Unless you are using medical marijuana for an illness or chronic pain, daily use or frequent use may not provide as many benefits as you think.

With more people using marijuana and the drug being socially acceptable, users must take some time to consider their habits and frequency of use. Since more people are using recreationally and medically, additional studies are being performed to determine long-term effects. But what are the long term effects of daily marijuana use?

Marijuana can have some serious effects on the brain and body, and while some of these can be positive, there are some serious negative effects that need to be taken into consideration.

Brain and Body: Main Effects

Long-term and daily use of cannabis can have some major effects on the brain and your body. The actual effects will depend on the user and their overall health. It will also depend on the amount of weed that is consumed and the levels of THC in the strain being used. THC will react on your brain no matter what weed you are smoking and will cause the release of dopamine. This provides a sensation of pleasure. However, there are some long-term effects that are not always positive, which is what you should consider if you are a daily user.

When ingested, weed will enter your bloodstream, heading right to the brain. Here, it will affect the orbitofrontal cortex and affect your ability to form memories or impair the ability to process new or current information. Not only does cannabis use affect the brain, but it can also cause changes in the body, such as increased blood pressure, anxiety, or faster heart rates.

If you are a daily user but are not yet aware of the effects on your brain and body, read on to learn the pros and cons of daily use and how the drug causes different symptoms.

Pros of Long Term Use

You will find there are positive long-term effects of marijuana. Daily smoking can offer some benefits to the brain and body. One way in which frequent and daily use is beneficial is with controlling pain. Many people suffer from disorders or illnesses that cause chronic pain. It has been shown that daily use of weed can relieve pain and is often used for the treatment of menstrual pain or chronic pain ailments such as fibromyalgia.

Another benefit is for those that have a career in the arts. In regards to cannabis effects on the brain, creativity is often enhanced when using the drug frequently. Many people who have creative professional jobs will find this to be a great benefit of daily use.

Wondering about smoking weed effects on the body? There are some studies that have confirmed there are, in fact, benefits. Marijuana use can result in a lower risk of obesity, and regular users typically have lower insulin levels along with thinner waists. Due to this, daily cannabis use may be a great option for those that struggle to maintain weight or need to control or regulate blood sugar levels.

Drawbacks of Long Term Use

While there are some proven benefits to smoking cannabis on a daily basis, you should also be aware of the negative effects it can cause. Everyone will react differently to the drug, and the strain will also play a large role in whether there are benefits or drawbacks.

Daily smoking can greatly increase your chances of respiratory illness. Those who choose to smoke the drug may have problems with chronic coughing or bronchitis as well as wheezing. There is also a link between marijuana use and upper respiratory tract cancers. If this is a concern, yet you want to continue with daily use, consider using edibles.

Daily marijuana use effects also include an increased heart rate. This is not usually a problem for those that are healthy, but if you have a risk of heart disease or any family history, you may want to think twice about your daily use.

One final consideration is the impact on learning. Many will wonder, does weed influence memory? It does. It can impair learning and can also affect your ability to recall information. These symptoms are mostly experienced by those that consume large amounts regularly.

Read Also: What Are the Side Effects of THC Cannabis?

Marijuana Use: Social Life Impacts

Just like effects on the brain and body, daily marijuana use will also have social impacts on our lives. These can be both positive and negative, and they can both be subtle and encouraging, either to use more or to use less. The use of marijuana can impact your judgment and perception, which can play a role in social settings.

So, how does weed affect your social life? When it comes to determining the negative and positive social effects, it all comes down to how the drug is being used and the tasks that are being performed at the time. If you are among peers who also use cannabis products, there is not likely to be a huge social impact. However, if you have a mixed group of friends, you may find that some will not approve and will become isolated or will not involve you in social circles.

The exact effect marijuana use has on your social life all depends on the type of life you lead, whether you are a student, what type of job you have, and how often you are under the influence of this drug. Let’s take a look at the pros and cons in terms of social life and the effects of daily marijuana use.

Pros

The use of marijuana has become widely accepted, and daily use can actually improve one’s social life. Individuals will feel connected to others and will enjoy being part of a group. Smoking week can also help people create new groups of friends and enhance their social circles. Most groups of people who smoke on a regular basis are welcoming and will open social circles to new members, offering a feeling of belonging and support to those that use.

Cons

Studies have shown that heavy and daily use of marijuana can impact your social life in a negative way. It can decrease your ability to learn and retain information, which can pose a risk to your job or your academic standings. Students who smoke marijuana daily have lower grades and impaired memory, attention, and learning skills. Weed use can also cause depression, causing younger smokers to withdraw from friends and isolate themselves completely.

For those in the workplace, the drug’s daily use can result in increased absences and even accidents on the job. Users often have fewer friends at work and are slow to develop new relationships.

Healthy Tips for Enjoying Marijuana

The best way to stay safe and healthy is to enjoy the short-term effects of weed. Unless you are using medical marijuana for an illness or chronic pain, daily use or frequent use may not provide as many benefits as you think. You can still get high while enjoying a relaxing sensation without overdoing it. In fact, those who smoke less often have more pronounced effects. This is due to tolerance.

Daily use will build tolerance, having an impact on how this drug reacts as well as what sensations you get. To avoid possible problems with long-term use, you may want to consider micro-dosing or cutting back by smoking every other day. This will reduce tolerance, provide better highs, and help to eliminate the possible negative effects of daily use.

This article originally appeared on AskGrowers.com and has been reposted with permission.