Does Weed Slow Down Your Reaction Time?
For most people when high on weed, the most common sign of a slowed reaction time is the feeling that time is simply standing still. This can be very dangerous when you’re driving or operating any kind of machinery.
Weed also produces several other effects on a person. While some people may experience feelings of euphoria and relaxation, other people may experience panic, anxiety, fear, and even distrust. This can occur when a person takes too much, if the person is inexperienced, or uses something that is unexpectedly very potent. Some people have even been known to experience things such as psychosis. This can include things like hallucinations, loss of personal identity, and delusion. While only temporary, these effects are unpleasant and scary to face.
The THC in Weed Impairs Coordination
For years, many different researchers have been looking into how THC causes a slowed reaction time. It has to do with how this primary cannabinoid, THC, reacts with the brain. Inside the brain, there is a network known as the thalamo-cortico-striatal circuit. This is responsible for a person’s perception of time.
This circuit also contains several different receptors that bind with the THC cannabinoid. It is believed that when THC combines with these receptors, your internal clock will speed up and result in the feeling that the world around you has slowed down. Another potential reason weed slows down reaction time is because of the blood flow to the brain. The blood flow to the brain when high on weed changes when responding to THC. Drugs like marijuana interfere with your brain’s ability to function properly.
More About Weed and Slowed Reaction Time
For most people when high on weed, the most common sign of a slowed reaction time is the feeling that time is simply standing still. A few minutes can feel like a few hours. To others looking at you, this can look like you have delayed reactions, impaired motor skills, and impaired coordination. Because of this slowed reaction time when high on weed, things like driving become that much more dangerous. You need quick reaction time, fine motor skills, and good coordination to do things like drive a car. In most cases, marijuana does not have any long-term side effects in regards to a person’s reaction time. The feeling of slowed time and impaired reactions will go away as the THC in the weed wears off.
The Effects of Marijuana on a Person
Weed also produces several other effects on a person. While some people may experience feelings of euphoria and relaxation, other people may experience panic, anxiety, fear, and even distrust. This can occur when a person takes too much, if the person is inexperienced, or uses something that is unexpectedly very potent. Some people have even been known to experience things such as psychosis. This can include things like hallucinations, loss of personal identity, and delusion. While only temporary, these effects are unpleasant and scary to face.
While most believe it is not, weed does pose a significant likelihood for developing a dependence or addiction. Dependence has happened when a person experiences withdrawal symptoms as a result of not taking the drug or not using enough of it. Dependence turns into an addiction when a person cannot stop using even though negative consequences are the result of their use.
Let Evoke Waltham Help You
Weed is not as life-threatening physically as addiction to other substances, but it certainly has just as strong of a hold on a person as other substances, and getting sober from it can be just as difficult. If you feel you need help getting sober and staying sober from weed, Evoke Waltham can help you find the best program to help you on the path to sobriety.
