Relaxation is a state of low arousal where you are not feeling tension from anger, fear, or anxiety. Relaxation is important for health and wellbeing because it helps protect you from the negative effects of stress. Cannabis is well-known to produce feelings of calm and relaxation at low doses. Read on to discover why cannabis relaxes you, if cannabis is a muscle relaxant, and how to supercharge your meditation with cannabis.

Relax & Refresh

<h1>Does Weed Help You Relax? Does CBD Relax You?</h1><p>In this article, we will answer the questions “does weed help you relax?”, “does weed relax muscles?”, and “does CBD relax you?” We will also show you how to use the Jointly app to find the best weed for relaxing. </p><p>Relaxation is a state of low arousal in which you are not feeling any tension from anger, fear, or anxiety. Relaxation is important for health and wellbeing because it helps protect you from the negative effects of stress. Essentially, relaxation is “a <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/relaxation-technique/art-20045368" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">process</a> that decreases the effects of stress on your mind and body.” </p><p>According to the <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/relaxation-technique/art-20045368" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mayo Clinic</a>, nearly everyone can benefit from learning relaxation techniques. Breathwork and meditation are common relaxation techniques, as is drinking herbal tea or using aromatherapy. </p><p>In the first set of relaxation techniques, you are interacting with your autonomic nervous system to lower your state of arousal. In the second set of relaxation techniques, you are using natural compounds to promote feelings of relaxation. These natural compounds could be anything from lavender or chamomile, to cannabis or CBD. </p><p>Interestingly, the compound in lavender that relaxes you is called <a href="https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323422" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">linalool</a>—which is a terpene that you can find in various cannabis <a href="https://cannacon.org/15-terpenes-cannabis-explained/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">strains</a>. </p><h2>What does it look like to use cannabis or CBD to help you relax? </h2><p>It could be a weekend warrior who uses a 1:1 THC:CBD tincture most nights to relax after working at a high-stress job, taking care of the kids, and maintaining a rigorous training schedule. Or a yoga practitioner staying healthy at 70 by using CBD oil to amplify the relaxation brought on by her yoga <em>nidra</em> meditations. Or a young couple who shares a joint before bowling night to relax and be more present in the moment.</p><h2>Does Weed Help You Relax?</h2><p>What is the difference between using weed to relax and <a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/410/cannabis-cbd-and-stress-relief/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">using weed to relieve stress?</a> While stress relief and relaxation are interrelated concepts, we are drawing a distinction between these two goals. </p><p>When you use weed to relieve stress, you are bringing yourself from a state of mild physical or emotional discomfort, anxiety, or unpleasantness to a normal state. When you use weed to relax, you are in a normal state, and you are using cannabis to banish any remaining tension and sink into a state of deep calm and relaxation. Of course, many Jointly users want to relieve stress and relax at the same time, so these experiences are often chosen together. </p><p>So, does weed help you relax? Weed is well-known to produce feelings of calm and relaxation at low doses. According to a <a href="https://europepmc.org/backend/ptpmcrender.fcgi?accid=PMC6349031&amp;blobtype=pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">joint study</a> from University of Chicago and University of Illinois in Chicago, a low dose of cannabis significantly reduced feelings of stress and promoted feelings of relaxation in healthy subjects. But a slightly higher dose increased feelings of stress. </p><p>Higher doses of cannabis may not relax you, as THC has a <a href="https://adai.uw.edu/pubs/pdf/2017mjanxiety.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">biphasic response</a> in which low doses relieve stress and promote feelings of relaxation, while high doses may increase stress or even <a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/489/cannabis-and-paranoia/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">make you paranoid</a>. In general, <a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/471/cannabis-and-side-effects-what-causes-them-and-what-can-you-do-to-avoid-them/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">side effects from cannabis </a>can be mitigated by taking the minimum effective dose you need to get the results you want.</p><h2>Does Weed Relax Muscles?</h2><p>Muscle tightness and <a href="https://muschealth.org/medical-services/geriatrics-and-aging/healthy-aging/cramps-and-spasms" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">cramps</a> can be caused by some common medications, by dehydration, or by overexerting yourself. Tight muscles and cramps can be painful and unpleasant, but there is some evidence that weed helps relax tight muscles. Most of the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK224382/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">research</a> on how weed affects tight or spasming muscles has been done on multiple sclerosis. While medical marijuana may be part of the treatment plan for multiple sclerosis, we are discussing using weed relax tight muscles from the wear and tear of daily life. </p><p><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK224382/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Muscle spasms</a> are thought to originate in areas of the brain that control movement, and several of these sites contain high concentrations of endocannabinoid receptors. While the exact mechanisms by which cannabis alters movement haven’t been teased out, the way cannabis affects these brain areas likely plays a role in why so many people find that weed relaxes tight muscles.</p><h2>Why Does Weed Help You Relax?</h2><p>We have determined that a low dose of cannabis may promote feelings of relaxation and that weed does relax muscles, but why does weed help you relax? Weed is great for relaxing because of the wide variety of psychoactive effects produced by cannabis. Remember that the definition of relaxation is a state in which you are free from negative emotion, which allows you to have greater resilience when you are experiencing stress. </p><p>Cannabis promotes feelings of relaxation by decreasing feelings of stress and anxiety, elevating your mood, uplifting and energizing your mind, and keeping you occupied in the present moment. Together, this combination makes cannabis a highly effective relaxation tool. To learn all about the different ways <a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/410/cannabis-cbd-and-stress-relief/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">cannabis helps relieve mild daily stress</a> or <a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/2809/how-to-use-weed-to-energize-and-uplift-your-mind/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">how weed uplifts and energizes your mind</a>, click those links! </p><p>But here is a quick overview of why cannabis helps you relax: </p><p>Cannabis produces its effects when molecules called cannabinoids interact with your <a href="https://jointlybetter.com/magazine/article/your-unique-endocannabinoid-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">endocannabinoid system</a> (ECS). The <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6770351/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ECS</a> is a “ubiquitous system that provides homeostatic balance to the nervous and immune systems, as well as many other organ systems.” The ECS plays a role in modulating everything from sleep, to mood, to appetite, which is why cannabis can produce such a wide range of effects. </p><p>The ECS is composed of the endogenous ligands (AEA and 2-AG) also known as endocannabinoids, their receptors (CB1 and CB2), and the enzymes that degrade and recycle the ligands. Ligands and receptors are like keys and locks. When the ligand binds to the receptor, it produces a signal in the cell. To understand why cannabis has such a relaxing effect, we need to zoom in a little bit on how THC affects the brain.</p><h2>A Deep Dive On Why Weed Relaxes You</h2><p>Most psychoactive effects from cannabis come from THC interacting with CB1 receptors in your brain. Within the <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/npp2015166" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">brain</a>, CB1 receptors are expressed on GABAergic, glutamatergic, serotonergic, noradrenergic, and dopaminergic axon terminals. An axon terminal is the end of a nerve fiber that holds neurotransmitters and releases them across the synapse to the target cell. GABA, glutamate, serotonin, noradrenaline, and dopamine are neurotransmitters. </p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neurotransmitter" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Neurotransmitters</a> are chemical messengers that are released from the axon terminal of a neuron and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neurotransmission" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">trigger changes</a> in the target cell. </p><p>When you ingest THC, “activation of these [CB1] receptors results in a robust <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/npp2015166" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">suppression</a> of neurotransmitter release into the synapse.” In other words, THC interacts with CB1 receptors on axon terminals, which suppresses the release of neurotransmitters. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7605023/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Glutamate</a> is the primary excitatory neurotransmitter and GABA is the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter, and “the equilibrium between GABAergic and glutamatergic transmission provides an appropriate emotional reactivity.” Basically, <a href="https://www.verywellhealth.com/treating-gaba-and-glutamate-dysregulation-716040" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">GABA</a> helps you feel calm, and glutamate stimulates your brain. </p><p>CB1 receptors are <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28061971/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">widely expressed</a> on GABAergic neurons and, to a lesser extent, on glutamatergic neurons. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7605023/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Scientists</a> have proposed that “low THC doses…act preferentially on glutamatergic neurons, whereas high THC doses have been proposed to act also at GABAergic neurons.” </p><p>Essentially, a low dose of THC may suppress the release of glutamate in your brain, relaxing you. A higher dose of THC may suppress the release of GABA, leading to anxiety. This reality may explain why cannabis has biphasic effects, promoting relaxation in low doses, but sometimes increasing anxiety in high doses.</p><h2>Meditating While High</h2><p>One of the best ways to relax is to combine your favorite relaxation technique with cannabis. For example, you could try meditating while high. You might wonder, does weed help with meditation? Can you meditate while high? </p><p>As you might expect, the best way to enhance your meditation practice with marijuana is to microdose. High doses of cannabis are more likely to cause anxiety or disorientation, which may make it difficult to meditate while high. </p><p>Some people find that weed helps them meditate because it helps them stay present in the moment. When mindfulness practitioners are tuning into their environment, they listen to the sounds around them, they feel the breeze on their skin, they smell the air—they tune in to their sensory perceptions and the world around them. </p><p>Cannabis is well-known to increase your sensory perception, possibly amplifying your connection to the present moment. If you want to supercharge your relaxation, try meditating while high.</p><h2>Does CBD Relax You?</h2><p>Many people find CBD to be more relaxing than THC. While CBD is a cannabinoid like THC, it exerts its effects through different mechanisms of action. </p><p>Research has shown that CBD can affect the <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11064-005-6978-1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">serotonin system</a> and the <a href="https://www.foriawellness.com/blogs/learn/discover-benefits-cbd" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ECS</a> in ways that may promote relaxation. For example, levels of the endocannabinoid <a href="https://www.cibdol.com/cbd-encyclopedia/does-cbd-produce-relaxing-effects#nl-subscribe-popup" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">AEA</a> are correlated with feelings of relaxation, and CBD has been shown to elevate levels of the AEA by inhibiting the enzymes that break it down. </p><p>You can incorporate CBD into your relaxation practice in lots of creative ways. For example, you could massage a CBD balm into your feet before taking a relaxing walk. Or you could take a CBD oil capsule before your meditation session. Or you could take a few puffs of a high CBD strain before taking a bath. Both full-spectrum CBD and isolate CBD bolster your endocannabinoid system and can promote feelings of relaxation. Please note that CBD is not an FDA approved treatment for stress and anxiety disorders and we are discussing using CBD to improve your general well-being.</p><h2>How Much CBD to Relax?</h2><p>How much CBD do you need to take to relax? CBD has a <a href="https://cfah.org/cbd-dosage/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">good safety profile</a> and is well-tolerated in most people from doses of 5mg to 500mg. Of course, everyone is different. The way CBD affects you might not be the same as another person. The best way to find out how much CBD you need to relax is to experiment with different dosages and CBD products and record your experiences on the Jointly app.</p><h2>Best Weed Strains to Relax</h2><p>If you have been inspired to add cannabis to your relaxation toolkit, you might be wondering what is the best marijuana strain to relax and mellow out? If you search online, you will find recommendations about Blue Dream, OG Kush—potent, high-THC strains that have a significant psychoactive effect. But before you choose your relaxing weed strain, we encourage you to look at our article&nbsp;<a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/2493/why-jointly-is-better-than-a-strain-finder/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Why Jointly is Better than a Strain Finder.</a> In that article, you will learn what strain names really mean and how to use Jointly to discover the most effective products in your area.</p><h2>How to Use Weed and CBD to Relax</h2><p>For many people, cannabis and CBD are the perfect tools to enhance their relaxation. If you want to see if cannabis or CBD can help you relax, use the Jointly app to track and optimize the <a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/438/optimizing-your-cannabis-experience/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">15 factors that can impact your weed experience</a>. These 15 factors include your <a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/440/cannabis-cbd-and-the-optimal-dose/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">dose</a>, the <a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/461/cannabis-cbd-and-the-setting-in-which-you-enjoy-it/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">environment in which you consume cannabis</a>, <a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/463/cannabis-cbd-and-whom-you-are-with/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">who you are with when you ingest</a>, <a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/453/cannabis-cbd-and-hydration/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">how hydrated you are</a>, <a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/457/cannabis-cbd-and-the-quality-of-your-diet/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the quality of your diet</a>, <a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/451/cannabis-cbd-and-the-sleep-you-got-last-night/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">how much sleep you got last night</a>, and more. </p><p>Jointly is a cannabis wellness platform that helps you <a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/335/achieving-your-wellness-goals-with-cannabis-and-cbd/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">achieve your wellness goals</a> with cannabis and CBD. <strong>Perhaps you will discover that you feel the most relaxed when you eat a 1:1 weed gummy in the afternoon, after a hard workout.</strong> </p><p>Our data indicates that <a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/1931/jointly-users-are-feeling-38-better/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jointly works best when you report at least 10 cannabis sessions</a>. If you only fill out a few reports and then stop, you won’t have enough data to start to see trends and improve how you consume cannabis. </p><p>When you use Jointly, you are rating how well a product helped you achieve your wellness goals. Over time, your average ratings should go up as you optimize how you consume cannabis and CBD. Use the <a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/1692/monitoring-your-progress-toward-your-cannabis-and-cbd-goals/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Results Tracker</a> feature to make sure your results are improving over time.</p><h2>How to Find Cannabis and CBD Products for Relaxation</h2><p>Looking for products that can help relax? Brands and manufacturers have designed a vast range of legal cannabis and CBD products for this exact purpose: lemon balm-infused CBD gummies, vape pens with relaxing blends of terpenes, CBD-rich bath bombs and more. But how do you know if these products actually work? Jointly’s&nbsp;<a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/465/finding-the-best-cannabis-cbd-products-for-your-unique-goals/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Product Finder</a> feature allows you to look up legal, licensed cannabis and CBD products in your state based on your wellness goals. Select Relaxation and see how other users like you rated a product on a scale from 1-10, based on how well it helped them relax. By reporting your cannabis and CBD consumption, you are contributing important data to the Jointly community and helping Jointly make better product and routine recommendations for you. </p><p>Download the Jointly app on the <a href="https://apps.apple.com/app/id1504406244" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">App Store</a> or the <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.jointly&amp;hl=en_US&amp;gl=US" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Google Play Store</a> to get started on your cannabis wellness journey.</p>

