Marijuana is finally becoming normalized within countries and states, shedding light on its healing powers and medical benefits, but is there a catch?

With every recreational substance comes some kind of downfall, and while marijuana is often safer than ingesting other substances (e.g., alcohol), there are some short–term effects that every cannabis user should know about.

What did you have for breakfast this morning? Even harder, what did you eat for dinner last night? While questions like these might seem mundane and useless, cannabis users often show more signs of short-term memory loss than non-users.

You’ll have no problem recalling that amazing concert you saw last year, but remembering daily tasks and responsibilities is a bit more challenging. We suggest jotting down your tasks and to-do lists in a planner to keep your mind sharp.

Within the first hour after toking on your favorite strain, it’s common to feel a sense of fear and paranoia like someone’s watching you, following you, or about to catch you smoking somewhere you shouldn’t. While the high fades within 1-2 hours, feeling paranoid during that experience can mangle your perception of time and make those hours feel a lot longer.

This could fall in line with the paranoia section above but is a little more intense and unsettling. It’s worth noting that cannabis users with pre-existing mental health issues like anxiety and depression are more prone to experiencing depersonalization.

All seems good and well during a high until something sets you off, maybe a wave of anxiety. This can lead to overthinking, a sense of identity loss, feeling like you’re on auto-pilot, numbness, and not recognizing yourself in the mirror. As scary as it may seem, this is the perfect time to meditate and ground yourself, reminding yourself that you exist, you’re in control, the moment is real, and you’re not alone.

Both women and men can experience short-term sexual issues when using cannabis. Because weed is known to relax the body, especially in Indica strains, males often face challenges in achieving full erections.

That’s not all; since cannabis plays with the mind and keeps you distracted, men and women may have a harder time reaching orgasm. Finally, cannabis can also cause vaginal dryness. We suggest taking down a couple of glasses of water about half an hour before a hook-up to ensure your body is ready for the deed.