Are Caffeine, Cannabis, And Psychedelics Good For You?

Some drugs are addictive, some are not so addictive, and some lie somewhere in between. For instance, Nicotine? Addictive. Cocaine? Addictive. Caffeine? Also addictive. But cannabis? Possibly not so much. And psychedelics like LSD (acid) and psilocybin (magic mushrooms)? Generally not.

As you can see, just because a substance is addictive doesn’t mean it’s dangerous. Nicotine is dangerous, and obviously so too is cocaine. But caffeine, in moderation, may come with plenty of benefits, especially when you consume it in the form of coffee or tea rather than, say, caffeine pills or energy drinks. The same may be true for cannabis and psychedelics: they may also come with health benefits.

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Caffeine

When you drink coffee or tea, it may boost your energy levels, of course, but it may also:

Help you lose weight
Protect your liver from liver diseases and other conditions as well as liver stiffness
Protect against neurogenerative disorders, including different kinds of dementia
Decrease your chances of developing type 2 diabetes
Improve heart health and decrease the risk of heart disease as well as heart failure
Decrease risk of stroke
Make you a better athlete

Drinking coffee or tea may also, it turns out, reduce your risk of death, regardless of your age, how much alcohol you drink, and even how much you weigh.

Cannabis

Research has yet to draw any firm conclusions as to how addictive cannabis is, but most research suggests it’s not as addictive as caffeine. This is especially true when people consume cannabis in moderation.

People who smoke marijuana before the age of 18 are four to seven times more likely to develop a marijuana addiction, according to a recent research report.

When you consume cannabis after the age of 18 in moderation, however, you may experience health benefits. Consuming cannabis, specifically CBD, may:

Reduce anxiety and stress
Help you sleep
Improve your mood
Help you exercise
Reduce chronic pain
Reduce inflammation
Lower blood pressure
Fight cancer
Prevent seizures

Consuming CBD may also prevent relapse into drug and alcohol addiction.

Psychedelics

Now that psychedelic therapy is becoming an increasingly popular therapeutic option and you can buy LSD online, more and more people are getting interested in learning about psychedelics. However, compared to nicotine, cannabis, and many if not most other substances, there is not a lot of research into their health benefits or how addictive (or non-addictive) psychedelics are.

That said, available research and anecdotal reports indicate that psychedelics, also known as serotonergic hallucinogens, may come with a surprising number of health benefits, especially mental health benefits.

A 2021 study that asked over 150 participants with significant experience with psychedelics about their mental health showed that after having psychedelic experiences the participants felt more compassion, were less prone to ruminate, and experienced less stress, anxiety, and depression.

Taking psychedelics may also:

Help ease symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Embrace healthier habits
Improve body image and help with eating disorders

Are psychedelics addictive? Generally not. In fact, research suggests that taking psychedelics may help reduce symptoms of addiction, including alcohol addiction.

People who “trip” on psychedelics may experience mystical experiences, visions, and euphoria.