SYRACUSE, NY — As Central New Yorkers prepare to celebrate the Fourth of July with cookouts, fireworks and outdoor gatherings, health experts are warning that dangerous heat combined with cannabis use could increase the risk of dehydration and heat-related illness.
The holiday weekend comes as Central New York experiences another stretch of high temperatures, prompting doctors to remind people that cannabis can affect the body’s ability to recognize when it’s becoming overheated or dehydrated.
“Cannabis can turn down the volume on your body’s own warning system,” said Dr. June Chin, with New York State’s Office of Cannabis Management. “Normally, your body will tap you on the shoulder when you’re getting dehydrated. You’ll start to get a little thirsty. You’ll start to feel like, ‘I need to drink something now.’ But cannabis can mute that signal. That doesn’t mean you’re powerless. It just means you have to pay attention more instead of waiting for your body to tell you.”…