Smoking Weed (Cannabis): Does it Mess Up Your Liver?

The world is familiar with the adverse utilization of smoking week in various forms. For instance, addicts smoke Cannabis (Marijuana) in joints (hand-rolled cigarettes), cigars, bongs, and blunts. However, research on its impacts on the human liver and other body parts is in-process. Despite this, the growing research on Cannabis and the human liver has more nuanced findings.

We still have many ambiguities about the effects of marijuana addiction when some experts do not have sufficient support that either eliminates all potential negative consequences or yields favorable benefits. That’s why in-depth examination and research are required to determine whether smoking marijuana has an impact on the liver or how Cannabis affects the human body.

Certain symptoms have been demonstrated by current studies on smoking weed to impair liver function. Here is some thorough research on marijuana use and liver operations. Stay tuned for further details on the effects of Cannabis.

Research Findings on Cannabis (Marijuana) and Liver

1. THC Markers Improve the Liver Functions

THC is the main psychoactive ingredient of Cannabis (Marijuana). Whenever a person smokes the weed, it goes inside the human liver and is oxidized into 11-hydroxy-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (11-OH-THC) metabolites that act as THC markers (marijuana markers). Researchers employed this technique and continued their investigation on finding the effects of Cannabis on the human liver.

For this purpose, they examined 42 subjects for a certain duration. The investigation revealed that liver function is unaffected or does not worsen even in those with high blood levels of THC indicators. In addition, they discovered that after using chronic Cannabis, those with blood THC-OH indicators of blood propensity had improved liver function.

However, the liver size of these people with high THC-OH makers levels in the blood displays a noticeably tiny size liver, but it did not exhibit any evidence of impairment or unusual side effects in the liver function. Therefore, they perceived that even when healthy people were experiencing the chronic Cannabis effect, there were no adverse impacts on their liver health.

2. The Activity of Cannabidiol (CBD) in Alcoholic Liver Disease

Alcoholic Liver Disease (ALD), also known as ‘Fatty Liver Disease’ occurs after consuming excessive alcohol for a noticeable duration. This condition builds up a fat layer on the livers of such individuals. Researchers are now also working on this disease.

Through their examination, they found Cannabidiol (CBD) to be useful in treating this illness which is another component of Cannabis – the smoking weed. It controls oxidative stress and aberrant or atypical abdominal accumulation of liver fat. When testing cellulitis in mice, researchers discovered promising outcomes.

Some precise findings still need to be applied to the human liver, though.

3. The Effects of Cannabis (Marijuana) on Hepatitis C

A plethora of research has shown how Cannabis consumption or marijuana addiction and smoking affects the liver. According to these studies, Cannabis use can make chronic hepatitis C infection worse.

Additionally, studies on animals have revealed that Cannabis use might aggravate liver diseases including steatosis and fibrosis due to the Hepatitis C virus.

But according to the research, Cannabis use may lower antiviral immunity in people with Hepatitis C.

However, not everyone agrees with the results because; Several researchers have demonstrated favorable benefits of Cannabis on human liver function.

Another study released in 2018 revealed that patients with Hepatitis C who have had Cannabis addiction for a significant duration showed a lower tendency of building Cirrhosis (liver scarring) which lowers the cost of healthcare overall.

The findings of researchers indicate that every study and research presents a variety of perspectives regarding the effects of Cannabis (Marijuana) on the human liver. It’s intriguing to observe how Cannabis affects the liver in humans and how its meaning shifts when used on animals.

However, there is also in-depth research that demonstrates Cannabis’ impact on the human liver’s mechanism. This is so that Cannabis may interact with the liver’s primary source of drug mechanism enzymes.

These enzymes change the potency of Cannabis or any other substance in the liver when they interact with it.

How does Cannabis (Marijuana) affect the liver?

In the human body, the liver is in charge of our body’s detoxification mechanism. It is the place where enzymes for protein synthesis and digestion are produced. Through their function as receptors in the endocannabinoid system (ECS), the cannabinoids found in the liver also contribute to digestion.