Does Weed Help You Relax? How Much CBD Should You Take To Relax?

In the popular imagination, cannabis has a much closer link to creativity than it does to focus, but there is also a long tradition of cannabis being used to enhance focus, especially during prolonged physical activities. While focusing and creating are distinct mental states, both cognitive processes involve dopamine and the frontal cortex of the brain. Read on for a deep dive into the science of cannabis, creativity, and focus.

Focus & Create

Does Cannabis Enhance Creativity and Focus?

Sleep affects almost every system and tissue in the body: the heart, the brain, metabolism, immune function, mood and more. While the biological purpose of sleep remains a mystery, sleep is essential for life. In fact, scientists have never found a truly sleepless creature. Read on to learn about how cannabis affects different stages of sleep and how you can use cannabis to banish restless nights.

Improve Sleep

<h1>Can Cannabis or CBD Help You Sleep?</h1><p>Sleep affects almost every system and tissue in the body: the heart, the brain, metabolism, immune function, mood and <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5656354/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">more</a>. While the biological purpose of sleep still remains a mystery, it is a vital process that is essential for life. In fact, scientists have <a href="https://www.livescience.com/64873-can-animals-survive-without-sleep.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">never found</a> a truly sleepless creature. </p><p>Despite the importance of good sleep, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5449130/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">up to 70 million people</a> in the United States have sleep issues that negatively impact their general well-being. Many people turn to cannabis and CBD to naturally improve their sleep. </p><h2>What does it look like to use cannabis or CBD to sleep better?</h2><p>It could be a young woman plagued with years of poor sleep who finds that a few puffs of cannabis flower vapor help her fall asleep faster. Or a person who discovers that cannabis and CBD dramatically improves the quality and quantity of his sleep. Or a septuagenarian who buccally ingests THC after dinner to maintain a healthy circadian rhythm as she ages. Can cannabis or CBD help you improve your sleep? Jointly can help you find out, but first let’s review what is known about using cannabis and CBD for sleep.</p><h2>Cannabis as a Sleep Aid</h2><p>Cannabis has a long history of being used as a <a href="http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&amp;pid=S1516-44462006000200015" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">sleep aid</a> dating back to at least 1000 B.C.E. In the 1920s, medical encyclopedias described cannabis as a sedative and a hypnotic. A <a href="https://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/sedative" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">sedative</a> is a drug that acts as a central nervous system depressant, lowering anxiety and stress. A <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/sedative-hypnotic-drug" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">hypnotic</a> is a drug that directly induces sleep. </p><p>With such a long history as a natural sleep aid, it is unsurprising that many people today still use cannabis to improve their sleep. According to a 2019 <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31264536/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">survey</a> of 1000 adult users at a cannabis dispensary in Colorado, 74% reported taking cannabis to promote sleep. Of that group, 84% found cannabis “very or extremely helpful” in helping them sleep, and most people reported that they stopped or significantly reduced their sleeping pill use.</p><h2>What does the science say about sleep and cannabis?</h2><p>According to <a href="https://www.medicinebox.green/2018/09/cbd-as-treatment-for-insomnia-and-ptsd/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Dr. Ethan Russo</a>, a cannabis doctor and one of the world’s leading cannabis researchers, “Almost every clinical study that’s looked at cannabis-based medicines has shown an improvement in sleep.” To say otherwise, he said, is “to be staring in a deep hole — a deep hole of ignorance.” </p><p>Many people wonder what is the best strain for sleep? Particularly, what is the best Indica strain for sleep? But <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0133292" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">research</a> suggests that “marijuana strain names often do not reflect a meaningful genetic identity.” </p><p><a href="https://www.aastweb.org/blog/stages-of-sleep-nrem-deep-sleep-vs-rem-sleep" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sleep</a> has been traditionally described in two parts: rapid eye movement (REM) and non-rapid eye movement (NREM). Humans dream during REM sleep. NREM is divided into three stages, progressing from light sleep to deep sleep—designated as slow-wave sleep (SWS). <a href="https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/sleep-101" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">SWS</a> is the stage at which your body repairs itself and regrows tissue, whereas <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25801606/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">REM</a> sleep has been associated with cognitive performance and learning. All stages of sleep seem to be important. </p><p>Due to federal prohibition on cannabis, there is not enough research into cannabis and sleep to state any firm conclusions. For example, a widely cited <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18313952/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">study</a> from 2008 indicates that cannabis decreases REM sleep and increases SWS sleep. </p><p>However, these findings have not been consistently replicated. A <a href="https://ndarc.med.unsw.edu.au/sites/default/files/ndarc/resources/Peter%20Gates%20poster.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">literature review</a> published by the National Drug and Alcohol Research Center in Australia concluded the opposite: “the acute effects of cannabis use on sleep appear to be a disruption to the sleep cycle reflecting a reduction in time spent in slow wave sleep and an increase in time spent in rapid eye movement sleep.” </p><p>According to <a href="https://www.aastweb.org/blog/medical-marijuanas-effect-on-sleep" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Joseph W. Anderson</a>, a sleep specialist and polysomnographic technologist, when we ask how cannabis affects sleep, we are combining two great unknowns: “an insufficiently studied drug and a biological enigma.” While we cannot state definitively how cannabis affects sleep architecture, it is widely known that cannabis helps many people fall asleep.</p><h2>How Does Cannabis Affect Sleep?</h2><p><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5656354/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Studies</a> have shown that cannabis alters the sleep-wake cycle, increases the production of melatonin, and can “inhibit the arousal system by activating CB1 receptors in the basal forebrain and other wake promoting centers.” <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28349316/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">THC</a> may decrease sleep latency—the time it takes you to fall asleep. But chronic use has been associated with impaired sleep quality over the long term.</p><h2>Endocannabinoid System and Sleep</h2><p>Sleep is a critically important biological function that involves an organism becoming much less responsive to stimuli. The natural sleep-wake cycle is determined by the circadian rhythm. The <a href="https://www.pharma.uzh.ch/dam/jcr:00000000-65ce-162b-ffff-ffff81b32991/MuheimBrown.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">circadian rhythm</a> is a 24-hour biological clock that allows organisms to perceive daily environmental cues and respond to them. The circadian rhythm has been observed in plants, animals, fungi and cyanobacteria. </p><p>While the circadian rhythm is self-sustained and maintained by endogenous processes, it is also entrained by cues called <a href="https://www.pharma.uzh.ch/dam/jcr:00000000-65ce-162b-ffff-ffff81b32991/MuheimBrown.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">zeitgebers</a>—literally, “time giver” in German. The most important zeitgeber is the cycle of light and dark, but temperature, melatonin and various other stimuli can also entrain the circadian rhythm. </p><p>The suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) is the “internal clock” that serves as the endogenous control center for circadian rhythms. Lesions to the SCN eliminate a range of circadian behaviors in mammals, including sleep-wake cycles. The <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25801606/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">SCN</a> combines zeitgebers like light or feeding with internal messengers like melatonin to maintain consistent circadian rhythms and “to entrain to the 24-hour day.” </p><p>The endocannabinoid system (ECS) plays a role in circadian rhythms and regulating the sleep-wake cycle. While scientists have not teased out the exact role of the ECS in sleep, it seems to involve the <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnmol.2020.00125/full?utm_source=F-AAE&amp;utm_medium=EMLF&amp;utm_campaign=MRK_1391749_55_Neuros_20200730_arts_A" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">CB1 receptor</a>. THC exerts its psychoactive effects through binding to the CB1 receptor. CB1 receptors are found in the SCN, which encouraged scientists to study the interaction between CB1 receptors, light and the SCN. </p><p>They determined that <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25801606/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">cannabinoids</a> “do alter the ability of the SCN to entrain to environmental light cues, but mainly through modulating GABAergic tone.” The majority of <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4023459/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">sleep-promoting drugs</a> target the GABA receptor. