At this very moment , behind a high schoolhouse storage shed or under the grim fluorescent of a striptease - promenade Wendy ’s , a too - high adolescent is win over they ’re going to conk . Eventually that teen will tranquilize down , and probably thank their friend for turn down to call an ambulance when they ’d implore them to . get crazily high for the first time — or getting high than you ’ve ever personally been , via oils or edibles or whatever — can be a horrific experience . You reassure yourself by thinking : no one has ever o.d. from smoking sess . But — waitress . Do you hump that ? Have there not been exceptions ? And is it possible that you ’re one of them ? Frantically you pull out your phone and Google : ‘ Can you o.d. from weed?’—and are brought right here , to this week’sGiz Asks , in which a issue of expert in psychiatry , substance revilement , insurance , and toxicology give their take on that very dubiousness . ( The upshot , if you ’re too fucked up to read : you ’ll almost certainly be fine , eventually . )
Ryan Gregory Vandrey
Associate Professor , Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences , Johns Hopkins Medicine , whose research focalize on the human behavioral pharmacology of Cannabis , among other affair
The forgetful answer is yes , you may overdose on cannabis . The nuance is this . An overdose does not necessarily think death . From my position , an overdose means a several unlike things . In one case it think that you take a dose that is greater than you may put up or than you stand for , and as a result you put up undesirable adverse effects . Because there is such variety in the chemical cognitive content of cannabis merchandise , because there are so many dissimilar formulations and routes of administration that can have differential rates of drug absorption , and because the product labeling can often be wrong , it is not uncommon for even experienced cannabis users to get too openhanded a dose and experience nausea / vomiting , paranoia , anxiety , vertigo , cognitive damage , or other adverse event after using cannabis that are not typical or expected .
Another representative of an overdose is inauspicious effects that result from product contamination . In the opioid world , when someone purchase what they consider is heroin , but they get fentanyl , and they stop breathing after using that mathematical product , we call that an overdose . In the cannabis world , there are example of people buying what they think is cannabis or a hemp / CBD merchandise , and it is contaminated with gamey potency synthetic cannabinoids , residuary solvent from the extraction process , or other contaminants that directly cause stark wellness import . I call that a cannabis overdose .
Illustration: Jim Cooke (Gizmodo)
The other scenario is when individuals with a pre - existent wellness stipulation or uncommon genetic make - up respond untypically to cannabis and suffer severe adverse aftermath . There are cases where young , otherwise healthy individuals with few other peril gene have major cardiovascular event such as myocardial infarct shortly after cannabis use , or experience an acute psychotic episode after an discriminating cannabis back breaker . These are not common , or typical reactions to cannabis , but there are an increasing bit of compositor’s case paper where it appears that marijuana is the likely cause of these effect in a subset of the universe , and in some face the outcome is the demise of the individual . I live that there is a very well take dogma that “ you ca n’t o.d. on flowerpot ” meaning that use of hemp can not down you the same way economic consumption of cocaine , diacetylmorphine , or alcohol can . From my perspective , use of cannabis is very unlikely to directly conduce to end , but it is possible . I also believe that most cannabis users have experienced an overdose , meaning that they had an experience where they were “ too high ” , and the drug effect was both unexpected and unpleasant . Within that realm , there is a range of stiffness of this kind of experience , and in most cases it is shortsighted lived and not clinically important . In a subset of individual , however , the result of a cannabis overdose can have substantial minus consequences and there is no way of reliably predicting ahead of time for whom or when these experience with occur . There are vindicated difference in the likeliness and harshness of experiencing an overdose from using cannabis versus many other drug ( the risk of infection factor favoring cannabis in most shell ) , but it is anserine to trust that cannabis use is benign and can not lead in an overdose .
Chelsea Shover
Epidemiologist and Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University
Marijuana has essentially no black overdose endangerment , but non - calamitous overdose is possible . take hemp can contribute to severe and life - threatening wellness consequences for kid and infants . For adolescents and adult , an overdose can calculate like a more knockout ( and unpleasant ) rendering of common / want marijuana intoxication . Symptoms can let in confusion , paranoia , anxiousness , panic , fast nerve rate , psychotic belief , hallucinations , increase profligate pressure , and nausea or vomiting . These can set ashore citizenry in the emergency room , go to unplanned accidental injury , or just make for a bad time .
Wayne Hall
Professor , Centre for Youth Substance Abuse , The University of Queensland , Australia , whose research
The formal view ( which I have publicly expressed ) is that hemp does not do a fatal overdose . This statement is still rightful if the mechanism causing death is respiratory depression and probably still mostly true if the form of cannabis is lower tetrahydrocannabinol content herbal cannabis .
