New research suggests that the widespread availability of marijuana does affect people’s ability to work productively, but not in the way you might think. Increased use of any intoxicant will not be good news for productivity or workplace safety. The most direct impact to academic performance is a relationship between marijuana use and impaired attention and memory. A new study found that smoking up after work does not actually affect people’s work performance the next day.
New research shows weed users make more money, are happier at work, and are more educated. Cannabis use after work did not affect any of the measures of workplace performance. However, when people used cannabis before and during work, they did not fare so well. A study by three management professors found that cannabis use does not enhance creativity, but only makes people think they are more creative. The authors suggest that organizations should consider the potential negative effects of marijuana use on cognition, motivation, psychosocial functioning, and mental health.
A systematic review of 124 studies finds that marijuana use can impair cognition, motivation, psychosocial functioning, and mental health. Most information on the impact of cannabis use in humans has come from studies of individuals with chronic, heavy recreational use, and relevant reviews from 1976 to 2002. Natasha Mason, a psychopharmacologist at Maastricht University, discusses her research on how cannabis affects the brain and behavior, both acutely and chronically.
A recent paper found that using the drug after work did not hurt people’s performance or productivity the next day. Evidence generally supports MJ users being a bit less productive, as they are more likely to be unfit to work, take time off, and smoke weed every day. Recent research reveals drug use after work has no impact on productivity, with implications for UK drug testing.
📹 How Marijuana Affects the Brain & Body | Dr. Andrew Huberman
Dr. Andrew Huberman explains how cannabis affects the brain and body. Dr. Andrew Huberman is a tenured professor of …
Is weed hyperactive for ADHD?
Marijuana can be used to self-medicate challenges with restlessness and impulsivity, as well as improve focus for those with inattentive traits. Two key components of cannabis, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), can help alleviate ADHD symptoms. THC, the psychoactive component, attaches to the body’s cannabinoid receptors, while CBD, a nonpsychoactive component in cannabis and hemp, acts on different brain areas and counteracts THC’s effects. CBD is non-addictive and has grown in popularity due to its non-psychoactive nature and ability to act on different brain areas.
How long does it take for your brain to recover from weed?
Studies suggest that individuals with brain damage from weed use typically see reversals within 1-2 months of abstinence. However, those starting at a young age may experience permanent damage due to the brain’s still-developing stage. Most people can repair brain damage by quitting the drug for an extended period, unless they were exposed to frequent marijuana use at a young age. However, some studies suggest that weed use can trigger long-term mental health disorders like schizophrenia, which are treatable with psychiatric medication and therapies but do not disappear upon quitting weed.
How does weed help the brain?
The endocannabinoid system is crucial for homeostasis and neuroplasticity, including neurogenesis and the refinement of neuronal connections. Increased endocannabinoid signaling is associated with reduced stress response, improved emotion regulation, and increased reward signaling. Studies have shown that hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) can be differentiated into fiber and drug types from a collection of wild and domesticated accessions. Cannabis sativa is known as the Plant of the thousand and one molecules, and new methods for the comprehensive analysis of bioactive compounds in hemp have been developed.
How does smoking affect your productivity?
Smoking in the workplace has adverse effects, including reduced productivity, increased anxiety, and increased risk of fire. Non-smokers are directly exposed to second-hand smoke, and smoking can destroy workplace culture. Smokers are more prone to accidents, injuries, and frequent illness due to physical effects. Additionally, smoking increases workplace cleaning and maintenance costs. Smokers have more sick days, are delayed in submitting work, and may live a few years less than non-smokers. They are also more likely to retire early due to illness. Employers bear the indirect costs of absenteeism and other factors, resulting in lesser perks and benefits for smoker employees.
Does weed make it harder to focus?
Marijuana can cause short-term effects on focus, learning, and memory, lasting for 24 hours or longer after smoking cessation. Early use can disrupt gray matter, a brain tissue responsible for mental functions, increasing schizophrenia risks. Exposure to marijuana is also linked to changes in areas of the brain often associated with psychosis. Heavy marijuana use, particularly in teenagers, may leave more permanent effects, with fewer connections in brain areas linked to alertness, learning, and memory, and lower IQ scores in some individuals.
Why am I more creative when high?
Cannabis has been linked to increased creativity, although its exact effect on creativity remains unclear. Researchers initially hypothesized that cannabis could indirectly boost creativity by making users feel more jovial, as it tends to lift moods and change the mindset that fuels creativity. Many cannabis users believe that the drug heightens mood and creativity, with creative luminaries like Steve Jobs, Carl Sagan, Lady Gaga, and Louis Armstrong also supporting this idea. However, scientific consensus on the creative potency of cannabis remains hazy, despite popular beliefs.