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11983310/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">GABA</a> is “the main inhibitory neurotransmitter” of the central nervous system and plays an important role in sleep. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3307819/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Research</a> indicates that “GABAergic drugs have overlapping effects with cannabis,” although there is not enough research to state firm conclusions about the role of GABA in cannabinoid effects.</p><h2>Cannabis Balances the Circadian Rhythm</h2><p>Fascinatingly, scientists have suggested that cannabis may act as a zeitgeber. </p><p>As a zeitgeber, <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnmol.2020.00125/full" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">cannabis</a> entrains “biological rhythms to facilitate daily sleep periods, and thus may serve as a chronobiotic therapeutic compound for individuals with disrupted circadian function.” Earlier, we noted that animals with damage to the SCN lose a range of circadian behaviors. </p><p>However, <a href="https://www.academia.edu/36889874/The_effects_of_chronic_marijuana_use_on_circadian_entrainment_pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">chronically administering</a> drugs and food in a consistent schedule has been shown to restore circadian rhythmicity in animals with ablated SCN. </p><p>A 2015 <a href="https://www.academia.edu/36889874/The_effects_of_chronic_marijuana_use_on_circadian_entrainment_pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">study</a> examined the relationship between cannabis use and circadian rhythms in humans. In the study, chronic marijuana users wore actigraphy watches (devices that track movement to determine sleep) over a 21-day period. Data from the study depicted cannabis users as “significantly more entrained to the traditional 24-hour Cosiner model than age-matched, non-using controls.” However, marijuana users did display increased levels of sleep disturbances when compared to non-users. </p><p>According to <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/medical-marijuana/cannabis-for-sleeping" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Dr. Matt Roman</a>, a medical marijuana doctor, “Marijuana is an effective sleep aid because it restores a person’s natural sleep cycle, which so often falls out of sync with our schedules in today’s modern lifestyle.” </p><p>Elderly adults are known to develop disrupted circadian rhythms with age, so cannabis offers a way to entrain the circadian rhythm. Night shift workers or other populations with disrupted circadian rhythms could also potentially benefit from using cannabis as a zeitgeber.</p><h2>CBD for Sleep</h2><p>While CBD is commonly thought of as a sleep-aid, the available <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7338332/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">data</a> suggests that “CBD seems unlikely to directly influence sleep in healthy humans.” Animal <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28349316/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">studies</a> suggest the CBD may even be wake-promoting and could be used to treat excessive daytime sleepiness. Several studies have examined how CBD affects subjective measures of sleep in humans. </p><p>A 3-month <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6326553/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">study</a> conducted on an outpatient psychiatric population indicated that “sleep scores displayed no sustained improvements.” A 2020 controlled clinical study assessed the acute pharmacodynamics (effect of a drug) of 100mg of CBD or CBD-dominant cannabis. </p><p>They found that vapor inhalation of CBD-dominant cannabis increased subjective sleepiness. CBD alone did not have these same effects. The researchers hypothesize that effects of the CBD-dominant cannabis were due to trace amounts of THC. They state, “it is still unclear whether acute administration of this relatively low dose of THC alone is enough to produce sleepiness, or whether it has synergistic effects with CBD and other phytocannabinoids in the strain of CBD-dominant cannabis used in this study.” </p><p>Despite the available evidence, many people swear that <a href="https://plantsbeforepills.com/how-using-cbd-oil-can-lead-to-better-sleep/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">CBD oil is the secret to better sleep</a>, so more research is needed before the effects of CBD on sleep can be definitively stated.</p><h2>Can Cannabis Improve Your Sleep?</h2><p>In conclusion, cannabis seems to consistently help people fall asleep faster. </p><p>Cannabis seems to have varying effects on sleep architecture, and it may act as a zeitgeber, helping one maintain a regular circadian rhythm. In situations where sleep is disturbed due to daily stress or minor aches and pains from daily life, cannabis could alleviate these symptoms and improve sleep. </p><p>But consistent, long term use seems to be associated with sleep disturbances. Jointly can help you dial in how you consume cannabis and CBD so that you can sleep better, naturally.</p><h2>Use Jointly to Sleep Better with Cannabis and CBD</h2><p>Jointly is cannabis wellness platform that helps you <a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/335/achieving-your-wellness-goals-with-cannabis-and-cbd/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">achieve your wellness goals</a> with cannabis and CBD. Jointly allows you to track and record your CBD and cannabis consumption, including the dose, time of use, cannabinoid profile and various other factors that can influence your experience. </p><p>As you track your cannabis consumption on Jointly, you will learn about the <a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/438/optimizing-your-cannabis-experience/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">15 factors that can impact your cannabis experience</a> and how to <a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/471/cannabis-and-side-effects-what-causes-them-and-what-can-you-do-to-avoid-them/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">eliminate side effects</a>. Perhaps you will discover that you sleep best when you vaporize whole flower cannabis <a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/449/cannabis-cbd-and-exercise/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">after you have worked out</a> and with some <a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/455/should-you-consume-cannabis-or-cbd-on-an-empty-or-full-stomach/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">food in your stomach</a>. </p><p>Our data indicates that Jointly works best when you <a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/1931/jointly-users-are-feeling-38-better/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">report at least 10 cannabis sessions</a>. If you only fill out a few reports and then stop, you won’t have enough data to start to see trends and improve how you consume cannabis. When you use Jointly, you are actually rating how well a product helped you achieve your wellness goal. Over time, your average ratings should go up as you optimize how you consume cannabis and CBD. Use the <a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/1692/monitoring-your-progress-toward-your-cannabis-and-cbd-goals/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Results Tracker</a> feature to make sure your results are improving over time.</p><h2>Finding Cannabis and CBD Products for Improving Sleep</h2><p>Looking for products that can help you get a good night of sleep? Brands and manufacturers have designed a vast range of legal cannabis and CBD products for this exact purpose: CBD gummies with melatonin, weed edibles for sleep, vape pens with CBN, indica tinctures, cannabis-infused sleep sprays and more. But how do you know if these products actually work? Jointly’s <a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/465/finding-the-best-cannabis-cbd-products-for-your-unique-goals/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Product Finder</a> feature allows you to look up legal, licensed cannabis and CBD products in your state based on your wellness goals. Select Improve Sleep and see how other users like you rated a product on a scale from 1-10, based on how well it helped them sleep. That's why we like to think of Jointly like a cannabis social network. By reporting your cannabis and CBD consumption, you are contributing important data to the Jointly community and helping Jointly make better product and routine recommendations for you. Download the Jointly app on the <a href="https://apps.apple.com/app/id1504406244" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">App Store</a> or the <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.jointly&amp;hl=en_US&amp;gl=US" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Google Play Store</a> to get started on your cannabis wellness journey today.</p>

Can Cannabis or CBD Help You Sleep Better at Night?