Even though there is no study to support it, Cannabis (marijuana) use has a moderately unfavorable impact on a healthy human liver.

When it comes to those who suffer from liver problems, things are rather different. For instance, an increase in cannabinoid receptors in a human liver affected by alcoholism might relieve liver discomfort and perhaps lower inflammation. The effectiveness of ECS in treating liver conditions like fibrosis is still being researched.

Favorable Consequences of Marijuana Addiction on Human Liver

Another startling study was conducted on people who had a history of abusing alcohol, which increased their risk of developing liver fibrosis and its signs and symptoms. Cannabis users greatly improved the liver’s ability to process alcohol, too.

The liver that absorbed the most Cannabis had the best outcomes, according to the same research. Although it may seem strange, Cannabis has more positive effects than negative ones.

The fact that Cannabis may be used as an effective therapy for a variety of liver disorders has sparked several ongoing investigations.

Drawbacks & Risks Associated with Smoking Weed on Human Liver

Additionally, Cannabis may have certain adverse effects on the human liver in people who already have some form of liver disease. Studies also demonstrate CDB’s harmful effects on the liver when it combines with other drugs because of how the liver processes it.

CBD is frequently reported to stop enzymes from breaking down medications in the body effectively. The effects of the medication eventually take longer to transfuse through the blood.

As a result, medications that alter the immune system, cardiac medications, and pharmaceuticals like warfarin become stronger and last longer than intended doses. The research is currently ongoing.

The Therapeutic Potential of Cannabis

We cannot negate the therapeutic value of smoking weed since it is evident from research studies. Currently, arthritis, colitis (inflammation of the colon), multiple sclerosis, and various liver discomfort are all being treated using Cannabis’ anti-inflammatory characteristics.

Dr. Bukong of Massachusetts Medical School and INRS (Institut Armand-Frappier- Research Center) recently announced that my coworkers are now striving to find which cannabinoids or cannabinoid formulations may give the most therapeutic effects for certain liver disorders.

He claimed based on its experimental outcomes that those who use Cannabis regularly had a lower risk of developing alcoholic liver disease, and people who are dependent on Cannabis have the lowest risk.

Contradictions in Medicinal Profile of Smoking Weed

Dr. Singh, a gastroenterologist from St. Joseph Hospital, California forwarded his cautionary statement on the potential effects of Cannabis on the human liver as its use can considerably exacerbate the Hepatitis C virus-infected human liver’s symptoms.

He stated explicitly that patients with hepatitis C who used Cannabis had significantly greater liver scarring than those who didn’t and more development of their liver illness. The prevalence of fibrosis and fatty liver disease may be rising due to something in Cannabis.

Additionally, he clarified how the liver’s functions vary depending on a person’s sensitivity, including whether or not they benefit from Cannabis use. Marijuana may hurt certain people’s lives, so you can’t just convince the public that it’s beneficial for them.

He has kept his point saying that while studies have shown Cannabis to have favorable benefits, they only last a limited time and do not provide a long-term cure for a hepatitis-affected liver. There is a chance that a healthy person might get liver problems if they use Cannabis (marijuana) or another sort of smoking weed for an extended length of time.

As a consequence, Cannabis can be used as a short-term therapy, but for long-term outcomes, it is recommended that “a brief course of a steroid medicine called prednisolone, for around 8 weeks, which can help battle the effects of alcohol on the liver,” be used.

Endnote

According to studies, smoking weed – Cannabis (marijuana) greatly lowered the likelihood of developing liver disorders, particularly liver cancer, and shielded the liver from harm. The benefits of Cannabis on persons who use a lot of alcohol are also supported by data.

These studies also demonstrate that ingesting Cannabis and alcohol together can make people depressed and anxious, which can cause problems with the liver as well as other bodily organs like the kidney and heart.

Because there is growing evidence that Cannabis-derived medicines tend to address health problems in a more targeted manner, it is vital to note that most weed that resembles Cannabis is prohibited in many places. Cannabis is a substance, not a medication, and if it is taken improperly, it may have negative side effects.