Are non smokers more productive?
Individuals who have ceased smoking typically achieve a level of productivity that is 12 months higher than that of current smokers. Furthermore, after surpassing the one-year threshold, ex-smokers demonstrate an average productivity level that is 5% higher than that of smokers. This represents the most compelling motivation for cessation, as current smokers exhibit the lowest levels of life satisfaction, as indicated by a standard questionnaire.
Is it harder to come when high?
A study found that both alcohol and marijuana make people feel sexier or more attractive, but alcohol had a more negative effect on partner selection. People were more likely to have sex with strangers when drunk, while high-level users tended to have sex with people they already knew. This difference in partner selection is likely due to the fact that alcohol is consumed more often in bars and clubs, while marijuana is consumed more often in homes and private parties.
Alcohol use was linked to more sexual regrets the next day compared to marijuana, which often involved specific sexual acts. Alcohol was linked to more impairments in sexual performance, including erectile difficulties, vaginal dryness, and falling asleep during sex. Some marijuana users reported negative sexual effects, but they were more psychological than physical.
Both substances had dosage effects, with larger quantities leading to more problems. Participants were more likely to say that physical sensations of sex were enhanced or heightened while high, but “numbed” while drunk. Many people believed sex lasts longer when drunk, possibly due to alcohol’s desensitizing effects on the body. Marijuana was more often described as resulting in tender and slow sexual experiences, while alcohol was linked to more intense sex.
These findings are based on self-report data, so more research is needed to understand the effects of these drugs. Understanding the effects of these drugs is complex, as they depend on dosage and a person’s body chemistry.
Does quitting smoking increase productivity?
The cessation of smoking can lead to an increase in productivity, even in the absence of constant smoking. A study revealed that the average smoker incurs approximately $1. 4 million in personal costs, including the expense of cigarettes, medical expenses, and reduced wages due to smoking and secondhand smoke exposure. Furthermore, tobacco use has been linked to adverse effects on worker health and productivity, resulting in increased absenteeism.
Does weed increase procrastination?
Procrastination is a common factor in college, with studies showing that up to 70 of students are procrastinators. Procrastination is also associated with cannabis use, with over 67 frequent cannabis users identified as procrastinators and over 80 of cannabis users seeking treatment endorsed procrastination as a problem. A recent meta-analysis indicates a significant negative correlation between procrastination and multiple measures of academic performance, including GPA.
Procrastination is considered a relatively stable personality trait strongly related to low conscientiousness. It is likely that high levels of procrastination behavior can occur independent of cannabis use history, and a person can be high in trait procrastination without being a cannabis user (and vice versa). This study investigates the potential moderating role of procrastination in the association between cannabis use and academic performance, assessed via college GPA.
The study aimed to determine if these moderations would be evident above and beyond the potentially confounding effects of sex, race/ethnicity, parent education level, polysubstance use, anxiety, and depression. It was hypothesized that there would be a main effect of cannabis use, such that students who use cannabis more frequently would have lower GPAs than students who use cannabis less frequently.
Additionally, a hypothesized main effect of procrastination behavior predicted that students with higher procrastination scores would have lower GPAs than participants with lower procrastination scores.
Furthermore, a hypothesized interaction between cannabis use and procrastination predicted that students who use cannabis more frequently and have higher procrastination scores would have lower GPAs than participants who use cannabis more frequently and have lower procrastination scores.
Participants were 18-24 year old college students at a university in the Pacific Northwest United States, required to be US citizens, fluent in English, and not currently pregnant. The study recruited participants through the university’s psychology department research pool website (SONA) and community flyers. Participants were awarded research pool credits that could be used to satisfy course requirements or take part in the study on a voluntary basis. The study was approved by Oregon State University’s Institutional Review Board (IRB), Study 2021–1132, and conducted in accordance with all ethical guidelines.
Is weed bad for productivity?
A study on marijuana with 13 THC revealed that users exhibited impairments in executive function and motor skills for hours, with the typical high lasting approximately two hours. Additionally, memory, cognitive ability, and information processing speed were impaired for up to 24 hours.
📹 Does Cannabis (Marijuana) Use Increase Creativity? | Dr. Andrew Huberman
Dr. Andrew Huberman explains whether cannabis (marijuana) use increases creativity. Dr. Andrew Huberman is a tenured …
Very cool! There is a world of difference when you begin to notice these 3 factors: frequency, quantity and quality. Decided on going for pure sativa strains, Island Sweet Skunk provided no noticeable anxiety/paranoia and gave me the most energy, creativity and focus, ideal for watercoloring, writing, training bars, super-cleaning the flat and perusal science/biz documentaries. However, I noticed that it blocks my lucid dreaming ability and I value my dreams more than ganja so I quit smoking years ago. I like to think of it as a tool, like a kayak on a trip up a mountain; you cross the lake and tie it on the shore, you don’t drag the whole kayak up to the summit! Sending Light, Love and Understanding to everyone on Earth. =One Love= –A
All things being equal, it all comes down to dosage. As other commenters have said, there’s a world of difference between smoking strong stuff all day and having three or four puffs in the evening after a good day’s effort, which is my daily habit. The downsides can be minimized, but it takes experience to get it just right.