Cannabis is a natural way to help you manage mild aches and pains from the wear and tear of everyday life. Cannabis relieves pain in a different way than other common painkillers, which makes it well-suited for certain types of pain. Read on to learn how cannabis affects pain, which types of pain cannabis is best for, and why cannabis is the best option for managing everyday pain.

Ease Everyday Pain

Is Cannabis Good for Pain Relief?

Cannabis can help you let your walls down, connect with those around you, and even get the giggles flowing. Read on to learn about the fascinating history of using cannabis to improve social experiences and the surprising science of why cannabis improves social connection.

Enjoy Social Experiences

<h1>How to Use Cannabis or CBD to Improve Your Social Experiences</h1><p>Does weed improve social experiences? Did you know that cannabis can help you connect with friends and family and improve your social experiences? </p><p>Whether you are a seasoned stoner who has been toking up with friends for decades or you are just beginning your cannabis wellness journey, you have come to the right place. In this article, we will explore why weed improves social experiences better and show you how to find the best weed products to enhance your social experiences.</p><h2>What does it look like to use cannabis to improve your social experiences? </h2><p>It could be a group of moms trading Wine Wednesday for Weed Wednesday and splitting a batch of homemade edibles as the kids play. Or a few friends sharing a joint as they watch a movie. Or a solo concert goer using cannabis to connect with the strangers around her. </p><h2>A Friend with Weed is a Friend Indeed</h2><p>Have you ever heard the saying, “a friend with weed is a friend indeed?” Why is a friend with weed a friend indeed? Because cannabis is a wonderful tool for improving social experiences! Everyone knows that weed makes everything hilarious. And as the comedian <a href="https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_laughter_brings_us_together" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Victor Borge</a> wrote, “Laughter is the closest distance between two people.”</p><p><a href="https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_laughter_brings_us_together" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Studies</a> have shown that when strangers laugh together, the shared laughter acts as a social glue that bonds them. When strangers laugh together, they like each other more and they feel more alike. And for centuries we have known that cannabis can help people connect through laughter. </p><p>In 1860, Charles Baudelaire wrote a book called <a href="https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2015/04/20/baudelaire-gets-baked/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Artificial Paradises</a> on his experiences with hashish. He describes his experience with the cannabis concentrate like this: “The demon has encompassed you; it is useless to kick against the pricks of this hilarity, as painful as tickling is! From time to time you laugh to yourself at your stupidity and your madness, and your comrades, if you are with others, laugh also, both at your state and their own; but as they laugh without malice, so you are without resentment.” Evidently, Baudelaire had discovered what many of us know today: cannabis can improve social experiences by helping you relax and making everything seem funny.</p><h2>Does Weed Improve Social Experiences?</h2><p>Cannabis is the perfect substance to improve your social experiences because it <a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/407/cannabis-cbd-and-relaxation/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">helps you relax</a>, <a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/2809/how-to-use-weed-to-energize-and-uplift-your-mind/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">boosts your mood</a>, and makes you laugh. While drug use is often framed in a negative context, there are numerous <a href="https://theconversation.com/drug-use-can-have-social-benefits-and-acknowledging-this-could-improve-rehabilitation-93978" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">studies</a> that indicate that people use drugs “in social settings such as bars, clubs and parties to enhance their interactions with others through increased confidence, greater sociability and less anxiety.”</p><p>People certainly use cannabis at parties or social gatherings to feel more relaxed and social. But does weed make you feel more social in these contexts due to cultural reasons or because of the way cannabis affects you? In other words, how does cannabis affect social interactions in a lab setting? </p><p>A small <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3678046/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">study</a> from 1987 explored the effects of cannabis on social interactions of a small group of subjects. The researchers divided 12 subjects into four groups of three subjects. They had the subjects spend half the day in their rooms alone doing work and the second half of the day they were allowed to socialize. The subjects smoked cigarettes containing THC or a placebo four times throughout the day. </p><p>The researchers found that the groups that used cannabis had significantly more “total daily social interaction time.” Evidently, cannabis can improve social experiences even in artificial lab settings.</p><h2>Why Does Weed Make Me Socially Anxious?</h2><p>While weed can improve your social experiences, many people feel that cannabis makes them socially anxious. Significant social anxiety could be Social Anxiety Disorder, so if you feel social anxiety is affecting your daily life, please consult your doctor or a mental health practitioner. </p><p>If your social anxiety is caused by cannabis, a recent study may shed light on why so many people experience social anxiety from weed. A <a href="https://www.inverse.com/mind-body/marijuana-social-withdrawal-study" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">study</a> in mice found that THC interacted with CB1 receptors on mitochondria, altering energy metabolism in the brain. These changes led to “alteration of social interaction in mice.” It is not yet known if a similar mechanism exists in humans.</p><h2>CBD and Improving Social Experiences</h2><p>Many people find that a purposeful dose of CBD is one of the best ways to stay relaxed during social gatherings. How does CBD relieve stress and improve your social experiences? </p><p>Research has shown that CBD can affect the <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11064-005-6978-1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">serotonin system</a> and the <a href="https://www.foriawellness.com/blogs/learn/discover-benefits-cbd" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">endocannabinoid system</a> in ways that may promote stress-relief. Animal <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5595771/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">studies</a> indicate that CBD appears to have stress and anxiety reducing effects in a variety of experimental designs. Please note that CBD is not an FDA approved treatment for Social Anxiety Disorder. We are discussing using CBD to improve your general wellbeing. </p><p>If you want to keep a clear head and improve your times with family and friends, give CBD a try. You can experiment with different CBD products and record your results on the Jointly app until you find a product that works for you.</p><h2>Best Weed Strains to Improve Social Experiences</h2><p>The best strains to improve your social experiences will likely be strains that relax you and make you giggly. Cannabis contains many different chemical compounds including hundreds of cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids. Many of these chemical compounds exert distinct biological effects. As a result, there may be weed strains or product types that make you feel more social than others. </p><p>Before you choose a weed strain to bring to your next social gathering, we encourage you to look at our article Why Jointly is Better than a Strain Finder? In that article, you will learn what strain names really mean and how to use Jointly to discover the most effective products in your area.</p><h2>How to use Jointly to enjoy your ideal experience every time</h2><p>Jointly is a cannabis wellness platform that helps you&nbsp;<a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/335/achieving-your-wellness-goals-with-cannabis-and-cbd/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">achieve your wellness goals</a> with cannabis and CBD. Think of Jointly like a cannabis social network where you can rate your favorite products with cannabis connoisseurs and stoner friends. Beyond rating products, Jointly allows you to track the&nbsp;<a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/438/optimizing-your-cannabis-experience/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">15 factors that can impact your weed experience</a> so that you can optimize how you use cannabis and learn how to get the effect you want every time. These 15 factors include your <a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/440/cannabis-cbd-and-the-optimal-dose/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">dose</a>, the <a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/461/cannabis-cbd-and-the-setting-in-which-you-enjoy-it/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">environment in which you consume cannabis</a>, <a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/463/cannabis-cbd-and-whom-you-are-with/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">who you are with when you ingest</a>, <a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/453/cannabis-cbd-and-hydration/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">how hydrated you are</a>, <a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/457/cannabis-cbd-and-the-quality-of-your-diet/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the quality of your diet</a>, <a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/451/cannabis-cbd-and-the-sleep-you-got-last-night/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">how much sleep you got last night</a>, and more. </p><p><strong>You might find that you have the best social experiences with cannabis when you and your friends smoke a high CBD strain outside in nature.</strong> Our data indicates that <a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/1931/jointly-users-are-feeling-38-better/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jointly works best when you report at least 10 cannabis sessions</a>. If you only fill out a few reports and then stop, you won’t have enough data to start to see trends and improve how you consume cannabis. When you use Jointly, you are rating how well a product helped you achieve your wellness goals. Over time, your average ratings should go up as you optimize how you consume cannabis and CBD. Use the&nbsp;<a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/1692/monitoring-your-progress-toward-your-cannabis-and-cbd-goals/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Results Tracker</a> feature to make sure your results are improving over time.</p><h2>How to Find Cannabis and CBD Products for Improving Social Experiences</h2><p>Looking for weed products to bring to your next hangout? Brands and manufacturers have designed a range of cannabis and CBD products for this purpose: packets of mini joints to share with friends, THC-infused mock beer, a box of CBD chocolates, and more. But how do you know if these products actually work? Jointly’s&nbsp;<a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/465/finding-the-best-cannabis-cbd-products-for-your-unique-goals/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Product Finder</a> feature allows you to look up legal, licensed cannabis and CBD products in your state based on your wellness goals. Select Improve Social Experiences and see how other users like you rated a product on a scale from 1-10, based on how much it improved their social experiences. By reporting your cannabis and CBD consumption, you are contributing important data to the Jointly community and helping Jointly make better product and routine recommendations for you. Want to join our cannabis social network? </p><p>Download the Jointly app on the <a href="https://apps.apple.com/app/id1504406244" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">App Store</a> or the <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.jointly&amp;hl=en_US&amp;gl=US" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Google Play Store</a> to get started on your cannabis wellness journey.</p>

Does Weed Improve Your Social Experiences?