One nowadays has to be more conservative about claiming that marijuana can not produce overdose for the adopt main reason ( 1 ) reports of death due to cardiovascular disease in lumbering hemp user … which provoke the possibility that high doses of THC could have demise ( probably in individual with rarified CVD hazard ; ( 2 ) the ascent of tiptop potent cannabis concentrates with THC > 70 % which if smoked in pipes or on nails could possibly amplify this cardiovascular risk ; and ( 2 ) type reports of death in persons who use potent celluloid cannabinoids , i.e. synthetic drugs that do on the same cannabinoid sense organ as THC .
My guesswork is that these types of expiry are rarefied but it would be unwise to continue to insist ( as cannabinophiles are wo nt to do ) that it is impossible to o.d. on cannabis .
There is another mother wit in which people can and do overdose on cannabis , namely , they get doses of tetrahydrocannabinol declamatory than they mean which lead in their search aid , usually from a aesculapian emergency section . These eccentric of overdoses are not fatal . They involve users receive large dose of THC that bring about distressing experiences ( e.g. vivid anxiety or distress , psychotic symptoms or compulsive vomiting ) that users do not enjoy . The oftenness of this eccentric of overdose in EDs has increase since cannabis legalization in Colorado . They seem to me more common when masses use cannabis eatable because it is more difficult to titrate tetrahydrocannabinol doses when cannabis is used by this route .
Steve Rolles
elderly Policy Analyst for Transform Drug Policy Foundation
In terms of a fateful or potentially fatal overdose — it ’s not possible , only because the fateful dose of THC is more than a person can ever realistically consume . you’re able to get extremely grisly , end up in infirmary , and have a terrible prison term , but unless you have some other health exposure , like a heart problem , or do something stupid like drive , expiry is exceptionally marvellous . The blue appraisal , base on rather horrible animal LD50 test , suggest consuming and absorbing over 50 Gram of stark THC would reach a 50 % lethality rate for an adult male person — but other estimates put it much higher . You ca nt practicably fume anything like that much — although some people may try their best , and you would be hard press to exhaust it with conventional victuals ; you would probably reach a calamitous level of refined sugar or table salt consumption before the THC got you . If you were really determined you could possibly inject enough pharmaceutical tetrahydrocannabinol to vote out you , but that ’s an unlikely scenario for anyone , let alone the majority of social user .
If overdose is more broadly characterized as take more than intended or experiencing unpleasant , negative or adverse upshot , even if temporary , then yes its perfectly possible , and fair vernacular . Controlling dosage is obviously the headstone . This sort of adverse event overdose is more likely if you are a novice or less regular exploiter , and if you apply stronger ganja , specially concentrates , as these give a higher dose per inhalation making dosage is voiceless to control . victuals are more often link with such adverse consequence , especially for novice users , as the slow onset means precisely regularize dosage is unmanageable and unpredictable . badly dose controlled or label products can plain increase the risks .
To fend off all risks , do n’t apply at all . To reduce risks , know what you are ware , and use moderately in a good environs . With edibles take a pocket-size amount first and go out it at least two hours and see how you get on before considering taking any more .
Jonathan P Caulkins
Professor , Operations Research and Policy , Carnegie Mellon University , and the Colorado - editor program ofMarijuana Legalization : What Everyone Needs to live
Whether one can overdose on ganja depends on one ’s definition of the Scripture overdose . If overdose means any sharp contrary health outcome of taking too much , then absolutely . There is no interrogative ganja can do that . If one signify more narrowly death by the same physiologic chemical mechanism that is involved in opioid overdose ( suppressed respiration , etc . ) , then no , that is not how cannabinoids work . If one means death by any mechanism , then the answer is contest but looks like yes , but only in very rare circumstances . There are casing studies of cannabis - related death via at least three mechanisms : ( 1 ) Tachycardia , ( 2 ) pass out after dabbing and reach ones head , and ( 3 ) Psychotic installment inducing self-destruction . But even those who think such deaths can be causally attribute to the large dose of hemp acknowledge that they are very rare events .
Paul Armentano
Professor , Science , Oaksterdam University , and the Deputy Director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws ( NORML )
Unlike opioids and intoxicant , cannabinoids are not central neural system downer and are incapable of make deadly overdose — regardless of quantity or potency . States the National Cancer Institute , “ Because cannabinoid receptors , unlike opioid receptors , are not located in the brain stem areas ascertain cellular respiration , lethal overdoses from marihuana and cannabinoids do not take place . ” A 2017 US Drug Enforcement Administration publishing confirm , “ No deaths from overdose of marijuana have been report . ” For these reasons , the DEA ’s own administrative police force judge once determined , “ Marijuana , in its natural form , is one of the safest therapeutically active substances have a go at it to man . ”
Keith Humphreys
Professor , Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences , Stanford University , and a former Senior Policy Advisor for White House Office of National Drug Control Policy under the Obama Administration
Non - fatal overdoses ( more decent “ drug poisonings ” ) happen all the time with cannabis product — usually it presents in the ER like a panic approach or sometimes as a psychotic episode in which the person has temporarily lost touch with reality . But I have never seen convincing evidence of a calamitous ganja overdose . Maybe it ’s remotely possible , but it ’s remotely potential to be killed by a meteorite fall from space too and I would n’t suggest anybody pass time worry about that .
