Introduction
Females opt for various forms of birth control for contraception. Smoking weed while taking birth control conflicts with each other and induces undesirable negative health benefits.
The delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a chemical compound found in marijuana, exacerbates the hormonal side effects of birth control. THC interferes with the estrogen receptors’ signaling and decreases estrogen levels. The low estrogen levels trigger ovulation, disturb the menstrual cycle, and reduce the effectiveness of birth control.
In this post, let’s unfold the fact can you smoke weed while on birth control or not?
Effects of Weed on the Body
The use of marijuana drug in any form has been legalized in some countries for medicinal and recreational purposes. Weed, also known as pot, marijuana, or dope, originates from the Cannabis sativa plant. The THC found in weed produces various short-term and long-term effects on the body. Let’s explore a few of them:
Short-Term Effects
When you smoke weed, THC moves rapidly into the blood from the lungs. The chemical acts on the receptors, affecting concentration, thinking, memory, and senses.
In low doses, weed produces:
- Memory problems
- Difficulty in thinking
- Disorganized behavior
- Difficulty in problem-solving
- Severe anxiety
- Food cravings
- Poor muscle coordination
In high doses, weed produces:
- Hallucinations
- Loss of sense of personal identity
- Delusions
- Anxiety attacks
- Paranoia
- Depression
- Increased heart rate
- Problem with coordination
- Psychosis
Long-Term Effects
Smoking weed regularly involves an adverse impact on the body. Even during pregnancy, if a woman smokes weed, its psychoactive components cross the placental barrier and affect the baby’s brain. The long-term use of the drug causes women to experience cognitive impairment, depression, schizophrenia, and other issues.
In the long term, weed increases the risk of getting:
- Cancer: Smoking weed delivers toxins and carcinogens that harm the lungs. It increases the chances of causing cancer in the lungs.
- Breathing Problems: Smoking weed causes bronchitis and other breathing issues.
- Heart Problems: When you smoke weed, your heartbeat becomes faster, and your blood pressure increases. It increases the risk of stroke and heart disease.
- Lowers Immunity: The THC found in weed damages the body cells, lowering the immune system.
- Addiction: Regular weed intake causes marijuana use disorder in the individual.
- Impaired Cognitive Thinking: Smoking weed consistently impairs cognitive thinking and learning skills.
- Mental Health: Anyone smoking weed regularly is likelier to develop psychosis and long-lasting mental disorders, including schizophrenia.
- Various Birth Defects in the Fetus: A mother smoking weed during pregnancy affects the unborn child. The child is born with multiple congenital disabilities.
- Fertility: When a woman smokes weed, estrogen and progesterone hormone levels lower, affecting fertility.
Effects of Birth Control on the Body
Birth control responds differently to hormones. It poses beneficial effects and potential risks to the body. Take a look at some of the effects of birth control on the body.
- Regulates Hormones: Birth control contraception medications have synthetic hormones that regulate the menstrual cycle in women. It may lead to unwanted side effects such as acne, fatigue, weight gain, and mood swings.
- Lowers the Risk of Cancer: Hormone-based contraceptives reduce the risk of getting endometrial and ovarian cancer.
- Increases Cardiovascular Issues: Birth control pills increase the blood pressure in the woman. They experience chest pain, back pain, and headaches.
- Appetite Changes: Women taking birth control pills experience appetite changes and sudden weight gain.
- Improves Acne: Birth control pills improve acne in women.
- Best in Hirsutism Treatment: Hormonal imbalance causes unusual hair growth in the woman. Birth control medications help in the treatment of unwanted hair growth.
Potential Complications of Taking Both Weed & Birth Control
There are multifaceted responses to the question can you smoke weed while on birth control. The intake of weed and control poses various potential complications in an individual.
Interaction Between Weed and Birth Control
When you smoke weed and take birth control medications, estrogen in the drugs raises their sensitivity to THC and reduces its effectiveness resulting in unintended pregnancy.
Possible Side Effects
When you combine the intake of weed and certain birth control medications, it poses various side effects. It includes euphoria, slowed reaction time, sedation, anxiety, hormonal changes, reduced birth control effectiveness, risk of blood clots, and allergic reactions.
Risks of Taking Both
Oral contraceptives alter hormone levels and affect the blood flow. When you smoke weed along with taking birth control, it increases the risk of blood clots and heart attacks. It is recommended not to take both for safety purposes.
Conclusion
Smoking weed while taking any form of birth control is a matter of concern. It affects the estrogen levels, raises the blood pressure, and increases the chances of getting blood clots. Smoking weed while taking birth control should be avoided entirely as it decreases the effectiveness of birth control.
Hope this post comprehends everything about the risk based on can you smoke weed while on birth control.
FAQ
Is it safe to take birth control and smoke weed at the same time?
Generally, taking birth control and smoking weed together is not safe. Weed can potentially interfere with the effectiveness of birth control and cause various hormonal issues leading to various side effects.
Does weed have an effect on the effectiveness of birth control?
Yes, weed affects the effectiveness of birth control. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in weed lowers estrogen and progesterone levels and prevents ovulation. When you intake weed, the THC interferes with the synthetic hormones in birth control and reduces the effects of birth control.
Are there any health risks associated with taking birth control and smoking weed?
Taking birth control and smoking weed together pose various health risks. It can cause hormonal issues, anxiety and increase the risk of liver damage, cardiovascular diseases, and heart attack.