Cannabis has energizing, uplifting, and mood boosting effects because of the role the endocannabinoid system plays in mood and stress. Many people enjoy an energy-boosting cannabis product in the morning or after a long day of work. Read on to find out how to use cannabis to boost your mood and energy.

Energize & Uplift

<h1>Marijuana for Energy: How to Use Weed to Boost Your Energy and Mood</h1><p>In this article, we will explore how to use marijuana for energy, we will show you how to use the Jointly app to find the most euphoric strains, and we will discuss products that are designed for this goal like cannabis energy drinks. </p><h2>What does it look like to use cannabis or CBD to energize or uplift your mind?</h2><p>It could be a father who takes a few puffs from a dab pen to energize his mind before cleaning the kitchen. Or a schoolteacher who savors the mood-boosting effects of a weed edible on her long afternoon walks home. Or a grandfather who takes a microdose of a 1:1 THC:CBD gummy to energize and uplift his mind so that he can lose himself in play with his grandchildren. Many people use cannabis or CBD to energize their mind, boost their mood, and feel better in their day-to-day lives. Is cannabis the right choice to help you energize and uplift your mind? Jointly can help you find out. But first let’s explore what it is known about cannabis, mood, and why weed energizes your mind. Please note that this article is not discussing the use of cannabis to treat depression or any other medical issue. Any changes to your lifestyle or routine should be discussed with your doctor or licensed healthcare provider.</p><h2>Does Weed Boost Your Mood?</h2><p>Can weed improve your mood? While cannabis is more often thought of as a hypnotic and sedative, it can have energizing, uplifting, and mood boosting effects. In the mid-1800s, there was a group of Parisian intellectuals called the Club des Hashischins who experimented with hashish and recorded their experiences.<img src="https://strapi-production.jointlybetter.com/uploads/legacy/2021/10/undraw_coffee_break_j3of-250x202.png" alt="Coffee cup cartoon" width="341" height="276"><a href="https://www.geriwalton.com/the-19th-century-french-hashish-club-called-club-des-hashischins/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Dr. Jacques-Joseph Moreau</a>, a psychiatrist who was the drug supplier to the group, wrote this passage about his hash experiences: “It is … <em>really</em> happiness which is produced by the hashish…The hashish eater is happy, not like the gourmand or the famished man when satisfying his appetite, but like him who hears tidings which fill him with joy, like the miser counting his treasures, the gambler who is successful at play, or the ambitious man who is intoxicated with success.” This type of euphoric feeling is common to cannabis users, so weed can definitely boost your mood in the right conditions. But you can also <a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/410/cannabis-cbd-and-stress-relief/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">use weed to relieve stress</a> or <a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/414/cannabis-cbd-and-sleep/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">use marijuana to sleep better at night</a>. How can you use marijuana for energy when it also helps you sleep, <a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/407/cannabis-cbd-and-relaxation/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">relax</a>, and relieve stress?</p><h2>Marijuana for Energy: Why Does Weed Energize and Uplift Your Mind?</h2><p>Weed can energize and uplift your mind because of the way the endocannabinoid system (ECS) interacts with mood and stress. The <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6770351/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ECS</a> is a “ubiquitous system that provides homeostatic balance to the nervous and immune systems, as well as many other organ systems.” The ECS is composed of the endogenous ligands (AEA and 2-AG) also known as endocannabinoids, their receptors (CB1 and CB2), and the enzymes that degrade and recycle the ligands. Ligands and receptors are like keys and locks. When the ligand binds to the receptor, it produces a signal in the cell. The ECS interacts with the <a href="https://adai.uw.edu/pubs/pdf/2017mjdepression.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis</a> (HPA) and the dopamine system to “establish balance between distress and well-being.” The HPA axis plays an integral role in our stress response and describes the relationship between the <a href="https://www.integrativepro.com/articles/the-hpa-axis" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">endocrine system and the central nervous system</a> when an organism is exposed to stress. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that plays an important role in regulating movement and mood. Higher than normal levels of <a href="https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/326090#differences" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">dopamine</a> can lead to “euphoria, bliss, and enhanced motivation and concentration.” THC is known to <a href="https://examine.com/nutrition/does-marijuana-actually-boost-creativity/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">stimulate dopamine</a> release in the brain. This flood of dopamine energizes and uplifts your mind. While THC may uplift your mind, more is not always better. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20332000/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Animal studies</a> found that THC exhibited anti-depressant effects in a U-shaped curve. The researchers tested the animals with 1.25mg/kg, 2.5mg/kg, 5mg/kg of THC while subjecting them to an animal model of depression. They found that only 2.5mg/kg exhibited anti-depressant like effects, while the lower and higher doses did not. If you want to use THC to energize and uplift your mind, use the Jointly app to find the highest rated products, and then microdose and titrate up until you find your minimum effective dose.</p><h2>Using CBD for Energy</h2><p>Most people think of CBD as something that relaxes you, but this compound has a variety of effects that make it well-suited for uplifting and energizing your mind.<img src="https://strapi-production.jointlybetter.com/uploads/legacy/2021/10/shutterstock_1700797366-250x141.png" alt="woman using CBD for energy and exercising in front of her laptop" width="342" height="193"> For example, many people have found that CBD is the perfect replacement for a cup of coffee because CBD gives you energy but does not keep you up at night. CBD has wake promoting properties and <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28349316/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">animal studies</a> suggest that CBD could be used to treat excessive daytime sleepiness in the future. In addition to using CBD for energy, this non-intoxicating cannabinoid can boost your mood and uplift your mind by acting on your ECS and your serotonin system, and by promoting <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0891061818302114?via%3Dihub" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">neuroplasticity</a>. Please note that we are not suggesting that CBD should be used as a treatment for depression.</p><h2>What is the Best Weed Strain for Uplifting and Energizing Your Mind?</h2><p>Is there any scientific basis for why one cannabis strain might uplift your mind better than another? For example, what is the best Sativa strain for energy? Should you choose strains that have the terpene limonene? What is the most energetic marijuana strain? What is the most euphoric strain? Cannabis contains many different chemical compounds including hundreds of cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids. Many of these chemical compounds exert distinct biological effects. As a result, there may be weed strains or product types that are better suited to boosting your mood or energizing your mind than others. The best way to find the most euphoric weed strain is to try different cannabis strains from different brands, record your experiences on the Jointly app, and track how each strain or product made you feel. For help choosing the best weed strain, check out our article <a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/2493/why-jointly-is-better-than-a-strain-finder/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Why Jointly Is Better than a Strain Finder</a>. In that article, you will learn what strain names really mean, how to find the most euphoric strains, and how to use Jointly to discover the highest rated products in your area.</p><h2>Find Weed Products to Energize and Uplift Your Mind</h2><p>Want to find weed products to uplift or energize your mind?<img src="https://strapi-production.jointlybetter.com/uploads/legacy/2021/10/undraw_electric_car_b7hl-250x187.png" alt="electric car cartoon" width="342" height="256"> Cannabis companies have created a wide variety of products designed to help you achieve this goal: cannabis energy drinks, CBD hemp energy drinks, dab pens made from energetic marijuana strains, CBD-infused coffees, and more. But how do you know if any of these products work the way they are supposed to? Jointly’s Product Finder feature allows you to look up legal, licensed cannabis and CBD products in your state based on your wellness goals. Select Energize and Uplift and see how other users like you rated a product on a scale from 1-10, based on how well it helped them stimulate their appetite. You can filter your <a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/465/finding-the-best-cannabis-cbd-products-for-your-unique-goals/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Product Finder</a> results to show you the highest rated cannabis products for the goal Energize and Uplift.</p><h2>How to Use CBD or Marijuana for Energy</h2><p>Jointly is a cannabis wellness app that teaches you how to <a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/335/achieving-your-wellness-goals-with-cannabis-and-cbd/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">achieve your wellness goals</a> with cannabis and CBD. If you want to use cannabis to energize your mind, use the Jointly app to find the best products for Uplift and Energize, and then record your cannabis experiences in the app so that you can track and optimize the <a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/438/optimizing-your-cannabis-experience/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">15 factors that can impact your weed experience</a>. These 15 factors include your <a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/440/cannabis-cbd-and-the-optimal-dose/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">dose</a>, the <a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/461/cannabis-cbd-and-the-setting-in-which-you-enjoy-it/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">environment in which you consume cannabis</a>, <a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/463/cannabis-cbd-and-whom-you-are-with/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">who you are with when you ingest</a>, <a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/453/cannabis-cbd-and-hydration/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">how hydrated you are</a>, <a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/457/cannabis-cbd-and-the-quality-of-your-diet/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the quality of your diet</a>, <a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/451/cannabis-cbd-and-the-sleep-you-got-last-night/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">how much sleep you got last night</a>, and more. For example, your mood and energy levels are dictated by a variety of factors from the sleep you got last night, to the foods you ate that day, to how stressed you are feeling.<strong> Perhaps you will discover that you experience the most energizing effect from cannabis when you </strong><a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/449/cannabis-cbd-and-exercise/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>vaporize weed after a workout</strong></a><strong>.</strong> Our data indicates that <a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/1931/jointly-users-are-feeling-38-better/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jointly works best when you report at least 10 cannabis sessions</a>. If you only fill out a few reports and then stop, you won’t have enough data to start to see trends and improve how you consume cannabis. When you use Jointly, you are rating how well a product helped you achieve your wellness goals. Over time, your average ratings should go up as you optimize how you consume cannabis and CBD. Use the <a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/1692/monitoring-your-progress-toward-your-cannabis-and-cbd-goals/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Results Tracker</a> feature to make sure your results are improving over time. Download the Jointly app on the <a href="https://apps.apple.com/app/id1504406244" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">App Store</a> or the <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.jointly&amp;hl=en_US&amp;gl=US" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Google Play Store</a> to get started on your cannabis wellness journey.</p>

How to Use Weed to Energize and Uplift Your Mind

Did you know that you can replace a variety of natural substances and over-the-counter compounds with cannabis and CBD? From NSAIDs, to herbal sleep aids, to alcohol—people are improving their wellbeing by replacing common substances with cannabis or CBD. Read on to learn why cannabis and CBD can replace so many common substances.

