Marijuana hangover: 5 facts

You’re waking up. Your mouth is dry and your head is pounding. Your stomach feels like it’s on water and the whole world is a blur. But wait. You didn’t drink alcohol last night, you just had some marijuana. Is it possible you’re suffering from a marijuana hangover?

Experts’ opinions on whether marijuana causes hangovers and how such hangovers manifest themselves are completely contradictory. Unfortunately, they cannot be based on sufficient data because there are not many studies that look at people’s condition hours and days after marijuana use.

Indeed, according to a 1985 study, hangover-like feelings can occur after marijuana use. However, in the 1990s, researchers concluded that marijuana does not cause discomfort like that which occurs in the morning after consuming excessive alcohol or sedatives.

Read up on what to expect when you get sober before you next pop a joint or a marijuana brownie. Find answers to the 5 most common questions about cannabis hangovers below.

1. Does marijuana cause hangovers?

Despite conflicting studies, the prevailing opinion is that marijuana does not cause hangovers. Dr. Tory Spindle of Johns Hopkins University, whose research looks at the effects of marijuana, says, “I honestly don’t hear that marijuana users experience any hangover-like states. On the contrary, they often confide that they use marijuana to avoid alcohol-related conditions.” And who can blame them, knowing how unpleasant hangovers can be.

So what does Spindle’s current research suggest? The results are fairly inconclusive, but it looks like you can indeed experience a slight cognitive decline the morning or day after using marijuana. But other studies have shown no such thing. Given that marijuana is classified as one of the most dangerous drugs by the US federal government, we can’t expect more in-depth US research anytime soon.

“Some people seem to experience mild cognitive impairment the day after consuming marijuana. This is probably closely related to the amount consumed and the overall characteristics of the people included in the study,” says Dr. Spindle, adding that withdrawal symptoms are more commonly experienced by women than men due to neurobiological differences. (Read on to learn more about withdrawal symptoms.)

If you have an important business meeting the next day, you’re probably better off avoiding marijuana. Or at least choose a form of consumption that allows you to better adjust your intake of THC, such as vaping.

According to Dr. Spindle’s hypothesis, discomfort is more likely when:

you take a high dose of THC
you choose a method that makes the effects of marijuana last longer, like marijuana brownies

2. Why does marijuana food make me sick?

No matter what food you eat marijuana in, it will take a while for its effects to kick in. And also before it wears off. This is because THC is first metabolised in the liver and then circulates throughout the body. The effect lasts up to 8 hours, so if you eat a marijuana cookie or ice cream at night, you won’t be completely sober in the morning.

3. Am I really hungover from marijuana?

Maybe you wake up in the morning with a dry mouth and a sore head just because you’re dehydrated. If a friend has given you advice on how to avoid a hangover and you trust them, you’ll probably feel fine. Because that’s where the placebo effect comes into play.

Maybe what you’re feeling isn’t a hangover at all, but withdrawal symptoms. Especially if you’re a regular user and you’ve changed your dose or stopped taking it from one day to the next.

The most common withdrawal symptoms include:

bad mood
Insomnia
Disgust

4. How to prevent a marijuana hangover?

Be careful what marijuana you consume and how much you consume. Especially if you are inexperienced, start slowly and with a low dose. It’s better to choose vaping over marijuana edibles to really control your dosage.

There’s often a lot of sugar in brownies, so you’ll not only have to deal with the THC wearing off in the morning, but also a sudden drop in blood sugar, which won’t help your mental or physical state.

Further, taking CBD before sleep appears to be the best prevention.