Can Marijuana Cause Dehydration?

Many people feel thirsty after consuming cannabis, and some attribute “dry mouth” to feeling dehydrated. While having a dry mouth is a common side effect of cannabis, it isn’t necessarily a sign of Dehydration. But the question remains, can marijuana cause Dehydration?

If you are wondering why you often feel thirsty after smoking weed or taking a medical cannabis edible or tincture, we have some interesting facts to share with you. Even if you drink water daily, you could experience symptoms of hydration. And we’ll explain how cannabis can cause Dehydration.

What Causes Thirst Sensations After Consuming Cannabis?

According to the Mayo Clinic, “Dehydration occurs when you use or lose more fluid than you take in, and your body doesn’t have enough water and other fluids to perform its normal functions. If you don’t replace lost fluids, you will get dehydrated. Anyone may become dehydrated, but the condition is hazardous for young and older adults.”

The typical side effects of consuming cannabis, feeling dazed or dizzy, can be misunderstood as a feeling of thirst. Some symptoms of Dehydration are confusion, dizziness, dark urine, fatigue, memory loss, lack of focus, constipation, digestive problems, malnutrition, and tooth decay.

Cannabis and Your Salivary Glands

If you prefer smokable cannabis use, there may be another link between marijuana and Dehydration. Whether you vape or smoke marijuana flower, the hot smoke can make your throat and mouth feel more dry. But there is another scientific reason why cannabis consumption can cause dry mouth.

Inside the mouth are submandibular glands, which are located on both sides of the lower jaw. These glands carry saliva up to the floor of the human mouth and under the tongue.

The THC binds with CB1 and CB2 receptors, also found in the submandibular glands. This may suppress the normal functioning of salivary glands and leave your mouth and throat feeling dry.

Hypertension (High Blood Pressure) Cannabis and Dehydration

Slow saliva production and distribution isn’t the only thing that can cause that dry mouth feeling when consuming cannabis. Did you know that high blood pressure or hypertension is also linked to Dehydration?

Chronic Dehydration can cause your body to hold on to sodium or salt. And that can also contribute to hypertension. But if you have an underlying problem with hypertension, cannabis can also cause your blood pressure to rise temporarily after you consume it.

Indica-dominant strains of cannabis, according to clinical studies, can positively impact your blood pressure and help reduce hypertension. Medical cannabis products made from Indian cannabis can be sedative and relaxing.

However, Sativa strains (depending on the variety) can be stimulating. Some studies suggest that Indica strains can raise your blood pressure temporarily before lowering it over the hours that cannabis remains psychoactive in your system.

This can contribute, in a small way, to problems with Dehydration if cannabis users are consuming cannabis on a daily basis, particularly when smoking marijuana or taking tinctures, as they are rapidly absorbed. Or if the individual already has problems with chronic Dehydration and unmanaged hypertension.

More Aware of Symptoms When Under the Influence of Cannabis

Chronic Dehydration occurs when you do not drink water often enough throughout the day. The body loses water constantly, even though you may not feel thirsty. In fact, clinical studies show that by the time you feel thirsty, that is when critical Dehydration occurs. The human body does not have an early warning sign like your car does when fluids are running low.

Some strains of cannabis can actually make you feel the areas of your body where you are experiencing discomfort or muscle tension. While many Indica dominant strains may reduce that self-awareness and diagnostic system check, some Sativa dominant strains can make you hyper-aware of physical symptoms.

That may be why, if you have chronic Dehydration, you may feel it more acutely after you have used medical marijuana to help with the management of other symptoms.

Overall, Dehydration caused by cannabis isn’t a risk if you are consuming medical marijuana normally. But the feeling of Dehydration may be more pronounced and uncomfortable, leading to extreme thirst.

Can You Get a Marijuana Hangover?

Some users report feeling “hungover” after a night of consuming cannabis, similar to what they might feel after a night of drinking alcohol. Along with dry mouth, users from a 1985 study “to examine the effects of marijuana the day after” reported symptoms like eye redness, lethargy, decreased alertness, impaired memory, and learning problems.

Also known as “cotton mouth,” dry mouth is not an indication of Dehydration but one common symptom of consuming cannabis. As salivary glands react to the THC in marijuana, they temporarily stop producing saliva, leaving the mouth dry and the user thirsty.

On the other hand, due to the minor diuretic properties of cannabis, diarrhea is another known side effect of using it. If, in the rare occurrence, one experiences uncontrolled diarrhea, it could lead to slight Dehydration.

Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome

Another rare condition that can happen in heavy users of cannabis is called “Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome (CHS).” Along with dehydration symptoms, the syndrome triggers “cyclic episodes of nausea and vomiting and frequent hot bathing [to alleviate nausea and vomiting].”

The cause of CHS is unknown, but research leads scientists to believe it is linked to interactions between the cannabinoids in marijuana and the gastrointestinal tract. “It turns out that the digestive tract has several molecules that bind to THC . . . that means marijuana can affect the digestive tract in a number of ways, such as changing the time it takes the stomach to empty.

Some studies suggest that CHS can contribute to Dehydration because it causes nausea and vomiting. If you use medical marijuana on a daily basis and you are experiencing early morning nausea or persistent vomiting, talk to a physician as soon as possible. Marijuana users that ignore symptoms of cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome can develop serious health risks and side effects.

Increase Water Intake During Cannabis Use

Regardless of one’s cannabis use regimen, drinking water is critical for proper health. According to the American Medical Association, “Most of us do not drink enough water, and as a result, our blood becomes more viscous, increasing the likelihood that a clot will suddenly form at the site of a plaque formation.”

Dehydration is so common that 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated, some with no indication or symptoms to make them aware. While marijuana can seem to cause Dehydration because it often leads to a dry mouth, the more reasonable explanation is not taking in enough fluids.

Whether cannabis causes Dehydration or not, drinking enough water is imperative to the health and relieves the symptoms of Dehydration. How much water? The Mayo Clinic reports, “Studies have produced varying recommendations over the years. But your individual water needs depend on many factors, including your health, how active you are, and where you live . . . You lose water daily through your breath, sweat, urine, and bowel movements.

For your body to function correctly, you must replenish its water supply by consuming beverages and foods that contain water.” The average person, they say, should drink about 15.5 cups for men and 11.5 cups for women.

Making a Medical Card Doctor Appointment with DocMJ

DocMJ was established in Clearwater, Florida, in 2016. Since then, we have built a reputation for putting patients first. We help take the difficulty out of applying for your medical marijuana card. To learn more about medical marijuana in Georgia, schedule an appointment with us.

Dr. Ross Glider

Dr. Glider is a board certified Internal Medicine Specialist.  He received his Florida Medical Marijuana Physicians Certification in 2017 and was one of the first recommending physicians with DocMJ. In addition to medical marijuana recommendations, Dr. Glider continues to practice Internal and Geriatric Medicine in private practice. Additionally, he serves as Medical Director for a home health company, supervising and educating staff, as well as supervising an advanced Registered Nurse Practitioners for a transitional care program.

Dr. Glider graduated from the College of Osteopathic Medicine & Surgery in Des Moines, IA and completed his residency at Saddlebrook General Hospital in Saddlebrook, NJ. He has received several honors and awards throughout his professional career, including a City of Des Moines Merit Award and a Chamber of Commerce Award (Port St. Lucie, FL).  Dr. Glider is an experienced and caring physician who is loved and respected by his peers and his patients.