Replace Other Substances

Replacing Alcohol With Weed and NSAIDs with CBD

Cannabis has a long tradition as an aphrodisiac, but many people are just now discovering the intimacy enhancing benefits of cannabis and CBD products. Research suggest cannabis enhances intimate moments by lowering stress, decreasing pain associated with sex, and changing sensory perception. Read on to find out what science says about cannabis and sex.

Enhance Intimacy

<h1>Cannabis, CBD and Enhancing Intimacy in the Bedroom</h1><p>Cannabis has a long tradition as an aphrodisiac, but many people are just now discovering the intimacy enhancing benefits of cannabis and CBD products. Is cannabis or CBD the right choice to help you enhance your intimate moments? Jointly can help you find out, but first let’s review what is known about cannabis, CBD and intimacy!</p><h2>What does it mean to enhance intimacy with cannabis or CBD? </h2><p>It could mean a married couple looking to add a bit of creativity to their bedroom experience by sampling a cannabis-infused chocolate; a first date made more intimate and playful with a few hits from a cannabis oil cartridge; or a young woman who finds that consuming a small dose of THC makes it <a href="https://www.eaze.com/article/eaze-insights-sex-cannabis-marijuana-weed-orgasm-intimacy" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">easier for her to reach orgasm</a> in her solo sessions.</p><h2>Is Cannabis an Aphrodisiac?</h2><p>Various traditional medicine systems have prized cannabis as an aphrodisiac. In 1965, Shri Dwarakanath, the Adviser in Indigenous Systems of Medicine for the Government of India, <a href="https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/data-and-analysis/bulletin/bulletin_1965-01-01_1_page004.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">described numerous Ayurvedic formulations</a> that contained cannabis and were prescribed in rural areas as aphrodisiacs. </p><p>Dwarakanath noted these cannabis-based aphrodisiacs were found in both the Ayurvedic and Arab medical traditions in India, and seem to have been used for hundreds of years. Evidently, humans have long known about the intimacy enhancing qualities of cannabis.</p><p>But according to Nick Karras, a sexologist who has informally studied the effect of cannabis on people’s sex lives, “Dosing is essential when it comes to cannabis. Consume too much THC, and you may develop a closer relationship with your couch than your partner.” </p><p>A counselor of Ayurvedic medicine, Biljana Dušić, MD, seconded this notion: in the Ayurvedic tradition a small to moderate amount of cannabis is considered a <a href="http://www.institut-icanna.com/en/blog/23/Cannabis-from-the-perspective-of-Indian-Traditional-Medicine-Ayurveda" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">powerful aphrodisiac</a>, but habitual, heavy use of cannabis leads to a loss of sexual desire. For Enhancing Intimacy, it’s probably best to start with a small dose.</p><h2>What Does Science Say About Cannabis and Intimacy?</h2><p>Due to federal prohibition on cannabis, there is not enough research into cannabis, CBD and how it impacts sex or intimacy to state any firm conclusions. However, there have been several surveys and self-reporting studies that looked at how cannabis affected sexual frequency or subjective experience. </p><p>In 2017, researchers at Stanford University conducted a <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29110804/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">survey</a> of more than 50,000 adults, and found that cannabis use is associated with increased sexual frequency and that it does not appear to impair sexual function. </p><p>In 2018, researchers conducted an <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6522945/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">analysis</a> of self-reported sexual effects of marijuana in a small group of men and women aged 18-25, and found that “the majority of marijuana users reported an increase in sexual enjoyment and orgasm intensity, as well as either an increase or no change in desire.” </p><p>Another small <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31447385/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">survey</a> of men and women explored how cannabis alters people’s sexual experience. The researchers found that 38.7% said sex was better under the influence of cannabis, 58.9% said cannabis increased their desire for sex, 73.8% reported increased sexual satisfaction, 74.3% reported an increased sensitivity to touch, 65.7% reported an increased intensity of orgasms and 69.8% said they could relax more during sex. </p><p>While those results are fairly compelling, it was only conducted on a few hundred participants who responded to an advertisement, so it is unknown if these results can be generalized.</p><h2>Does Biological Sex Impact Cannabis and Intimacy?</h2><p>The scientific literature indicates that both men and women can experience a subjective improvement in sexual experiences when they use cannabis, but there is quite a bit of research that the effect of cannabis on sexual function varies based on biological sex. </p><p>For females, the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3856894/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">research</a> has “almost consistently suggested a facilitatory effect of cannabis on subjective indices of sexual function.”</p><p>A <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2050116120300866" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">study</a> published in July of 2020 looked at whether the frequency of cannabis use, the chemovar (whether it has THC, CBD or both) or the method of consumption had an effect on female sexual function among cannabis users. They found that increased marijuana use was associated with improved sexual function in females, and that chemovar type, method of consumption and reason for use did not impact the outcome. </p><p>A 2019 <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6522945/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">study</a> explored how cannabis use prior to sex affected female sexual function and found that “with any use, the majority of women perceived improvement in overall experience, sex drive, orgasm and pain.” The science on how cannabis affects sexual function in males is less conclusive. </p><p>A <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21269404/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">literature review</a> published in 2011 found contradictory results between studies, and called for “renewed use of research resources” to learn how cannabis affects male sexual function. For example, while many studies have found that cannabis adversely affects male erectile function, a large ten year <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34171210/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">study</a> of nearly 8,000 men published in 2021 found higher rates of ED in cannabis non-users compared to cannabis users.</p><h2>Perception is Reality?</h2><p>Some studies looking at male and female sexual function found a negative physiological effect of cannabis, but a positive subjective effect. For example, in <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21269404/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">males</a> “it appears cannabis may actually have peripheral antagonizing effects on erectile function by stimulating specific receptors.” That means that cannabis could contribute to erectile dysfunction in males. </p><p>And in <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3856894/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">females</a>, “cannabinoid receptor agonists, such as cannabis, may impair sexual arousal.” </p><p>Studies often focus on sexual arousal because there is a method for objectively measuring physiological arousal, whereas there is not an objective way to measure sexual desire. </p><p><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3856894/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Researchers</a> discussing the difference between subjective and objective measures of sexual function stated, “While individuals may report enhanced sexual functioning while under the influence of certain substances, these substances are…often associated decreased physiological sexual functioning.” </p><p>Of course, if people feel their intimate experiences are better when facilitated by cannabis or CBD, the objective physiological markers may not be as relevant.</p><h2>Enhancing Intimacy with Cannabis</h2><p>In contrast to the conclusions above, a small, informal survey was conducted between Eaze, a cannabis delivery service, and Lioness, a climax-tracking vibrator, on several hundred users consisting of all genders and gender-non-conforming users.</p><p>The <a href="https://www.eaze.com/article/eaze-insights-sex-cannabis-marijuana-weed-orgasm-intimacy" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Eaze-Lioness survey</a> tracked the physiological markers of orgasm length and frequency. The survey found that “cannabis can increase the length, frequency, and quality of your orgasms and pleasure sessions whether you’re single or married, solo or with a partner, young adult or silver fox.” </p><p>Of course, this survey was not a scientifically rigorous study, and more formal research is needed before any conclusions can be drawn. However, many couples have found that consuming cannabis can enhance their intimate experiences, and the science supports it. </p><p>A <a href="https://europepmc.org/article/pmc/pmc6433396" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">2019 study</a> looked at 183 heterosexual, frequent marijuana using couples, and found that using marijuana together, or individually but in the presence of the partner, increased the likelihood of the couple sharing an intimate experience within 2 hours of consumption. When couples used cannabis separately and alone (not in the presence of their partner), there was no increase in likelihood of intimacy. </p><p>The researchers concluded “marijuana use is associated with increased experiences of intimacy, love, caring or support with one’s intimate partner in the next 2 hours.” They suggested it was plausible that subjective feelings of relaxation, happiness and wellbeing after cannabis use led the couples to “experience—or perceive—intimacy” with their partner.</p><h2>Why Might Cannabis Enhance Intimacy?</h2><p>The endocannabinoid system <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0303720712000445" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">plays a central role</a> in “controlling reproductive function in mammals and humans,” and the cannabinoid receptor has been mapped to areas of the brain that <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6522945/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">play a role in sexual function</a>. </p><p>While it is clear that the endocannabinoid system plays an important role in sexual function, there are various other ways that cannabis or CBD could help people enhance their intimate experiences. Scientists have postulated that the reason cannabis enhances sex and intimacy could be that cannabis use lowers stress and anxiety, and decreases pain associated with sex. </p><p>Intimacy-enhancing benefits could also be due to the way cannabis slows down the perception of time, thus prolonging sensations of pleasure, or the way cannabis heightens the senses and changes sensory perception. Whatever the mechanism of action, many people have found that cannabis and intimacy are natural bedfellows. </p><p>The scientific literature holds a wide range of findings, some of which seem contradictory. It is likely that cannabis affects different people differently, and that various factors such as <a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/455/should-you-consume-cannabis-or-cbd-on-an-empty-or-full-stomach/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>stomach status</u></a> could impact cannabis users’ experiences. So how can you find out if cannabis or CBD is the right choice for you to enhance your intimate experiences?</p><h2>Use Jointly to Enhance Intimacy with Cannabis and CBD</h2><p>Use Jointly to learn if cannabis and CBD can help you <a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/335/achieving-your-wellness-goals-with-cannabis-and-cbd/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>achieve your wellness goals</u></a>. Jointly helps you to track and record your CBD and cannabis consumption, including the dose, time of use, composition of the cannabis product and various other factors that can influence your experience. As you track your cannabis consumption on Jointly, you will learn about the <a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/438/optimizing-your-cannabis-experience/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>factors that can impact your cannabis experience</u></a> and how to <a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/438/optimizing-your-cannabis-experience/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>eliminate side effects</u></a>. </p><p>Perhaps you will discover that a low dose edible with a 1:1 ratio of THC to CBD is best for you, but your partner finds the best intimacy enhancing results when consuming a higher dose of pure THC. You need to track and record your cannabis consumption on Jointly to learn that important difference. When you use Jointly, you are actually rating how well a product helped you achieve your wellness goal.</p><h2>Finding Cannabis and CBD Products to Enhance Intimacy</h2><p>Looking for products to help you enhance your intimate experiences? Brands and manufacturers have designed a vast range of legal cannabis and CBD products for this exact purpose: THC or CBD infused lubricants and intimacy oils; fast acting edibles for couples; tinctures specially formulated to enhance pleasure; cannabis massage candles that melt into topicals. But how do you know if these products actually work? </p><p>Jointly’s <a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/465/finding-the-best-cannabis-cbd-products-for-your-unique-goals/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>Product Finder</u></a> allows you to look up legal, licensed cannabis and CBD products in your state based on your desired cannabis wellness experience. Select Enhance Intimacy and see how other users like you rated a product on a scale from 1-10, based on how well it helped them Enhance Intimacy. </p><p>By reporting your cannabis and CBD consumption, you are contributing important data to the Jointly community and helping Jointly make better product and routine recommendations for you. </p><h2>Use Jointly to be more with cannabis</h2><p>Have you started your cannabis wellness journey? Jointly is a new cannabis wellness app that helps you&nbsp;<strong>discover purposeful cannabis consumption</strong> so you can <a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/335/achieving-your-wellness-goals-with-cannabis-and-cbd/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">achieve your wellness goals with cannabis</a> 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 optimize how you consume cannabis by tracking the 15 factors that can impact your cannabis experience. These 15 factors include your <a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/440/cannabis-cbd-and-the-optimal-dose/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">dose</a>, the <a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/461/cannabis-cbd-and-the-setting-in-which-you-enjoy-it/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">environment in which you consume cannabis</a>, <a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/463/cannabis-cbd-and-whom-you-are-with/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">who you are with when you ingest</a>, <a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/453/cannabis-cbd-and-hydration/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">how hydrated you are</a>, <a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/457/cannabis-cbd-and-the-quality-of-your-diet/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the quality of your diet</a>, <a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/451/cannabis-cbd-and-the-sleep-you-got-last-night/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">how much sleep you got last night</a>, and more.</p><p>Download the Jointly app on the <a href="https://apps.apple.com/app/id1504406244" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">App Store</a> or the <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.jointly&amp;hl=en_US&amp;gl=US" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Google Play Store</a> to get started on your cannabis wellness journey and harness the power of <a href="https://jointlybetter.com/magazine/article/your-unique-endocannabinoid-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">your unique endocannabinoid system</a>.</p>

