A large majority of stoners will say they smoke weed to relieve stress. Certain cannabis strains are regarded as best for tension, while others swear by a nightly edible. There is some research supporting the idea that weed works for stress, indicating that lower doses of THC and higher CBD are ideal. It even made nervous dogs feel less overwhelmed.
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However, the rich tapestry of cannabis stress studies tells many tales. One research analysis shows that weed may have the wrong effect under certain circumstances.
Research covers stress responses and cannabis use
Two researchers consulted current papers and studies to understand stress response regulators. At the same time, they logged data on cannabis exposure and patterns related to stress. The goal was to find correlations between stress responses and cannabis use.
Life circumstances that would amplify anxieties were also taken into account. A noteworthy limitation is that few used non-cannabis-consuming control groups. Still, the findings provide food for thought.
The study found that high THC products raise the heart rate and may increase cortisol, a stress response. This happened about 15 minutes after consumption and lasted around an hour and a half. These results were not consistent across all research. On the flip side, CBD studies suggest the cannabinoid reduces stress, anxiety, and tension.
Stress and chronic weed use
Things got more interesting when they brought heavy use into question. Seven studies dating from the 1970s to 2020 show that consuming cannabis daily for one to one and half years led to a blunted stress response. This translates into a reduced endocrine or cardiovascular effort in the event of tense situations or feelings.
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Blunted stress responses are linked to various issues, including depression, lower resilience, obesity, and addiction. Basically, the data showed that people smoke weed for stress, which reduces their body’s ability to respond to the very issue. In turn, tension increases, they smoke weed to alleviate it, and the snake eats its own tail. Longtime stoners may be aghast, but never fear. There are ways to reduce this risk.
Being kind to the body and reducing cortisol levels can help offset a blunted stress response. Get lots of rest, regularly exercise, engage in introspection to identify stressful thinking patterns, and breathwork, among other habits.
The review concludes that the relationship between weed and stress goes both ways. Stress promotes cannabis use while that use impacts how the body responds to tension, and the circle goes round and round. For longtime weed lovers, perhaps the answer is seeking stress relief from outside sources before turning back to the bong.
