Why Does Cannabis Make You Paranoid?
As pot users, we’re all too familiar with that nagging paranoid feeling that we’ve experienced at least once in our lives. It feels different from everyone, but cannabis-induced paranoia isn’t pretty – thoughts that the cops are after you, you’re going to get fired from your job, everyone hates you, or that your partner is cheating on you.. none of those are true at all, but why does our favorite plant cause us to feel that way sometimes?
Although cannabis has been proven to treat anxiety, there are some studies why it can actually make you paranoid, and it all boils down to everyone’s favorite cannabinoid: THC.
Worries, Mood Disorders, and Anxiety
A study conducted at the University of Oxford revealed that individuals who were prone to depression and anxiety, suffered from low self-esteem, or who worried a lot were more vulnerable to experiencing paranoia when they were exposed to THC. The study, which analyzed 121 participants aged 21 to 50 years, all of whom already used cannabis at least once before. None of them had any mental illnesses or health conditions, but they reported feeling paranoid in the last month.
The researchers then administered THC, and a third of them were given placebos. The results showed that 50% of the patients who were given THC experienced increased paranoia, while 30% of those who were given placebo admitted to feeling more paranoid. These findings made the scientists conclude that cannabis can cause paranoia based on several things; for one, THC may be responsible for increasing negative changes. Individuals who don’t worry as much or who already have a higher self-esteem and confidence are less likely to feel paranoid even when exposed to THC since they’re more capable of dismissing thoughts that would lead to this state.
“The study very convincingly shows that cannabis can cause short-term paranoia in some people,” says study lead Daniel Freeman in a university news release. Freeman is also a professor of clinical psychology at the University of Oxford in England. “But more importantly it shines a light on the way our mind encourages paranoia. Paranoia is likely to occur when we are worried, think negatively about ourselves, and experience unsettling changes in our perceptions,” he added.
THC can make you feel euphoric, in the same way that it works to cause paranoia in some people. This is because it stimulates the amygdala, the part of the brain whose right side is associated with fear, stress, and negative emotions. Studies show that the left side of the amygdala, on the other hand, may be associated with positive, negative, happy, or pleasurable emotions when stimulated. These two hemispheres work together to process various human emotions. This is why when the amygdala is stimulated through different strains of cannabis, it can either work for us or against us when it comes to alleviating anxiety or causing it.
THC and other cannabinoids can overstimulate the brain, and this is common in people who are new to using the plant. While there is no solid answer why THC makes some people more paranoid but it relaxes others, the studies we have allow us to surmise that one’s mood, the endocannabinoid system, and THC all have a role to plan. The brains of people who are undergoing extreme stress or who have suffered trauma have much lower endocannabinoids in the body. When you have depleted endocannabinoid levels and consume cannabis, the cannabinoids in the plant replenish your endocannabinoids which results in a relaxing high.
Enjoy Cannabis Without Paranoia
This doesn’t mean that cannabis use will always result in paranoia. As you already know, choosing the right strain plays an important role in having a paranoia-free experience. If you are already suffering from emotional trouble, anxiety, distress, or worry, you’re better off avoiding a strain that is high in THC – based on science. If, generally speaking, you’re happy and carefree, if you’ve had a particularly taxing or stressful week at work or are going through a temporary rough patch emotionally, even your favorite strain can cause short-term paranoia even if you especially if it has a high THC content.
Keeping some high-CBD products such as oils, capsules, or strains in handy can be beneficial in combating a THC-induced paranoia attack especially if you’re particularly stressed out. CBD helps to regulate the receptors that transport signals from THC, which enables it to alleviate the paranoid effects of THC when you smoke or eat products that contain a lot of it.
OTHER STORIES YOU MAY ENJOY...
HOW TO STOP WEED PARANOIA, CLICK HERE.
OR..
CANNABIS AND YOGA MEDITATION, CLICK HERE.
OR..