Cannabis, CBD and Enhancing Intimacy in the Bedroom

Our modern world is full of stress: traffic jams, the 24-hour news cycle, social media, a presentation at work. Stress is anything that increases emotional or physical tension. Cannabis or CBD can be highly effective at relieving everyday stress. Read on to discover how cannabis affects your stress response and how you can use this knowledge to become more resilient to daily stress.

Relieve Everyday Stress

Does Weed Help With Stress? Jointly Explores Marijuana and Stress

Stimulating appetite can be both a side effect and a goal. Cannabis stimulates your appetite due to the way the endocannabinoid system interacts with feeding behavior. Remarkably, even the simplest organism with a nervous system can get the munchies. Using cannabis to stimulate your appetite is great when you are jetlagged, stressed, or experiencing an unwanted loss of appetite. Read on to learn about why cannabis causes the munchies.

Stimulate Appetite

Why Does Weed Make You Hungry? Marijuana and the Munchies

We all know exercise is good for us. But sometimes we forget recovery is just as important. To get back to the activity you love, you need to recover in an optimal amount of time. The body has natural mechanisms of recovery, but with work, kids, and social obligations, sometimes life gets in the way and recovery takes a backseat to training. Read on to learn how cannabis and CBD can aid many of your body’s natural healing mechanisms.

