Cannabis and Stress

Cannabis is rapidly becoming one of the most consumed drugs in Canada. Many report using the drug as a coping mechanism for stress and anxiety. How exactly do our stress responses change in the presence of cannabis? Does cannabis actually relieve stress? This video considers the stress relieving effects of cannabis as it interacts with our body’s stress reaction system: the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis (HPA-axis). Followed by the potential of cannabis for treating chronic and acute stress related disorders. As research continues on the full uses of cannabis, this video serves as an overview of the research published thus far. If you are using cannabis to cope with stress, please do so safely by monitoring your usage, and reaching out to a registered healthcare professional for more guidance on coping with stress.

This video was made by McMaster students Armaan Sekhon, Kriti Manuja, Krishna Patel & Sharleen Maduranayagam in collaboration with the McMaster Demystifying Medicine Program.

Copyright McMaster University 2021

References:

Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction. (n.d.). Cannabis (Canadian Drug Summary) [Topic Summary]. Retrieved October 9, 2020, from https://www.ccsa.ca/cannabis-canadian-drug-summary
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