Frequent Marijuana Use Linked To Higher Stress Hormone Levels

FRIDAY, July 24, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Marijuana may help you unwind — but using it too often could have the opposite effect on your stress response.

Researchers say adults who use pot frequently wake up with higher levels of cortisol, also known as the "stress hormone."

The body releases cortisol when you're under pressure to help regulate blood pressure, blood sugar and metabolism. But when it stays elevated too long, it can raise the risk of anxiety, depression and heart disease.

A study recently published in the journal Cannabis compared 39 frequent cannabis users with 43 non-users, who provided saliva samples and reported on their stress levels.

Everyone experiences a natural rise in cortisol during the first 30 minutes after waking.

While that rise was similar in both groups, frequent users had significantly higher levels the moment they opened their eyes, according to the results.

The findings do not prove cause and effect, but they suggest chronic use might negatively affect stress-response systems over time, according to the authors.

"Our research suggests cortisol levels upon awakening may serve as a neurobiological marker of problematic cannabis use, and that connection needs to be investigated further," said lead author Anita Cservenka, an associate professor of psychological science at Oregon State University. 

"Earlier studies by other researchers found cannabis awakening response to be blunted in frequent cannabis users, but we didn't replicate that finding, which suggests there is a lot of nuance that could be related to analytic strategies and sample characteristics," she added in a news release.

More long-term studies are needed to explore the connection, researchers said.

More information

The American Psychological Association has more on the effects of marijuana on the brain.

SOURCE: HealthDay TV, July 24, 2026