Recover from Exercise

<h1>Does Cannabis Help With Recovery After A Workout?</h1><p>We all know <a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/449/cannabis-cbd-and-exercise/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">exercise</a> is good for us. But sometimes we forget recovery is just as important. To get back to the activity you love, you need to recover in an optimal amount of time. The body has natural mechanisms of recovery, but with work, kids and social obligations, sometimes life gets in the way and recovery takes a backseat to training. But if you repeatedly exercise without letting your body recover, you can put yourself in a state of <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4851925/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">overreaching</a> that can negatively affect your mood and energy levels.</p><p>Many people use cannabis and CBD products to help them recover quickly from the wear and tear of exercise or daily life. </p><h2>What does using cannabis or CBD to recover from exercise look like? </h2><p>It could be an ICU nurse finishing a grueling shift and taking a puff from a CBD cartridge to ease her aching feet; a martial artist massaging a 1:1 salve into his battered joints to get back into the dojo as soon as possible; or an active mother juggling workouts, kids and a new business who uses cannabis tinctures to relax, improve her appetite, and sleep soundly through the night. Regardless of how you use it, cannabis and CBD can aid many of your body’s natural healing mechanisms.</p><h2>Does Cannabis Speed Up Recovery?</h2><p>Cannabis is such an effective recovery aid that many professional athletes have secretly used cannabis to help them recover, even when it might have cost them their career. Why? Because cannabis has pain relieving, appetite enhancing, stress relieving, sleep enhancing and mood boosting effects—all factors that contribute to a timely recovery. </p><p>Nate Jackson, the former tight end for the Denver Broncos, wrote an <a href="https://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-jackson-nfl-opioids-marijuana-cannabis-20170817-story.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">opinion piece</a> in 2017 for the Los Angeles Times, discussing his cannabis use while playing in the NFL—during a time when team doctors rampantly over-prescribed opiates. Jackson wrote: </p><blockquote>“By the time I tore my groin off the bone, in 2007, I was medicating only with cannabis. The team doctors cheered the speed at which I was healing, but I couldn’t disclose to them all that I was experiencing — no pain, no inflammation, restful sleep, vigorous appetite, a clear head. Despite the positive results that I and many others were getting from our own regimens, we had to remain generally mum about cannabis.” </blockquote><p>Many casual athletes have also recognized the recovery-enhancing benefits of cannabis. According to a 2019 survey that Jointly discussed in <a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/1744/athletes-improve-recovery-with-cannabis/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>Can Adult Athletes Benefit From Cannabis</u></a>, over 75% of adults who use cannabis after exercising do so to improve recovery. </p><p>A separate <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2019.00099/full" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>survey from 2019</u></a> conducted by social psychologist Angela Bryan assessed how cannabis users consumed marijuana in relation to exercise, and found that 77% of people who used cannabis with exercise agreed or strongly agreed that “cannabis enhances recovery from exercise.” </p><p>People certainly feel that cannabis helps them recover better and faster, but what does the science say? Unfortunately, due to federal prohibition on cannabis, researchers have not done controlled studies looking at how cannabis affects physical recovery. However, there are various mechanisms by which cannabis or CBD could aid recovery.</p><h2>What is Recovery?</h2><p>Exercise, particularly high-intensity and resistance exercise, creates <a href="https://acewebcontent.azureedge.net/SAP-Reports/Post-Exercise_Recovery_SAP_Reports.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">damage</a> in the form of “perturbations of the skeletal muscle,” which results in a loss of strength that continues until your body repairs itself. This damage is called exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD), and is characterized by a complex process involving delayed onset muscle soreness, swelling and inflammation. These symptoms generally <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6628445/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">peak around 24-48 hours</a> after exercise, and are recovered in about 7 days. </p><p><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4510411/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Researchers</a> have stated, “Precisely defining ‘recovery from exercise’ is a challenging task due to the varied means of recovery.” For example, are you recovered when you are fully healed back to baseline, or simply ready for additional training stress? </p><p>Despite the debate over the term, recovery is generally considered to be the resolution of pain, soreness, swelling and inflammation, paired with the adaption of the tissue and a return to normal strength. In the <a href="https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/japplphysiol.00971.2016" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">context</a> of physical recovery, inflammation is not the enemy, but rather “a key process underlying muscular repair and regeneration.” </p><p>When you use cannabis or CBD to recover, the goal is to aid and accelerate your body’s natural repair mechanisms with cannabis or CBD to get you back on the trail, the court or the slopes.</p><h2>What Does the Science Say?</h2><p>The body has natural mechanisms of recovery, so what gets in the way? </p><p>Time seems to be a limiting factor, but no one can get more hours in the day, so sports medicine scientists have indicated that using additional therapies to alleviate symptoms of muscle damage “may be advantageous to individuals who require rapid recovery between bouts of physical activity.” And there is ample anecdotal evidence that cannabis is one of the most effective natural therapies for accelerating physical recovery. </p><h2>Why might cannabis and CBD help people recover from exercise? </h2><p>Dr. Michael Gleeson, a professor of exercise biochemistry at Loughborough University, discussed<a href="https://www.unm.edu/~lkravitz/Article%20folder/recoveryUNM.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> six factors</a> that can decrease recovery from exercise: muscle soreness; poor exercise performance; decrease in appetite; infection; quality and quantity of sleep; gastrointestinal abnormalities. </p><p>One factor that Dr. Gleeson does not mention is psychological stress, which <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22688829/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>research</u></a> has shown adversely affects muscle recovery in the short term after exercise-induced damage. </p><p>While the effects of cannabis on exercise recovery have not been directly studied, there is evidence that cannabis and CBD can benefit several of these conditions that inhibit recovery, specifically muscle soreness, appetite, sleep, and psychological stress.</p><h2>Inflammation</h2><p>Intense <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-02529-0" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">exercise</a> “triggers a flood of chemicals known as cytokines, some of which inflame muscles, that manifests as soreness the next day.” As discussed in <a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/1745/can-athletes-benefit-from-cbd/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>Can Athletes Benefit from CBD</u></a>, numerous studies have demonstrated that CBD exerts an anti-inflammatory effect. In preclinical trials, CBD inhibited production of “pro-inflammatory cytokines and reactive oxygen species” and stimulated production of anti-inflammatory cytokines.</p><h2>Pain and Soreness</h2><p>Exercise-induced muscle damage is associated with significant muscle pain and soreness. Specifically for exercise induced muscle damage, the conventional methods of treating pain seem to actually negatively affect muscle adaption. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are usually the first-line of defense against pain and soreness after a vigorous workout, but these <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7338332/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">drugs</a> “have been reported to attenuate exercise-induced skeletal muscle adaption.” That means that Ibuprofen may actually limit the ability of your muscle to recover from training. </p><p>In elite sporting contexts, players are often overprescribed opiates to treat their persistent pain and soreness. However, opiates are lethal in high doses and profoundly addictive, whereas it is <a href="https://www.who.int/medicines/access/controlled-substances/Section3-thc-Toxicology.pdf?ua=1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>physically impossible</u></a> to ingest a lethal dose of cannabis, and cannabis products have far lower potential for abuse. </p><p>This reality forced the NFL to change their rules in 2020 such that the League will not suspend players if they test positive for cannabis. Many people have found great success in treating their muscle pain and soreness with CBD or cannabis. </p><p>The endocannabinoid <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6116792/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">system</a> “has been shown to play an important role in the modulation of a wide range of physiological processes including neurotransmission, pain perception and inflammation.” According to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6116792/ " rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">researchers</a> who study cannabis and pain, “it is not an exaggeration to state that all experimentation using animal models of pain” have suggested that cannabis exerts a significant analgesic effect.</p><h2>Eating</h2><p>With all of the stress of modern life, sometimes it can be challenging to work up an appetite even if you have worked out. However, eating is one of the most important parts of recovery. In the sports science world, it is well known that “<a href="https://www.nutritional-revolution.com/journal/2020/7/20/nutrition-for-injury-by-kristin-duyn-msc#:~:text=An%20effort%20to%20attain%20energy,exacerbate%20muscle%20loss%20%5B1%5D." rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">negative energy balance</a> will interfere with wound healing,” which means that if you eat too few calories, your body will not have the building blocks to recover. Cannabis makes most people want to eat, which is great in the context of physical recovery. </p><p>As far back as 300 C.E., physicians in India <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/0802250.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">recommended</a> cannabis “to treat loss of appetite.” Scientists consider THC and other <a href="https://sportsmedicine-open.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s40798-020-00251-0" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">CB1 receptor agonists</a> to “reliably induce hyperphagia.” As a result, many athletes and active individuals use the appetite enhancing aspect of cannabis to boost their recovery. For example, an anonymous former college basketball player <a href="https://dspace.cuni.cz/handle/20.500.11956/109707" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">said</a>, “You could be smoking as like an appetite enhancer. I’d be putting on more weight and more muscle in the gym.”</p><h2>Sleep</h2><p>Whether it is work stress, caffeine, kids, light pollution or your downstairs neighbor, sometimes you just can’t get the sleep you need to recover. Many people use cannabis and CBD to fall asleep and stay asleep longer. According to strength coach <a href="https://hightimes.com/health/sports-pot-role-cannabis-athletic-recovery/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Anthony Ricciuto</a>, “Muscle damage from a workout gets repaired during the sleep cycle—the body’s cells are recycled and a cascade of different hormones is activated to produce muscle growth.” </p><p>As we explored in <a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/1709/can-cannabis-help-seniors-sleep-better/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>Can Cannabis Help Seniors Sleep</u></a>, researchers have found that daily cannabis use led to greater total sleep time in older adults. For an in-depth look at how you can use cannabis to improve your sleep, head over to <a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/414/cannabis-cbd-and-sleep/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>Cannabis, CBD and Improving Sleep</u></a>.</p><h2>Psychological Stress</h2><p>While Gleeson et al. does not discuss psychological stress as a factor that can inhibit recovery, there is <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22688829/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>evidence</u></a> that “life event stress” decreases short term muscle recovery, even when controlling for physical fitness, workload and training experience. </p><p>While there is no research specifically looking at the way cannabis impacts psychological stress and how that relates to physical recovery from exercise, perhaps the acute psychological benefits of consuming cannabis or CBD contribute to its usefulness as a recovery aid. </p><p>There are many ways cannabis and CBD can help you recover, so how can you find out if cannabis or CBD is the right choice for you?</p><h2>Use Jointly to Recover with Cannabis and CBD</h2><p>Use Jointly, a brand-new cannabis wellness app, to learn if cannabis and CBD can help you <a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/335/achieving-your-wellness-goals-with-cannabis-and-cbd/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>achieve your wellness goals</u></a>. Jointly is a free tool that allows you to track and record your CBD and cannabis consumption, including the dose, time of use, composition of the cannabis product and various other factors that can influence your experience. </p><p>As you track your cannabis consumption on Jointly, you will learn about the <a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/438/optimizing-your-cannabis-experience/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>factors that can impact your cannabis experience</u></a> and how to <a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/471/cannabis-and-side-effects-what-causes-them-and-what-can-you-do-to-avoid-them/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>eliminate side effects</u></a>. You will also gain important insights from the Jointly community. For example, in general Jointly users find better results with physical recovery when consuming tinctures or topicals versus flower or edibles. To learn why we might be seeing these data, head over to <a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/1766/best-product-type-by-goal/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>Jointly Product Type Report Volume 1</u></a>. </p><p>Perhaps you will discover that you recover best when you take a tincture <a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/449/cannabis-cbd-and-exercise/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">after you have worked out</a>, and with some <a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/455/should-you-consume-cannabis-or-cbd-on-an-empty-or-full-stomach/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>food in your stomach</u></a>. You need to track and record your cannabis consumption on Jointly to learn that about yourself. As you use the app, Jointly will build a personalized recommendation engine that suggests actionable advice like new routines and better products. When you use Jointly, you are actually rating how well a product helped you achieve your wellness goal. Over time, your average ratings should go up as you optimize how you consume cannabis and CBD. Use the <a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/1692/monitoring-your-progress-toward-your-cannabis-and-cbd-goals/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>Monitor Your Progress</u></a> feature to make sure your results are improving over time.</p><h2>Finding Cannabis and CBD Products for Physical Recovery</h2><p>Looking for products to help you recover faster and get back to the activity you love? Brands and manufacturers have designed a vast range of legal cannabis and CBD products for this exact purpose: CBD-infused protein bars; full-spectrum Indica tinctures; 1:1 CBD:THC roll-on topicals. But how do you know if these products actually work? Jointly’s <a href="https://jointlybetter.com/post/465/finding-the-best-cannabis-cbd-products-for-your-unique-goals/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>Product Finder</u></a> (a cannabis and CBD catalog) allows you to look up legal, licensed cannabis and CBD products in your state based on your wellness goals. Select Physical Recovery and see how other users like you rated a product on a scale from 1-10, based on how well it helped them recover. That is why we like to think of Jointly like a cannabis social network. </p><p>By reporting your cannabis and CBD consumption, you are contributing important data to the Jointly community and helping Jointly make better product and routine recommendations for you.</p><p>Download the Jointly app on the <a href="https://apps.apple.com/app/id1504406244" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">App Store</a> or the <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.jointly&amp;hl=en_US&amp;gl=US" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Google Play Store</a> to get started on your cannabis wellness journey.</p>