It’s my 5th time for quitting over 50 years of smoking. Having gone through life’s ups and downs as we do, to finally finding that running my business, being a father who is always present and can remember what you said to me 5 minutes ago is what’s really important, because don’t forget our children see everything you are? Are you happy with who you are? I’m 66 and happy to be me now.😊.
The heavier and longer you use it, the more certain it’ll become unpleasant: more frequent panic, anxiety or just feeling drugged without the “high”. For me, it was always pleasant when I used to use it periodically for the first 10 years. It became like a 50/50 experience and soon it was mostly unpleasant, sativa or indica or hybrid. Detoxed, stayed off weed for very long periods of time, come back, same thing. Will always thank weed for those brilliant moments, and for helping me recover from a surgery that nearly took my life. It is just no longer an option and funnily I feel it’s no big loss.
Thank you for studying Cannabis for all of us to understand better. I have changed from smoking to just a drink mix that I make at home, I think not coughing up phlegm all the time has enhanced experience, and lastly people who have schizophrenia should avoid Cannabis at ALL COST. It’s not good for you.
Have had battled weed addiction for last few years . Would quit for couple months and give in and smoke for a year then take another couple month break and then give in again. I’m on day 3 now since the new year, and it definitely is so hard to quit . But you can do it! You have to truly want to quit to quit get rid of all ur equipment don’t hang out w people who are stoners. Find other things to do. The withdrawals suck haven’t been able to eat that good and can’t sleep at all have to take a melatonin or Xanax. Very easily annoyed or agitated but the positives are dreams are dope, my mind is so much clearer can remember stuff easier memories I forgot ab are coming back better at my job, anxiety is bad but not as bad when I’m on weed. Also can tell I’m better at being more social and doing things I usually would blow off bc I wanted to go home and smoke. I’d say just give it a try and compare your life on weed vs not
I’m a 40yr male and have smoked organic weed since I was 16yrs old. At 32 I suffered a trauma and progressed to server PTSD. Left undiagnosed by 33 I started self medicating with meth than developed a 5yr addiction. All I wanted to say is…. Through the process of home growing and consuming for personal use. I no longer have a meth addiction and it’s helpful to me for moving on from PTSD. I now look forward to the challenge of not being so reliant on weed.
That’s THC and it’s not as detrimental to health as you think. CBDs have healing compounds and isn’t bad for everyone.. some ppl benefit from THC & CBDs combined. It’s amazing for pain control over any other MANMADE drug out there. I smoke cannabis daily for pain & sleep control..it’s legal here in Canada and I’m in my 60s, and have been smoking for pain control for over 10 years now and ZERO other issues like an opioid will cause.
Wow, very interesting and educational. I’ve been using cannabis for over 54 years and you just enlightened me about the mechanisms of what it does to our brain and body. You touched on a number of things that helped make sense as to certain effects etc. One thing I find though about the way it affects my physical motivation is most often after smoking (usually Sativa) I get up and start doing things I have put off a while. Perhaps because it does alleviate 99% (or most) of my pain I tend to be more active and do things with less effort as if my actions become more subconscious (unconscious) and increaes the ease of what I’m doing. Thank you for this presentation. This is the best article I have ever seen on this topic without being judgemental in any way. THANK YOU (oh and as far as pain it does help but like I often say, even if it doesn’t take the pain away it doesn’t always matter because I’m feeling “high” and I don’t think about the paon…. like you said “perception.”)
9:30 Really interesting to hear how some people experience paranoiya. I always had a feeling it was genetic. I grew up around friends who would constantly smoke weed and anytime I decided to join in I would have negative experiences rangining from Paranoia to extreme tiredness etc and I smoked quite a lot eventually I came to the concultion that weed wasn’t for me because it just felt like I was never on the same kind of high as the rest of them. Fast foward my brother has the exact same expierence with weed as me. Fast forward again my sister does as well. We all got exposed to weed at some point in our lives and it just never stuck with us like it did with the rest of our peer groups.
