I’ve spoken about CBD oils, balms and gummies in great detail over the past couple of years, however I wanted to talk a bit more about smoking cannabis and the common subjects that often pop-up, starting off with the ‘weed hangover’.
What Is A Weed Hangover?
As you can guess from the name, a weed hangover is something many people suffer from the day after smoking weed.
One study got 13 marijuana smokers to smoke in the evening and then see how they felt in the morning, whether it affected their behaviour at all, which did show a knock-on effect from smoking.
It is worth mentioning though that 13 isn’t exactly an extensive study, so you will have to take this with a pinch of salt, but the biggest factor is the hundreds of people reporting hangover symptoms the day after smoking, as well as numerous forum discussions on the subject.
What Are The Main Symptoms?
There are various symptoms reported from the ‘weed hangover’, such as in this study where the subject suffered from fatigue the next day as a short term side effect.
Some of the most common side effects include:
- Lethargy
- Fatigue
- Headaches or migraines
- Brain fogginess
- Dry mouth
- Dry eyes
- Sensitivity to bright lights
- Remaining feeling of being high
Leafly also highlighted that some people also suffered from memory and concentration problems when going through the ‘weed hangover’.
What Can I Use As A Weed Hangover Cure?
While a weed hangover should naturally go away on its own, unless you smoke again, there are some potential fixes to help speed up the process, as highlighted below:
- Healthline have highlighted that it could be worth drinking more water to ensure you don’t have those stereotypical hangover issues such as a dry mouth and a headache.
- According to Medical News Today, a hot shower can help you to feel refreshed and remove that fatigue feeling. I know personally a hot shower does tend to wake me up and help to motivate me for the day ahead.
- Weedmaps have pointed out that simply taking a brisk walk and getting some fresh air can help to overcome that groggy feeling. They do highlight that you should walk for at least 20 minutes for optimal results.
- What would you do if you had an alcohol hangover? You would get some caffeine into your system and that’s exactly what you should be doing the day after smoking, with a big cup of coffee helping to get rid of the foggy brain and get you focused again. Some articles will however highlight that staying hydrated is critical and coffee can make you dehydrated, so make sure to follow this up with a glass of water.
- Another trick you can take from drinking too much is having a pain killer in the morning.
- Some studies have highlighted that taking CBD oil the next day can actually help to dampen the effects of the THC.
- Eat a healthy, nutritious meal, packed with antioxidants and vitamins. Whether you fancy some porridge with blueberries or a bowl of cereal is down to you, but some people have highlighted that meat had a negative effect.
At the end of the day, the hangover won’t last too long. These are tricks to help speed up the process, but they won’t completely get rid of the feeling, while they’re largely temporary, just the same as having a coffee on a normal hangover day.
If yours is particularly bad, it might be worth considering the strain you’ve got and mixing it up next time.
How Do I Know If Cannabis Caused It?
It is true that you could be wrongly blaming cannabis for that feeling, so it’s worth considering the following:
- Does this happen each time you smoke weed, or is this a one-off?
- Did you also drink alcohol or take anything else?
- Did you have a reliable source and the same strain as you normally get?
Going Forward
Nobody wants to feel rough and if this happens each time then you may want to look into making a change in your life. You may want to experiment with a low THC version to see if it affects you in the same way.
Make sure not to take it at the same time as drinking alcohol and if you know you’re going to struggle the next day, make sure not to do it before something important and look into taking the next day off.
Statement: I’m not recommending smoking cannabis, as this isn’t allowed in the UK, but merely highlighting a point on a subject that is commonly discussed in the industry.