Dazhe Cao
Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine and Program Director of Medical Toxicology at UT Southwestern Medical Center and Medical Director of the Toxicology Service at the Parkland Health and Hospital System
To correct the head of whether you could overdose from marijuana , I have to clarify the terminology . Marijuana key the dry plant material of Cannabis sativa . The amateur role of marijuana and other cannabis - derived product results from psychoactive property of Δ9 - tetrahydrocannabinol ( THC ) . Over the last decade , tetrahydrocannabinol concentration in marijuana and other cannabis ware have dramatically increased . Chandra et alfound that US marijuana THC concentration increased from a mean value of 6 % in 2008 to 9.4 % in 2017 . Concurrently , sinsemilla ( a specialised grow method acting of Cannabis sp . ) THC concentration increased from a mean of 11.5 % to 17.8 % , and hashish crude ( THC concentrate ) increased from a mean of 6.7 % to 55.7 % . what is more , the standard deviation around the mean value of 55.7 % in hash oil was 24.7 % . We have reckon concentrates of nearly 100 % tetrahydrocannabinol . One of the adages in medical toxicology is “ the back breaker makes the poison . ” With regard to the type of cannabis product used , one should not match the risk of overdose from 9 % marijuana with that of 100 % THC oil .
The second power point of elucidation revolve around the discussion “ overdose . ” untoward or unintended effects from incisive cannabis manipulation is common . Of the 253 case of acute cannabis exposurereported to the Oregon Poison Centerfrom December 2015 through April 2017 , only 16 ( 6.3 % ) cases remain explicitly symptomless or 93.7 % of cases “ overdosed ” on hemp . Although the percentage of eccentric can not be generalized to the populace , majority of whom reach the intended euphoric upshot of THC , we can see that masses can have unintended issue from cannabis use . However , when one practice the parole “ overdosed ” to imply human death , death result from isolated penetrative ganja vulnerability is rare . Cases of ganja - related dying have been report in the literature – one pediatric caseof potential hemp - associated myocarditis , one traumatic dying , andnumerous cardiovascular deaths . Typically , destruction link with cannabis role involves other predispose factors like trauma or underlie cardiovascular disease . In children , respiratory depressioncan be life - threaten and may necessitate mechanically skillful ventilation . In comparison to the respiratory impression from the opioids like diacetylmorphine or fentanyl , the risk from cannabis exposure is far smaller .
In sum-up , one can o.d. from cannabis products , but risk of demise from stranded cannabis use is scummy , especially from “ downcast ” THC - concentration marijuana .
April D. Thames
Associate Professor of Psychology and Director of the Social Neuroscience in Health Psychology laboratory at USC Dornsife
The idea of fatal overdosing has n’t been supported in clinical circumstance as well as the scientific lit . There are case where people take too much cannabis , which we make love can result in paranoia , muddiness , and rapid heart charge per unit . If someone had a pre - existent forcible condition , such as cardiovascular problems , and were then to take a high dose of marijuana , it ’s conceivable that they could receive a black overdose — but that ’s in the circumstance of a pre - existent physical malady . But the peril for fatal overdose in the means we think about it with other drugs — there ’s not enough evidence to support that hap .
That said , with legalisation , and the popularity of edibles , there have been more and more cases of multitude show up to the ER with these symptom , where they may cover that they feel like they ’re dying but they ’re not really overdose in a fatal way .
I analyse the cognitive force of marijuana for multitude who are large users over many , many years . These are multitude who started very unseasoned — their years of attack was preteen or teen class , and they ’ve used to a great extent throughout their lifetime . With these specific user , we do see some insufficiency in sure cognitive areas . But for someone who decides to prove marijuana for the first clock time , or even a recreational , once - in - a - while - case drug user , typically any cognitive effects will reside as soon as the drug is out of their organisation .
There unquestionably does need to be more enquiry in this area , because now we have so many different absorption and strains , which makes it very hard to love what the long - term outcome are , especially with THC , the psychotropic ingredient , which tends to be connect with more adverse effect ( whereas cannabidiol , or CBD , has a more tranquilizing effect and in reality has been shown in some study to have benefits on the immune organisation ) .