The narrowing of focus is what makes weed addictive to me. It also lets me dissociate negative emotions/stress from thinking things through in my head. I feel much more objective and enlightened. However when I use too much too often, the effect lessens or I have to smoke way more to get high and then it’s not productive anymore. I always try to take THC breaks when I feel too dependent/high tolerance. Just my experience. Id love to learn to achieve this mental state naturally or through meditation, where I don’t want to smoke anymore
This is the first time I’ve heard someone serious say that cananbis, especially Sativa, narrows focus and helps you to concentrate. When I note this effect to my friends, they usually disregard it saying weed only confuses you, but that’s never been the case for me. I become more perseptive, a better listener. This is the chief reason why I use it, since it allows me to simply sit down and concentrate hard either on a piece of music or a film or even on a taste of a dish. The fliop side is that I’m worse at the big picture stuff. So if I’m perusal a film high I’ll feel each scene more intensely, but I’ll probably do a worse job of telling you what the entire plot or the story structure of the film was.
It’s funny I used to have anxieties. With marijuana it could be even stronger and sometimes it was a mix with some good old paranoia. But the thing is that I learned how to handle it when I was high – I probably learned how to properly deal with my thoughts. Since that my anxieties totally vanished, because when I was sober it was even easier.
The hippopotamus part got to me! I only started smoking three years ago and I’ve noticed that I now have a very difficult time recalling what I did the day prior. I really like my ability to remember things, especially about people. This article may have been the nail in the coffin for weed for me. Thank you!
I’m gonna stick with the “everything in moderation” rule that God gave us. Alcohol is very bad for people with blood sugar issues and God said not to. as an adult I dont. Hyperactive people just get a headache from sativa. We use indica because it relaxes the frontal lobe and allows our creativity to become focused. Highly intelligent people often dont sleep. our brains dont shut down for sleep without some sort of help. you talk too much without saying anything. you couldve cut this down to 10 minutes. people who use weed to just get high need this article. the rest of us use it to slow down our thought processes so we can look at each thought instead of having a jumbled black static mess in our heads. for me – thats a good thing. maybe people who want to control me dont want me to look at my thoughts and make well thought out decisions – but they can bite me. 🙃😉
On a spiritual level, it separates man from his own ego, which consequently induces paranoia. This phase is actually good for you,as everyone needs to be humbled by the universe. It usually lasts about 20-30 minutes, so just understand and adjust your expectations. You will benefit from the experience regardless.
A lot of this is good but the real truth on this is that – Under a microscope you can not tell the difference, nor is there any, between the thc molecule in a sative vs an indica.. All of that difference in effect is MARKETING, and suggestion… I’m surprised he hasn’t reaiised it yet… think about it, it’s thc period, the specific type of plant absolutely does NOT in anyway create a different thc molecule… DUUUUH I can’t believe this dude has not figured that out yet… It’s true, check it out
I love weed, but hate who I am when I’m high. At my peak, I was smoking 3-4 times per day. I tapered that down to 1 time per day and then just stopped. It controlled my life. I had to be high to enjoy things in life. Getting over the anhedonia symptom of withdrawal was the hardest for me. One day at a time.
When I first started smoking weed I was very out of touch with myself and the world and the “friends” I was with, I got so high it seriously felt like a psychedelic or something and I felt like I was in a different reality and it was mind boggling, I never see many other fellow stoners get to that level before and I don’t know why I get so mangled on it, it didn’t matter what strain either, it happened every time I smoked for at least 2-3 years
So grateful for this article. I would like to advise those who’ve had issues with memory loss. Please look into the benefits of using Rosemary Herb and Ginko Biloba. And after trying which strains work for you, if you have to use during the day and you need to be creative, go for sativa dominant. If in the evening or at night and you’re planning on relaxing then go for an indica dominant. Hybrid strains are fun to play around with. But at the end of the day all should be in moderation if you’re not using for medical reasons. And take days off. No need to indulge everyday.
I smoked almost every day all day for 24 years. Only time i quit was for probation and i was smoking k2 during that time. Almost died from that. One week sober my energy is thru the roof. The weed wasn’t helping me be happy anymore it was making me super paranoid and anxious. Actually ez to quit because i don’t want to go back to that mind state and I’m excited to see what it feels like to be fully sober.
Absolutely HATE Marijuana with a passion, the smell alone makes me feel angry inside,….URGHH… but then I also hate ALL mind altering drugs and alcohol in general….I always say; stay far away from any substance that will make you into a weakling/or a dumb slave…… It makes me sad how many people fall for it….
I never liked the “paranoia” feeling from weed as a teen. So i didn’t smoke. However, last year i got a Med Card and went to a dispensary & tried strains for my condition, mainly pain. I feel better than ever. The pros outweigh the cons. My pain level is lower. I use as prescribed and as directed. I dont abuse it. Everything in moderation is key. 😊