For the past 40 years, every morning before my cannabis class, I have asked my students in my psychopharmacology class this question: How many of you are high right now? Typically, about 5% of the class would raise their hands.
Understanding marijuana use patterns among young people has become more important recently as states have legalized recreational marijuana use. In a recent poll, more than 25% of young Americans reported recent regular marijuana use.
As marijuana use among young people has increased, so has its potency. The young people in my class are typical of most young people; they feel invulnerable and don’t realize the risks of marijuana use. They believe the risk of driving under the influence of marijuana is relatively low, especially when compared to the risk of driving under the influence of alcohol.
One high-risk cannabis behavior is taking it shortly after waking up, colloquially known as “waking up and waking up.” The internet is full of articles, edible breakfast recipes, and even songs glorifying this behavior as a relaxing way to start the day.
Why do some people choose to wake up and then collapse?
In one study, adolescents and young adults reported that if participants regularly used more marijuana in the morning, they used less in the afternoon or after midnight. Morning users also reported experiencing more severe marijuana-related consequences compared to non-morning users. Young people’s tendency to use marijuana early in the morning may also be related to coping or handling school- or work-related demands.
A recent study of 409 young adults found that consuming cannabis upon waking was positively associated with higher times, which is consistent with research suggesting that morning marijuana use may be associated with increased overall marijuana use. This finding is also consistent with research on people who consume nicotine and alcohol immediately after waking; they tend to use more of their favorite drug.
Surprisingly, the study reported that sober marijuana use was not directly associated with the number of acute negative consequences of marijuana use, such as nausea and vomiting syndrome, impaired coordination and performance, anxiety, suicidal ideation/tendencies, and psychotic symptoms. This was surprising because sober marijuana use was significantly associated with longer duration of use, and duration of use had the expected positive association with negative consequences.
Future research is needed to unravel this mystery. The authors suggest that future studies should focus on the specific consequences of morning cannabis use, such as whether there are any changes in motivation or performance levels in school or the workplace.
In the current study, youth who reported more social anxiety coping behaviors at baseline reported higher rates of morning marijuana use on days with more marijuana use. Further analysis showed that participants were more likely to feel antisocial or intentionally avoid others on days with more morning marijuana use compared to days with non-morning marijuana use. This makes sense, as many studies have shown that people with clinically elevated social anxiety symptoms have higher marijuana cravings.
The authors speculate that people cope with social anxiety by baking after waking up, doing so in response to upcoming social situations or in anticipation of cravings that may arise during daily social interactions.