Many cannabis consumers turn to the plant to help them relax and unwind. But does weed actually reduce stress physiologically? New research suggests the answer may be complicated.
A team of scientists led by Washington State University sought to learn whether cannabis affects how the body responds to stress. The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was recently published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology.
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The research involved 120 regular cannabis consumers. The group included 56 men, 52 women, and 12 non-binary or transgender participants.
Participants vaporized either 20 milligrams of THC, 40 milligrams of THC, or a placebo.
Scientists measured stress responses, including heart rate, heart rate variability, skin conductance, and cortisol levels, before inhalation and then at the five- and 60-minute marks after. Participants also wore fitness trackers to continuously monitor their responses.
The team used these different measurements because stress doesn’t have a single marker. Cortisol levels reflect hormonal responses to stress, while heart rate and skin conductance indicate a physiological response.
The physical results were mixed. Cortisol levels initially dropped across all three groups, but the decrease was significantly larger among participants who received the higher THC dose.
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However, the higher THC dose was shown to increase heart rate, which is associated with stress response. THC also reduced some measures of skin conductance, another indicator of physiological arousal. Heart rate variability remained unaffected.
Despite the varying physiological responses, participants in all three groups self-reported feeling less stressed after their sessions. The study authors surmised that if people believe cannabis is going to make them feel relaxed, it could impact the outcome.
“Consumers should understand that while they feel like cannabis is reducing their stress, that could largely be a kind of placebo effect, due to their expectations of what they think cannabis is going to do,” study lead author Carrie Cuttler said in a press release.
Cuttler added that the different indicators of stress didn’t correlate with one another, highlighting the varied ways cannabis may affect both the body’s stress response and a person’s perception.
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Separate research has suggested long-term cannabis use may actually blunt the body’s physiological responses to stress.
So does cannabis actually reduce stress physiologically? The jury’s still out. But for people who feel more relaxed after consuming, the study suggests that perceived stress relief and the body’s physiological response may not always tell the same story
