Here’s what happens when you take weed, cocaine, LSD, charas, meth or heroin

Did you know that the common drugs like cannabis, cocaine and LSD can remain in the body for 7 – 14 days, if used once? Before you plan to take weed or any of these drugs find out how it can affect your body. Click each slide to find out about the side effects of each drug according to Dr Abha Shroff, chief pathologist and director at Disha Pathology Labs, Mumbai.

Weed: Known as marijuana or cannabis, weed contains delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC as the active ingredient, which can stay in the body for 7 days for a one time user and around a month, if you smoke pot frequently. One of the common side-effects of weed is that the smoke irritates the lungs and it can lead to impaired memory and coordination.

Cocaine: Although cocaine is readily metabolised in the body, it can be detected in the blood after a week and around 30 days for people with chronic use. Also known as coke or rock, cocaine can lead to constriction of blood vessels and irregular heartbeat and severe depression on withdrawal.

Hash/charas: Depending upon the tests recommended one can detect hash, also known as hashish, in the urine for two days or even up to three months if you are a chronic user. So if you have taken it for the first time, it can be stay in the body for a maximum of 14 days. Side effects include fatigue, disorientation, reduced coordination and psychotic episodes.

Heroin: Heroin, commonly known as horse or smack, can be detected in the blood for around 12 hours and in the urine for three day. However, if used on a regular basis, it can stay in the body for around a month or two as traces of drug might be present from past abuse. Common side effects include slowed breathing and drowsiness.

Meth: Methamphetamine or meth can stay in the body for a period of 14 days, if taken once and for around a month if your take it regularly. It can also be detected in the urine for around 4 days. It can cause heart attack, hypertension and stroke with long term health effects like weight loss, hallucinations, paranoia and teeth damage.

LSD: LSD can remain in the blood for around 2 – 3 hours but it can be detected in the urine for around 3 days, whereas for a regular user, the traces of LSD can remain for around 40 days. Some of common side-effects of LSD include nausea, hallucinations, mood changes and numbness.