Is Sativa An Upper Or Downer?

Is Sativa An Upper Or Downer: What Is An Upper or A Downer In The First Place?

Uppers and downer are informal terms to describe drugs that are stimulants or depressants. 

Let’s break it down.

Stimulants or Uppers

Uppers, or stimulants, increase focus and boost energy levels. An example of this is ADHD medication prescribed by the pharmaceutical industry. Some illegal and dangerous examples of stimulants are cocaine, methamphetamine, and speed. These have detrimental effects on the body and mind and are very addictive. In many cases, these stimulants can lead to overdose, heart attacks, and death.

Here are some of the effects of stimulants:

• An increase in energy
• Increase in heart rate and blood pressure
• An increase in alertness
• Increase in dopamine levels (which usually crash, leaving users feeling depleted)

Furthermore, people often abuse these drugs to get instant euphoria and maintain their focus and energy.

Although short-term results can be thrilling or even exhilarating, long-term usage can lead to addiction, dopamine-system disruption, and the inability to feel pleasure.

Cannabis, on the other hand, is not even comparable to these other dangerous stimulants. Sativa strains may cause a boost in energy and leave users feeling stimulated, but there are no severe side effects like with the narcotics listed above.

The only thing to note regarding Sativa strains is that new users can experience anxiety and paranoia. Sativa’s can increase heart rate, leading to stress and even panic attacks in some users.

It is important to note that no one has ever overdosed from THC alone. In comparison, the other pharmaceutical drugs mentioned above have killed many people. 

Depressants or Downers

Downers are depressants, meaning they are on the complete opposite of the spectrum as stimulants. The main difference is that uppers stimulate the mind, while downers or depressants slow down cognitive function.

Depressants have the following effects:

• Relieving anxiety
• Inducing sleep
• Relieving muscle spasms
• Preventing seizures

Barbiturates are a type of depressant that can be very addictive and usually lead to dependence. Additionally, addiction leads to tolerance, leading to an increase in dosage that can cause comas and death. 

Benzodiazepines are another form of barbiturate that also lead to tolerance and dependence. 

Cannabis, on the other hand, is less dangerous. While it is possible to develop a tolerance/dependency on cannabis, it has much fewer precautions and dangerous side effects. Prolonged cannabis use can have adverse side effects like memory loss and dizziness. 

In addition, using cannabis frequently as a source of dopamine can affect dopamine receptors. This inevitably leads to dependency and an overall decrease in dopamine levels.

Hallucinogens

Another kind of drug classification includes LSD, psilocybin, and MDMA. These drugs alter your perception of reality and your brain’s nerve messaging, which causes hallucinations.

Hallucinogens are present in plants, and fungi or chemists produce them in a lab. Under the influence of these drugs, people see images, hear sounds or feel sensations that are not there. 

Cannabis is famous for being a mild hallucinogen. However, the effects are not as intense as LSD or psilocybin. They are more subtle and tend to distort time and space when taken in large amounts. 

Additionally, cannabis can affect motor skills and increase heart rate, leading to anxiety and panic.

Opioids

Examples of opiates are painkillers, fentanyl, morphine, and heroin. They are another class of drugs that the pharmaceutical industry sells to reduce pain. 

Furthermore, opiates are known as the most addictive substances in the world.

They have an extremely high risk of abuse and addiction. Opiates are highly addictive and almost always lead to addiction. 

Additionally, opiates are responsible for the opioid epidemic, which has led to thousands if not millions of overdoses and casualties. 

Cannabis has become an alternative to opiates because of its potent pain relieving effects. Moreover, cannabis can reduce dependence on opiates and lower the risk of addiction. 

The side effects between cannabis and opiates are a question of life or death. However, the latter causes addiction, overdose, and death, while the former has never killed anyone.

Is Sativa An Upper Or Downer? What Is Cannabis?

So what kind of drug is cannabis? Well, first of all, it’s a plant. 

Second of all, it has never caused anyone to overdose. These facts separate it from the dangerous pharmaceuticals we have listed above. 

So, it’s hard to say what cannabis is. Some people call it an herb. 

Cannabis was used in pharmacies across the US and as a staple in people’s medicine cabinets before prohibition. Once upon a time, it was a part of the US Pharmacopeia.

Differing Effects

Additionally, cannabis strains affect everyone differently, depending on various factors. An individual’s metabolism, age, weight, genetics, frequency of use, and more all affect how cannabis feels. 

For example, a Sativa may be stimulating for one person, while it causes intense anxiety and paranoia for the next person.

On the other hand, an Indica may cause intense relaxation for one person, while another may feel stimulated due to the stimulating nature of THC.

There is a lot to understand when it comes to cannabis. Each cannabinoid present in the plant causes different effects. When isolated, they cause other effects than when they stay together. This is the Entourage Effect.

If you want to get technical, cannabis can be a depressant, stimulant, and hallucinogen. It all depends on various factors ranging from the plant’s chemical makeup to an individual’s chemical makeup.