Why Do Some People Get Paranoid When They Smoke Weed?

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The issue of cannabis and paranoia is all in your head. Many people reading this can probably recall a time when they smoked a little too much weed and had some sort of a paranoia experience. It could range from something minor like mild worrying to more extreme cases such as sitting in the corner of your home somewhere, fearing that the cops are going to bust down your doors at any moment and lock you up for the next few years on possession charges. Yes, this is quite a common one.

Now, of course, paranoia is not something that only affects cannabis users. It can affect any anyone and at any time. But it is something that occurs as a common side-effect for many smokers. It can be very frustrating and even discouraging for newbies and is often a reason people give up smoking. Marijuana induced paranoia is a very peculiar situation because weed is often an effective treatment for anxiety. In essence, it can cause the very thing that it is known to cure. In this post, we will take a look at what paranoia is and how and why cannabis can trigger it in specific people.

What is paranoia?

Paranoia is defined as a fearful state of mind in which you believe that you are under threat or in danger of harm. It’s often an irrational belief since there is no evidence to back up this assertion. It could also be an unfounded fear that others are out to harm you and usually involves having overwhelming thoughts about conspiracies against you. For example; whereas your average person would consider a specific incident to be a coincidence, those who are having paranoid thoughts would assume it was planned and intentional.

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You could say that it is an occurrence in which a person loses touch with reality and their irrational thoughts begin to consume them. These thoughts could be anything from someone talking about them or someone wanting to take action against them or even someone desiring to harm them to thoughts that someone is following them and believing that people are laughing at them. One of the most accurate descriptions of paranoia is that it’s a series of delusional thoughts that pose no real threat in reality.

Paranoid thoughts amongst cannabis users will usually fall into one of the following categories:

• Feeling like a target
• Feeling mistrust/suspicion/anxiety
• Feeling as if those who are around you want to harm you

Although paranoid thoughts while high can feel very real and be extremely scary, they can actually be very funny once you come down from the high and revisit the experience. However, as we mentioned previously, paranoia is something that affects everyone and not only those who smoke weed. In fact, it is thought that more than half the population have paranoid thoughts at least once a month. It’s far from abnormal behaviour.

How can marijuana make me paranoid?

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While smoking marijuana can help some people in the treatment of anxiety, other people may experience paranoia when they consume marijuana. So how does this happen? How can it affect different people so differently? The answer. It sees lies in the interaction between cannabis and our endocannabinoid system (ECS). This is the system in our body that consists of cellular receptors and activators that regulate many of our neuronal functions.

Studies suggest there to be a link between THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and the emotional parts of our brain. Cannabinoid receptors have been found in the amygdala, which is the part of the brain regulates anxiety and fear. The amygdala monitors everything we see and do in order to protect us from danger. When THC interacts with the amygdala, it changes our neural communication which could either reduce anxiety or increase paranoia. There is also the possibility that the THC will over excite our neural path which could result in both anxiety and paranoia.

Many studies done have tried to understand the relationship between THC and the ECS. Dr. Ruben Baler from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has explained that the endocannabinoid system (ECS) “optimizes the brain between feelings of excitation and inhibition.” Essentially, what this means is that fear stimulus that we can usually handle become a problem because our brain’s fight or flight response has been disrupted.

An interesting study was done on rats, whereby scientists trained the rats to be afraid of certain smells. The team then went on to block the CB1 receptors that are found in the amygdala of the rats and found that the rodents had no response to the scents that they were supposed to be afraid of. However, once they were injected with synthetic THC intended to unblock the receptors, they once again became afraid of the smells.

The human body has many receptor sites that could be filled with cannabinoids from marijuana. Naturally produced endocannabinoids act in a similar way to weed compounds and these are what fill our receptor sites. Researchers discovered that individuals who have experienced severe levels of stress or trauma could have shortages of these endocannabinoids in the brain. This is why THC can relax some people.

Marijuana and its connection to paranoia

Paranoia that is induced by cannabis is usually caused by a few contributing factors which determine if a particular individual is at a higher risk of experiencing a paranoid episode. Most noteworthy is the strain type of the marijuana, seen as some strains are known for causing paranoia and increasing anxiety. Jack Herer, Green Crack, OCD, and Trainwreck are all strains that have a reputation for causing fear and paranoia in users who are sensitive or inexperienced. If you prone to anxiety or someone who freaks out when they smoke, these are strains that you should stay away from.

