Why Does Weed Cause Lightheadedness and Dizziness?

In this article, we will answer the questions, “can weed cause lightheadedness?”, “can smoking weed cause vertigo?”, and “can weed make you feel dizzy the next day?” Dizziness is a common but alarming side effect of cannabis. Dizziness can describe several different sensations like feeling faint, lightheaded, nauseous, unsteady, or woozy. Dizziness is an impairment of spatial orientation. Vertigo is the feeling that you or objects around you are floating, spinning, or tilting. Rapid changes in head position can produce vertigo. That is why if you are lying down and quickly stand up you may experience dizziness or lightheadedness. While dizziness can happen at any time, cannabis users often experience this side effect when they take a large hit of weed and experience an immediate drop in blood pressure.

What Causes Dizziness?

Several conditions can cause dizziness, from a drop in systolic blood pressure, to issues with your inner ear, to migraines, medication, vision issues, alcohol use, or even anxiety and stress. Treatment for dizziness or vertigo depends on the cause.

Can Weed Cause Lightheadedness? Can Weed Cause Dizziness?

Many seasoned cannabis users have experienced vertigo or a feeling of dizziness when using cannabis. Why does weed cause dizziness and lightheadedness? THC can reduce cerebral blood flow and decrease blood pressure, causing dizziness and lightheadedness. How common is it to feel dizzy after using cannabis? A small study from 1992 indicates that dizziness from cannabis is common. The researchers note that marijuana is known to cause orthostatic hypotension, which is a sudden drop in blood pressure when you stand from sitting or lying down. Sixty percent of a small sample size experienced moderate to severe dizziness after smoking weed, but not after smoking a placebo joint. Subjects who reported severe dizziness had a drop in blood pressure as well as reduced cerebral blood flow. Many people describe this feeling of dizziness after using cannabis as “greening out.” To learn about greening out, check out our article Disorientation From Weed or Greening Out.

Why Does Cannabis Cause Dizziness?

Cannabis produces its effects through chemical compounds that bind to receptors in your body and brain. Researchers indicate that the endocannabinoid system (ECS) may play a role in modulating blood pressure. Anandamide (AEA), which THC mimics in the body, has been shown to produce vasodilatory effects. That means that AEA expands blood vessels and decreases blood pressure, just like THC. Research indicates that cannabis users build up a tolerance to this side effect, so new users are more likely to experience dizziness than seasoned users.

How to Mitigate Dizziness from Cannabis

Here are some general suggestions on how to mitigate side effects from cannabis, and then we will explore some specific suggestions about how to fix dizziness. Try a new product Different cannabis products will contain different chemical compounds like cannabinoids and terpenes, which may exert distinct effects. Use Jointly’s Product Finder to discover new top-rated products. Try a new ingestion method Additionally, the way you ingest a product will change how it affects you. Smoking a joint of cannabis flower may produce slightly different effects from vaporizing it, although both ingestion methods involve heating cannabis and inhaling the active compounds. Each ingestion method has its own advantages and may produce different effects or side effects. To learn how different weed ingestion methods produce different effects, read our article The Best Way to Take Cannabis for Wellness Purposes. Add in a companion food Did you know that weed companion foods can enhance your cannabis experience in different ways? Mangoes, dark chocolate, green tea, and thyme are all weed companion foods. Chemical compounds in these foods may alter your cannabis experience, and potentially mitigate adverse side effects like drowsiness. To learn about these foods and how to add them into your cannabis wellness routine, check out our article Do These Foods Get You Higher? Find your minimum effective dose Most adverse side effects from cannabis are caused by ingesting too high of a dose of THC. While you cannot die from ingesting too much cannabis, a THC overdose is a real risk. The single most effective way to mitigate side effects is to microdose and titrate up your dose until you find the minimum effective dose of cannabis to get the effect you want. Turn the dials on 15 factors According to cannabis experts, there are at least 15 factors that can impact your cannabis experience and play a major role in whether a cannabis product is giving you the feeling you want, or producing adverse side effects like dizziness. Perhaps you will find that when you consume cannabis while you are fully hydrated, you rarely experience dizziness. Or maybe you will discover that a yoga session before using cannabis eliminates any dizziness, even when all other factors are kept the same. The Jointly app lets you to track the 15 factors that can impact your cannabis experience. As you optimize how you consume cannabis, your favorite cannabis products will perform better for you.

How to Not Get Dizzy from Weed

What can you do to avoid dizziness from weed? Ingesting cannabis with CBD could mitigate adverse effects like dizziness by buffering some of the psychoactive effects of THC. Additionally, you could try making sure you are well-hydrated and have gotten adequate sleep to decrease your chances of experiencing adverse side effects. In general, building up a tolerance to this side effect is the most effective way to eliminate it. If you are still experiencing adverse side effects, try microdosing. For some people, just 1mg might be the perfect dose. Don’t be afraid to break up a single serving into multiple servings: cannabis affects different people differently. Purposeful cannabis consumption involves experimenting and recording your results to find out what works for you as an individual.

Get Started on Your Cannabis Wellness Journey

Jointly is a new cannabis wellness app that helps people discover purposeful cannabis consumption so they can achieve their wellness goals with cannabis and CBD. On the Jointly app, you can find new cannabis products, rate products based on how well they helped you achieve your goals, and track and optimize your cannabis consumption so that you can enjoy your ideal experience every time. Download the Jointly app on the App Store or the Google Play Store to get started on your cannabis wellness journey today.