One of the golden questions that surrounds the use of weed, whether for recreational or medicinal purposes, is whether it is a stimulant or a depressant.
In other words, whether it increases your mental and physical activity, or hinders it.
Unfortunately, there is no straight answer to it. As a complex plant that is not yet fully understood, marijuana or weed happens to have the quality of both a stimulant and a depressant.
That is since it works differently on every individual depending on factors such as the state of mind of the user, his metabolism, diet, lifestyle, etc., marijuana can have varied effects from person to person.
Some may feel strong depressant effects like calm and relaxation, while others may experience stimulating effects of sudden euphoria or mood upliftment. Additionally, some users may also achieve a higher state of consciousness which describes its hallucinogenic effects.
As such, weed can be called both a stimulant and a depressant, along with the features of a hallucinogen as well.
Stimulants and Depressants refer to substances and drugs that induce heightened or depleted activity in the body and mind.
While stimulants are known to stimulate the physiological and nervous systems; depressants are often associated with reduced functional and mental performance.
As a result, while some substances strictly tend to be stimulants or energy-boosters like caffeine and nicotine; others that are categorized as depressants such as alcohol, opioids, and sleep medications may not be an ideal source of vigour and enthusiasm.
As a unique herb that touches all the aspects of your life including physical, mental, and emotional, weed or cannabis is particularly known to be both.
The primary reason for that is the concentration of THC and CBD in it, the main cannabinoids that are known for causing opposing effects of mental and bodily high respectively.
That is, while THC as the key psychoactive ingredient gives weed its infamous mind-altering effects, CBD as the main medicinal compound provides it the much-needed therapeutic or physiological properties.
Therefore, when looked closely, cannabis can act as both a stimulant and a depressant; albeit, which side of it is likely to be more dominant depends on the user’s lifestyle and a few other conditions like the type and strain of the product, and its potency levels.
With that said, let us take a look at all the factors that make weed a depressant as well as a stimulant.
Is Marijuana a Depressant?
What makes marijuana a depressant is largely the presence of CBD or Cannabidiol which is its main therapeutic or medicinal component.
Known for its wide range of health benefits, it is CBD that causes weed to provide relaxation and calm by alleviating problems (such as stress, anxiety, and chronic pain) that keep us from achieving our rest or sleep in the first place. Especially, if you take it in higher doses.
Apart from that, other cannabinoids such as THC and CBN can also interact with our nervous system and enhance the depressant-like effects of weed by slowing down our reaction times, motor skills, and cognitive functions such as memorizing and paying attention to the task at hand.
All-in-all, some of the key depressant effects of weed are:
- Relaxation and sedation which means a reduction in the excitatory neurotransmitter activity in the brain.
- Lack of anxiety and stress is a common aspect of smoking weed which is directly proportional to brain activity.
- Slower reaction times and motor coordination skills like improper balance and movement are certain side effects of weed that are indications of a depressant.
- Decreased activity in the Central Nervous System (CNS) is yet another byproduct of consuming weed which can lead to slowed speech, lack of cognition, concentration, and a reduced heart rate all of which are nothing but the effects of a depressant.
Despite exerting all these depressant-like effects, weed cannot strictly be called a depressant only as it has plenty of other stimulant and hallucinogenic effects, thanks to THC!
Is Marijuana a Stimulant?
Marijuana can act as a stimulant too as it is considered a biphasic drug.
Meaning, it can have varied effects on people depending on the dosage and the frequency of use among other factors (i.e. metabolism, tolerance, and genetics).
That said, as a stimulant, it happens to sharpen the central nervous system (CNS) instead of slowing it down as is the case with depressants.
As a result, users may feel a heightened activity in the brain with improvement in focus, concentration, alertness, and cognition.
One of the main reasons for its stimulant-like effects is none other than THC, its psychoactive ingredient which is associated with the ‘high.’ By boosting the serotonin and dopamine levels of our brain and body, THC eventually increases the neurotransmission and the feeling of pleasure or euphoria.
Some of the major physiological and psychological effects of marijuana as a stimulant, therefore, include:
- Increased blood pressure, breathing, and heart rate are all symptoms of a stimulant including weed.
- Elevated mood and euphoria are some of the very reasons that people smoke pot in the first place. These mood-elevating effects like a heightened state of alertness and energy are quite similar to those of stimulants such as caffeine and nicotine.
- Higher perception aka the ‘high’, or an altered state of consciousness or awareness is yet another stimulant effect of cannabis that makes everything feel so good and intense. This includes better material awareness, spiritual consciousness, mental clarity, and sensory perception of touch, taste, sound, and sight.
- Enhanced interaction and social skills can also be noticed in certain users who take weed for its stimulating effects.
- Better creativity and concentration are major recreational purposes that entice people especially artists and skilled professionals to use cannabis as a relatively safer stimulant than other chemicals.
Given the mixed and opposing qualities of both a stimulant and depressant, weed can be extracted and formulated into a variety of products including isolates to target a specific effect. To gain both its effects, you can always opt for broad-spectrum and full-spectrum products that contain a wider or full range of chemicals.
How Marijuana Functions as Both a Stimulant and Depressant?
As evident enough, marijuana possesses the qualities of both a stimulant and a depressant due to its wide range of active chemical compounds, especially cannabinoids such as THC and CBD.
While THC as the psychoactive compound provides the effects of both a stimulant and a depressant based on the dosage and quality of the product; CBD as a medicinal compound tends to have more calming and anxiolytic effects like that of a depressant, especially when taken in higher amounts.
At the same time, when taken in lower doses and combination with THC, CBD might very well act as a stimulant too.
On the contrary, when THC is taken in limited quantities, it acts as a stimulant but if over-consumed, it can lead to depressant-like effects.
This is where the biphasic effects of cannabis come into the picture for which the ideal dose of THC is said to be 2.5 mg – 5.0 mg; whereas, for CBD, it is 5.0 – 10 mg, especially when you are starting.
Speaking of weed as a biphasic drug, the type of the strain plays a major role in defining it either as a stimulant or a depressant.
While Sativa-dominant strains, due to their higher THC to CBD ratio, happen to produce a more energetic and euphoric high; Indica strains with their lower THC levels and higher CBD content create a more sedative and relaxing output. Thus, considered a stimulant and a depressant respectively.
Last but not least, the method of consumption can also play a crucial part in designating your weed as either a stimulant or a depressant.
For instance, methods such as smoking, vaping, and dabbing can have a faster onset of effects with a more sensational or stimulating experience but for a shorter duration.
Edibles, on the other hand, can have a slower onset of effects that last longer and happen to be more intense and depressant-like.
Tinctures and oils meant for sublingual and oral use respectively have a moderate onset with balanced effects of both a stimulant and a depressant.
Likewise, other methods of consumption and usage may vary in their stimulant and depressant-like characteristics.
Conclusion
Marijuana is a multifaceted drug that can have a variety of effects on our brain and nervous system depending on factors such as dosage, individual tolerance, and the method of consumption.
By interacting with our Endocannabinoid System (ECS) and Central Nervous System (CNS), it can produce the effects of both a stimulant and a depressant depending on the concentration of active cannabinoids in the product.
While its calming, relaxing, and sedative effects make it a depressant, its energy-boosting, and mood-pleasing psychoactive properties make it a stimulant.
Whereas, its infamous mind-altering effects such as an altered state of consciousness might very well make your flower a hallucinogen too should you fancy some paranoia in the process.
All in all, depending on the type of the product, active cannabinoids, and the frequency of use, marijuana can be considered either a stimulant, a depressant, or both.