Another contributing factor when it comes to cannabis-induced paranoia is the individual body chemistry and makeup. Every human is unique in their own way, and the way in which one individual reacts to a specific substance could be very different to how another person would react. A particularly potent cannabis strain could have no harmful effect on one person, generating good vibes and providing great health benefits, but the same strain could have a horrible effect on a different person. The sole reason for this is brain chemistry and the way each individual’s brain interacts with certain cannabinoids.

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THC content is another factor that could induce paranoia in some people who smoke marijuana. For smokers who are more sensitive to specifics strains, a negative experience is more likely to occur if there is a heavy presence of THC of if consumed in large doses. This is why it’s always advised that less experienced or sensitive smokers should start slow and build up their tolerance from there.

Lastly, and quite possibly the most obvious factor is how regularly you smoke. Naturally, those who smoke on a regular basis have built up a stronger tolerance and know what to expect. They are fully aware of the ‘normal’ changes in sensory aspects and are therefore far less likely to freak out when the effects kick in. Not to mention, since their bodies have built up a tolerance, they need a lot more herb and THC to get them high.

Interesting to note is that an unusual gene mutation exists in some people, which makes them less vulnerable to anxiety disorders. It’s estimated that about 20% of American adults possess this gene. These people produce higher levels of anandamide, which is often referred to as the “bliss molecule” of the brain. Anandamide is known as ‘our own natural marijuana,’ which makes those who have this mutation less likely to consume drugs, simply because they don’t need any of the calming effects provided by these drugs.

It’s fair to say that the connection between marijuana and paranoia is very complex and not easy to make sense of. What we do know is that arious factors that could determine whether or not you are likely to have a paranoid experience when smoking weed.

Alleviate the Effects With Proper THC Dosage

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As we know, weed affects different people in different ways, depending on a number of factors, such as dosage and form of preparation (vapes, edibles, joints, etc.) Biphasic effects are an occurrence caused by cannabinoids like THC, which means that high and low doses can have the opposite effects on users. This is the reason why an individual could feel paranoid with a higher dose but relaxed with a low dose. This is why physicians suggest that newbies should start with a small dose and then increase the dosage gradually to monitor how the body reacts.

This is the reason that you should always check the THC content of the strain that you select, as well has the THC to CBD ratio. CBD has the potential to counteract the paranoia caused by THC. Using the right dose of THC will often result in; improved appetite, pain relief, sleepiness, increased creativity, elevated mood, euphoria and a sense of calm. On the contrary, high doses of THC could result in anxiety, paranoia, hallucinations, disorientation and increased sensitivity to pain.

Great strains of marijuana that you can use if you want to avoid weed-induced paranoia, include the following:

• Ringo’s Gift - With a ratio of 24:1 CBD/THC content, this is a well-balanced strain, which contains very little THC. Packed with plenty of medicinal CBD, Ringo’s Gift offers great medical benefits, with no psychoactive effects.
• Harlequin - Although this strain has a slightly higher THC content and psychoactive qualities, with CBD levels between 4-10% and THC around 7-15%, it runs little risk of producing a paranoia experience because CBD is present and in fairly high quantities.
• Sweet and Sour Widow - This strain has a 1:1 THC and CBD ratio and is ideal for any person who still wants to experience the psychoactive effects of cannabis but doesn’t want to risk becoming paranoid.

Final Thoughts on marijuana and paranoia

If you’ve ever been concerned about marijuana causing paranoia, then hopefully this post has cleared a few things up for you. If you have any concern about being affected by paranoia when consuming weed, then your best bet is to select a moderate strength strain. Preferably a strain with over 5% CBD. You should also always consider your ‘set and setting’ because mindset and location can significantly affect how cannabis will impact you.

In conclusion, if you want to avoid the risk of paranoia when smoking marijuana, you will need to look into various factors such as strain type, THC content, whether or not you are a regular smoker and even your body chemistry and make-up. We hope this post has been educational and informative and will assist you with any concerns that you might have regarding marijuana and paranoia.

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