Karen Corsi
Associate Professor , Psychiatry , University of Colorado
The question of whether one can o.d. on marijuana has come up in many pedantic and put forums recently due to changing ganja insurance policy in many states nationwide and thus a corresponding increased sake and consumption of marijuana . To my knowledge , there have been no casing where a person has actually fail from overconsumption of marijuana alone . The distinctive definition of overdose leads one to think of decease by opiate overdose or other extreme emergency position where a somebody needs living - saving medical measure to survive the event . This simply does not happen with marijuana . While it is potential for someone to consume too much marijuana and stick out ominous wellness effects such as paranoia , hallucinations , and in some casing psychotic symptoms , among others , there is not a threat of last by pulmonary tuberculosis of marijuana alone . discussion for overconsumption of marijuana is simply to hold back until the effects subside , which could be a matter of hours . And while this situation of consuming too much marihuana may be very uncomfortable emotionally and even physically , there is not a corresponding physical risk of destruction .
Matthew Fadus
General Psychiatry Resident at the Medical University of South Carolina
on-going effectual changes and more far-flung banker’s acceptance and permissiveness of cannabis usance have precede to more and more questions related to cannabis use and this is surely one of them . Cannabis exercise has become so common and tolerated and therefore we would expect a much mellow rate of surmise overdoses , which fortunately has not been the case . Cannabis is not something that we think of as cause a mechanics that can directly direct to death as a result of too gamey of a battery-acid . But it is also important to define the condition “ overdose ” as well . In psychiatry we often think of “ overdose ” as an designed attempt to end one ’s one aliveness , whereas others may view it more to intimate an unsought result or extravagant or dangerous use .
With that being say there are certainly problematic effects of using too much cannabis or using substantial stock of marijuana . The most come to ones that we see in psychiatry include psychotic episodes which can be quite troubling , admit paranoia as well as auditive and visual hallucinations . There are other more unwashed adverse effects of cannabis purpose which can include including sickness , regurgitation , headache , memory concern etc . , however these by no means are inevitably dangerous in terms of overdose voltage .
The more common drug that are concerning related to to overdose ( if we define it by intention to harm oneself ) would be those such as opioids ( oxycodone aka Oxycontin and heroin ) because they head to excessive drugging and suppress the parts of the brainiac that are responsible for breathing . Opioids can be particularly dangerous in terms of overdose when combined with other sedating medications that can reduce our respiratory thrust , such as benzodiazepine medication ( i.e. alprazolam aka Xanax , and clonazepam aka Klonopin ) . Other substances such as stimulant drug ( i.e. cocaine ) can make expiry by disrupt the electrical activity of the heart or limiting blood current and function of the heart . cocain use causes a massive sacking of the torso ’s “ fight or flight of steps ” chemicals which can cause substantial arrhythmias in the nerve .
as luck would have it , the effects of hemp do not lead to respiratory suppression like opioids nor are they as concerning come to to the cardiotoxic essence of cocain . However , many people can seek and regrettably be successful in their intentional overdose with more than one substance ( i.e. complete felo-de-se by using cannabis and opioids ) which can mix the consequence . It is broadly speaking accepted that although cannabis use can become problematic and lead to inauspicious effects in high DoS and frequency , there is not a business for overdose dying straightaway link up to cannabis use of goods and services .
Sharon Levy
Director of the Adolescent Substance Use and Addiction Program at Boston Children ’s Hospital
Yes , you may overdose on marijuana . study of over sedation and respiratory economic crisis secondary to marijuana uptake have been reported in young children who have consume very large amounts of THC relative to their body size . This is less probable to occur in larger adults . There have been cases of children acknowledge to intensive tutelage unit but to my cognition , no Death have been report .
Non - deadly overdose on marijuana , resulting in astutely alter genial status is middling common , and more closely associated with consumption of comestible . There have been accidental death related to this phenomenon , though marijuana per se is not the proximal cause of death . A recent publication in the Annals of Internal Medicine analyze the pace of ED intro among substance abuser of comestible marijuana user and may be of interestingness in answer your inquiry . In my clinical recitation I hear about “ dark-green outs”—essentially consuming enough marijuana to ensue in discriminating neurotoxicity causing store loss — on a regular basis . This phenomenon is “ under the microwave radar ” because users often do not stage to the parking brake section and so there is no skilful data point on how common it is . While these events are far less lethal than opioid overdose , they are not all benign .
Do you have a question forGiz Asks ? e-mail us at[email protected ] .
BiologyGiz AsksHealth
Daily Newsletter
Get the good technical school , science , and culture news in your inbox daily .
News from the future , delivered to your present tense .
You May Also Like
