There are various studies and researches out there that point out a very complex connection between cannabis use and the lethargic feeling after you finished a blunt. If you regularly smoke or use cannabis regardless of your purpose, you always experience sleepiness, lethargy, and exhaustion, which results in a lack of having motivation.

Does smoking weed make you tired? Well, a lot of people just do not take this matter seriously and instantly shrugs it off since they are educated that this is just a natural part of smoking cannabis. 

In fact, they even associate it with the treatment of insomnia and sleeplessness. However, in a recently published research, it can point to the excessive consumption of weed that causes you to become tired and lazy at the same time. 

For those that smoke weed for recreation, this will not cure a hangover or helps subside the psychoactive effects of using other drugs. 

Does Smoking Weed Make You Tired? 

There are particular strains, Indica strain, in general, will knock you out completely and will make you experience couch-lock if you smoke it. For many stoners out there, they love this experience knowing that they want to smoke Indica strains because this can relax their body and mind. 

However, not everyone that smokes weed wants to chill and sleep the entire day. A lot is also into the active lifestyle, and smoking a blunt does not entirely make them lethargic for a longer period. 

To answer this intriguing question as to why you feel tired and lazy when you smoke weed is actually because of the THC that is being subsequently absorbed in your body and how it interacts with your brain’s neurotransmitter called dopamine. 

Is THC the Reason Why I Feel Tired and Lazy? 

According to the National Institute for Biotechnology Information, the sudden decrease of dopamine levels in your brain can cause you to become tired and lazy. This happens if you excessively smoked or use cannabis. To summarize the study, they also found out that heavy stoners, especially those who are at the borderline dependent to weed, have poor dopamine production compared to occasional smokers.  

The study conducted involved 19 regular cannabis smokers and 19 non-cannabis smokers. This study is considered effective, knowing that similar testing has been done before, and none have tapped active smokers. More importantly, those regular cannabis smokers all testified that they experienced psychotic symptoms when they smoked cannabis, which is a telltale sign of substance abuse. 

Yet, THC may be responsible for the sedating effects of cannabis because it denies our body’s natural compounds to regulate our biological clock as well as our pleasure centers. Particularly, the psychoactive effects of THC mimic the natural compounds it interacted with inside our body in some parts like melatonin that causes sleepiness. This also changes the level of concentration of dopamine in our bodies. 

The effects of THC are very clear that it affects our body’s dopamine level. If you’re not aware of what dopamine is; this is the neurotransmitter in our brain that activates the feeling of pleasure you experience during eating, and sexual intercourse as well as other activities that you feel pleasure and fun. 

Yet, dopamine has another purpose as it also helps with our motivation and attention. Dopamine helps you get things finished, especially if you have tasks. In lower THC doses, dopamine is increased tremendously; however, consuming cannabis too much for a longer period, will contribute to the sudden decrease of dopamine in your body. Thus, you feel lethargic and lazy. 

Are Terpenes Also Responsible for Making You Tired? 

Aside from THC, cannabis also contains molecules that make it aromatic, and this is called terpenes. This substance is a unique mixture of the molecules which provides cannabis strains its unique personality that can be distinguished differently based on its personality. 

The musky myrcene causes people to feel sleepy when they smoke cannabis. This molecule gives you a musky and sweet aroma that is very common in many cannabis strains, and this also causes hypnosis and stoned effects. 

Aside from myrcene, other terpenes found in cannabis can also make you feel tired and lazy, which includes linalool, terpinolene, humulene, and bisabolol that are also found in several plants and types of trees. 

Are There Particular Strains that Make You Sleepy? 

Regardless if it is an Indica or Sativa strain, there are types of cannabis plants that are capable of producing large amounts of terpenes that have sedating effects. If you want to find these particular strains so that you can sleep better, there are strains out there that contain terpenes that have higher myrcene content. Since not all dispensaries and cultivators do not identify strains that have high myrcene levels, here are some that are well-known for it. These are Bubba Kush, White Widow, Granddaddy Purple, Original Glue (GG4). 

There are also strains that contain high CBD that stimulate your body to keep you awake and energized opposite to strains that contain THC. These are Harlequin, Charlotte’s Web, ACDC, and Sour Tsunami. 

Is Dopamine Important in our body? 

If you’re a heavy THC user, you should know that it will create a huge impact on your dopamine levels, and how does it affect the release of dopamine in your body. Another important function of dopamine in our body is that it acts as the regulator for our effort threshold. This means that the amount of effort we use is required to finish a task or assignment and the rewards that come with it. People who have high levels of dopamine are commonly undertaking their functions, which need more energy. Dopamine also provides us the feeling of being rewarded when we take part in activities that are pleasurable such as eating, sexual intercourse, and exercising. If your dopamine is released when you are not engaged with pleasurable activities, it will affect your motivation, focus, and energy. Thus you feel tired and lethargic. 

What are the Things You Have to Consider Before Smoking Weed? 

Since smoking weed won’t just make you feel happy and feel good, you have to consider several important matters before you start rolling your blunt. Smoking, in

particular, is not healthy, and this should be done with caution and moderation. Also, the therapeutic use of cannabis should be consulted first from a doctor, considering that it is illegal in many parts of the world. 

Since cannabis can affect your energy, your motivation, and makes you tired and lazy, you have to talk to an expert before you decide to smoke or use it. This is because this might result in a long-term consequence to your health, particularly your natural sleeping pattern. 

Also, long-term cannabis use is still not proven to aid your sleep completely. If you are trying to use cannabis for sleeping, you should use it responsibly. 

If you have asthma and other respiratory problems, don’t smoke weed, instead, use edibles or other manufactured cannabis products as an alternative to smoking. 

How Can You Beat the Tiredness and Laziness Effects of Cannabis? 

There are tons of ways to fight the lethargic effects brought by THC from cannabis. These are easy and very doable every day. 

First, you should start exercising every day. There is a solid proof that cannabis can motivate your body and mind to work out and sweat out, so if you feel lethargic, beat that by stretching your muscles and work it out. Exercising is still one of the world’s best ways to energize your body, helps regulate your sleep, and also improves your body’s fatigue threshold. The more you exercise, the better your body can function.  A lot of cannabis smokers say that working out while they are high, helping them finish their workout with finesse. This is because cannabis helps improve your concentration and energy level. 

Second, you should start smoking moderately and in smaller doses. If you’re starting to notice that you feel sleepy every time you smoke weed, then try consuming in a smaller dose so that your body can recover from that couchlock effect because of THC. If you’re consuming cannabis edibles, try ingesting a smaller dose since this can also help beat anxiety, stress, and paranoia. 

Also, you should use Sativa instead of Indica strains. This is because Indica strains are known for its couchlock effects, while Sativa strains are known for producing a euphoric and uplifting type of high that is great to be paired with activities. 

Another great way to beat tiredness and laziness because of smoking weed is to take a cold shower. If you are at your home or at a place where you have access to a bathroom if you’re starting to feel lazy and tired after finishing off your weed, go and take a cold shower immediately to wake your senses up and refresh your mind and body. 

Lastly, drink coffee to counteract the effects of THC. Coffee, in general, contains the caffeine that wakes our senses up. That is why chug down a mug of coffee or drink green tea so that you can counteract the effects of THC and divert its effects to become more effective and more pleasurable. 

Final Words

So, does smoking weed make you tired? To answer that question again, not everyone can tolerate the effects of cannabis, that is why they feel tired after smoking or using it. That is why it is completely important to learn its side effects aside from knowing the good stuff in it. Now you know how to overcome its side effects, go ahead, and enjoy the benefits of cannabis.