If you are one of those who believe that there’s no such thing as a marijuana hangover, think again. While some people say weed effects are gone after about four to eight hours, but for others, especially newbies, it may not be the case. Like alcohol, which can make you feel terrible after a night of heavy drinking, marijuana does cause a hangover, which is usually called next-day symptoms. But weed does not cause the same hangover as alcohol. Some of the common weed hangover symptoms are restlessness, lethargy, inability to concentrate, dry mouth, headache, and mild nausea. Those who want to slow down their weed habit may also experience withdrawal symptoms, a form of a weed hangover. What’s the theory behind marijuana hangover and what do you need to do in order to avoid marijuana hangover? This article explains everything in detail.
Let’s dive in!
Is marijuana hangover real?
Everyone knows that alcohol gives the worst kind of headache, sometimes dry mouth or a cartwheeling stomach. But, no one seems to be sure about how weed hangovers feel like. For some people, it’s more of a withdrawal symptom. These symptoms may come in the form of anxiety, restlessness, irritability, and sometimes insomnia. However, say experts, weed hangovers generally occur in high frequency when someone who’s using pot for a long time suddenly stops. According to them, the symptoms may not appear in everyone who stops using weed. However, those who experience will keep on feeling them for two-six days and sometimes even more. So, if you are planning to quit weed, pause for a while, and think about how you can make it a smooth deal? Experts say there’s only one way to stop weed hangover or withdrawal symptoms, and that’s by slowly tapering off your pot usage.
What if you’re a newbie?
If you are a newcomer or not a daily user, cannabis effects generally go away after eight hours. It does not matter if the THC content of marijuana you had last night was high or low, the effects should not last more than eight hours, say experts. However, if you include alcohol or, for that matter, caffeine, nicotine with your weed, the next day you’re going to experience a strong hangover. Personal experiences say that if you double down on fluid intake and have a dose of caffeine, things should be fine.
Okay, so how to avoid weed hangover?
Let’s make it clear — weed hangover will take its own time before it goes away. That said, you can use some tips and tricks to smoothen the process. Firstly, there’s nothing better than staying hydrated. This is also true for alcohol. Water keeps our body hydrated so it’s important to drink plenty of water before, after and during your weed consumption. Drink as much as you can. Also, it’s important to eat healthy as you develop withdrawal symptoms. Breakfast sets the tone for how we are going to eat during the day, so it’s important to eat nutritious breakfast. Follow your usual routine. Don’t forget to take shower. Some people actually feel happy and energised after having a bath. There’s a certain effect in a hot shower that can open your airways. Don’t forget to add herbal tea in your morning routine, which can kill nausea. You can also ginger tea with hot water, and a few drops of lemon. You can also try out coffee. If nothing, it will keep you awake. To avoid weed hangover, you can also try out CBD or cannabidiol, which will produce a kind of ripple effect against marijuana hangover, leading to nice feelings.
How to know if you have a weed hangover?
Feeling, withdrawal symptoms, and changes in metabolism may be some signs that you have weed hangover. Be ready to experience fuzzy feelings the next morning if you mix up marijuana and alcohol. Those regular on weed may find it hard not to think about it. Sometimes, an overdose of marijuana could upset your metabolism. But all of these claims are anecdotal, meaning there are not authentic large scale studies to prove these claims. That’s why some people experience these symptoms, others not. Weed hangover happens only for two reasons — either we overdo it or we mix it with other substances like alcohol. Usually, it has been seen that marijuana strains that contain over 20 per cent THC content cause weed hangover. Other factors such as poor diet, lack of sleep and exercise are also likely culprits.
What does the research say?
In 1985, the journal “Drug and Alcohol Dependence” published a study concluding that marijuana use may cause some hangover signs like increased heart rate or issues with behavioral tasks. So, in 1998, a small-scale study (10 people) published in “Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior” journal found that smoking marijuana may not cause significant impacts on our body or brain. In 2006, a study was published in Experimental Biology and Medicine journal, which said marijuana can cause secretion of saliva, which means conditions like dry mouth and dizziness can be the result of weed use. The study further found that saliva secretion, however, does not cause dehydration like alcohol. However, all of them were small scale studies, which clearly don’t hold much of the value in the current scenario. That’s why it’s mandatory for the federal government to allow full-scale research on marijuana. As scientists will study the plant deeply, people will be able to understand it better.
The bottom Line
Weed hangover is a controversial topic and will remain so unless extensive research is not allowed on the plant, which has numerous medicinal values. Nonetheless, personal experiences so far suggest that weed hangovers do exist but, just like alcohol, there are ways to avoid them. Just remember that you don’t overdo it if weed hangovers have become a regular thing. It’s very important to reach out to your health expert in such circumstances. Take their help. Also, it does not harm if you take the expert help in quitting your weed habit.
