So you’re not 17 anymore and have regrettably come to accept that yes, after a night out with friends, you will be hungover. If you decide to pass up the bar and spend the night toking away instead, will there be consequences to deal with the following day? The question of the hour is- is a weed hang over a thing? Within the cannabis community, this experience has been dubbed a “stoneover”. It’s described as feelings of laziness or grogginess the morning after (or 8 hours prior to) smoking. As much as we’d like to tell that this is a modern fairy tale, the stoner over does indeed exist. Sigh. Unfortunately, there have only been a limited amount of research and studies conducted on the subject. But thankfully, tons of stoners have taken to the internet to share their own experiences and even better, tips for how to nip it in the bud.
What we know from research
It shouldn’t come as a huge surprise to learn that there isn’t a lot of information out there on this considering the prohibition on weed. But considering the current cannabis climate, we are hopeful that more research will rise to the surface (and onto our computer screens) soon. Perhaps the most well-known study is this small sample study from 1985. 13 self-proclaimed stoners were studied prior to a nighttime sesh and then again the following morning. Subjects were either given the real deal, a joint that contained a THC level of 2.9% or a placebo to smoke. After this, they were given a series of behavioural tasks to complete like sorting cards and free recall. These same tasks were given and measures after a full nights sleep. They noticed that active marijuana produced significant changes in heart rate and CO level, and also “hangover” type effects the next day. The precise implications remain to be discovered, and it’s also important to note that due to the very small sample size and the fact that only men were studied, there is room to accurately discover more.
About a decade later another very small sample study was conducted on the same subject. It “sought to examine both acute and residual subjective. physiologic, and performance effects of smoking a single marijuana cigarette.” We’re not totally sure what a “marijuana cigarette” is, but we’re fairly certain they’re talking about a joint. 10 healthy male subjects were studied over the course of 4 days in a research ward. Over three days they smoked three different joints ranging from 0% THC levels to 3.%. “Subjects reported robust subjective effects following both active doses of marijuana, which returned to baseline levels within 3.5 h. Heart rate increased and the pupillary light reflex decreased following active dose administration with a return to baseline on that day.”
How to get over a Weed Hangover
Waking up to the unpleasant sensations of symptoms of a weed hangover can sometimes make enjoying the day (or even getting through the day) a difficult task indeed! Thankfully, there are some things that you can do to wake your brain and body up and mitigate the severity of your symptoms.
Get your sweat on: One of the best things that you could do for yourself is to get your body moving, your blood flowing, and your heart rate up. You don’t have to suffer through an intense cycling class of beat your best at the gym but something light to release some endorphins should do the trick. Try going for a walk outside or blasting your playlist and dancing in your room.
Fuel your body right: What you eat during (or even before) your hangover is going to make a huge difference to how it feels and how long those feels last for. Avoid packaged foods and feed your body the foods that you know you can digest easily.
Make it rain: One of the most common symptoms is dehydration, so it’s incredibly important that you drink lots. And no, a red bull or a bottle of diet coke isn’t going to do it. Have a huge glass of water next to your bed to down as soon as you wake up and try your best to get the recommended 8 glasses of water during the day of your hangover.
What a Weed Hangover feels like
You know you have a stonover when you wake up after a smoke sesh feeling groggy, lazy and lethargic. Some users report feeling forgetful during this period and experience some difficulties focusing. If during the night, you don’t manage to have a resultful sleep, you increase your chances of having some less than desirable effects and sensations the following day. Symptoms include:
- Eye redness
- Dry mouth
- Dehydration
- Lethargy
- Lack of focus
- Impaired memory
- Grogginess
- Nausea
- Brain fog
- Feeling tired
Why weed hangovers happen
Cannabis contains THC which is the psychoactive compound found within the plant. It’s because of this property that weed leaves us feeling euphoric and produces other effects that feel like a “head high”. THC attaches itself to the cannabinoid receptors we have in our brains which changes physical and mental functioning. The effects of THC last an average of 2-3 hours, but if you’re smoking a lot os eating edibles, it can increase in length. For someone who has little to no experience with THC, their risks for experiencing a hangover the day after use are increased.
Products that can cause a hangover
Your hangover will ultimately be linked to how much THC enters your system and how much (or how little) of a tolerance for the drug you have. So an amount that might cause debilitating effects the next morning for someone may do absolutely nothing for a well-seasoned stoner. The most common cannabis product linked to a stoneover however is edibles. Some believe that this is because it’s easy to get carried away and over consume these products. If you’ve ever had a freshly baked chocolate chip weed cookie or have been offered a delightfully colourful bag of THC gummies, you know exactly what we’re talking about. Arguably the best way to avoid it is to monitor your consumption and to dose appropriately to your tolerance.
