use, including increased heart rate and racing thoughts.

Marijuana Can Act as a Stimulant

Stimulants, in a way, are the opposite of depressants. Unlike depressants, they increase brain function, energy levels, and alertness. For this reason, people use it to relieve fatigue. Moreover, marijuana is known to increase appetite, which may contribute to its energy-boosting property.

As a stimulant, marijuana can cause:

Mood elevation
Fast heartbeat
Anxiety
Paranoia

Unlike other stimulants, such as cocaine and amphetamine, marijuana has milder action. Thus, it is also less likely to be abused. According to a 2007 study, cocaine users are more likely than marijuana users to have:

Moderate to high levels of anxiety
Higher age at the time of drug use
Less frequent drug use
Lower levels of cravings but more binge use

Marijuana Can Act as a Hallucinogen

Most people think that marijuana isn’t a hallucinogen. While this is true in some cases, hallucinogen-like effects are sometimes reported in medical studies. Initially, researchers recorded the following signs and symptoms in the user:

Loss of balance
Unsteady gait
Difficulty staying awake
Unresponsiveness
Dizziness
Nausea
Tingling sensations in the arms and legs
Neck pain

The person reported the following features of a hallucination at the peak of the drug effect:

Altered auditory and visual perceptions
Inability to hear or understand certain words
Increased sensitivity to sounds
Seeing unusual patterns
Feeling of paralysis
Out-of-body experience
Floating above the body

You may be more likely to have hallucinations if:

You have a co-occurring mental illness
Someone in your family has a mental disorder

What are the Short-term Effects of Marijuana?

The short-term effects usually appear within 2 hours after use. These can include:

A feeling of intense happiness (Euphoria)
Continuous laughter and talkativeness
Sedation
Lethargy
Intense sensory perceptions
Red eyes
Increased appetite
Dry mouth
Elevated blood pressure
Fast heartbeat

Short-term psychiatric effects can include:

Depersonalization (a feeling that you are different from your body)
Derealization (a feeling that the things around you are not real)
Dream-like euphoria
Disorientation (Confusion)
Delusions (strong false beliefs)
Hallucinations (experiencing things that do not exist)
Paranoid ideas
Impaired memory
Reduced attention spans
Disordered thinking
Agitation
Unreasonable panic
Emotional lability
Poor judgment
Slower reaction time
Short-term memory problems

What are the Long-term Effects of Marijuana?

The most critical long-term effect is the marijuana use disorder (MUD). Over time, MUD may lead to addiction.

Other effects can include:

Swollen gums
Conjunctivitis (pink eye)
Heart rhythm problems
Shortness of breath
Hoarseness
Sore throat
Increased cancer risk
Cannabis Withdrawal Syndrome (CWS) (depression, restlessness, shakiness, fever on quitting marijuana)
Amotivational Syndrome (reduced motivation to do daily tasks, common with heavy chronic use)
Cannabis-induced Depersonalization (recurrent feelings of being detached from your body)