Can You Use Cannabis for Studying: Does Cannabis Improve Focus?

Artists have been thanking cannabis for helping them create masterpieces for many decades. Similarly, many students also thank cannabis for helping them study better — in fact, many users swear by cannabis for improving their learning experience.

How true are their claims and can cannabis help you study better, too? This depends on a few factors, but as long as you take the right steps, cannabis can help you study better. Keep reading to know all about using cannabis for studying.

Can Cannabis Help You Study Better?

Many cannabis users swear by using cannabis while studying because it has various benefits that translate well when studying. Let’s dive deeper by looking at some of the reasons why many users turn to cannabis while studying.

1. Cannabis Improves Focus

Cannabis that is high in CBD can significantly improve your focus. However, this does not work for everyone as some users feel more relaxed after consuming CBD, especially in higher doses.

It is recommended that you try it for yourself and see whether CBD improves your focus or makes you feel sleepy.

2. It Boosts Energy

Do you ever feel like you had a few shots of espresso and can finish all the chores in two minutes after consuming cannabis? This is because many strains of cannabis have the tendency to boost your energy, just like coffee.

But not all strains can boost your energy. Look for strains that are high in terpenes like limonene, which is more stimulating, and lower in myrcene. Terpenes like myrcene, humulene, and linalool can reduce your energy. 

A few strains that are popular for this effect are Super Silver Haze and Green Crack. 

3. It can Boost Your Creativity

If you are studying a subject that requires more creativity, you can try cannabis strains that can boost your creativity, too. According to experts, CBD increases the blood flow to your brain’s frontal lobes. Additionally, cannabis boosts dopamine levels in the brain.

Both these effects work together to improve your creativity and help new ideas come to life. 

4. It can Suppress Distracting Symptoms of Various Conditions

For users suffering from conditions like injuries, arthritis, inflammation, anxiety, etc., cannabis can help suppress their condition’s symptoms. This creates a distraction-free environment that can help them focus better on their studies.

So, whether you want to increase your creativity or focus or suppress your ailment’s symptoms, cannabis can work for you. And remember, these are only a few common reasons, but many users use cannabis for the multitude of benefits it provides.

But Should You Use Cannabis for Studying?

Yes, you should. Cannabis can be an effective tool that can help you study better, whether you are a recreational user or a medicinal one. But it is wise to know the downsides of cannabis, too, before choosing it as a studying supplement.

Here are a few reasons why cannabis may not work for you while studying.

1. Cannabis can Increase Fatigue or Laziness

Many cannabis users feel a bout of energy, but we all know what a couch lock feels like, don’t we? Imagine if you get a couch lock before you have to study. 

If you experience couch lock often, regardless of the strain you consume, cannabis probably isn’t the right choice for you when studying as it can reduce your energy levels, make you feel sleepy or lazy, and bring down your focus — something you don’t want when you have to study.

2. It can Cause Short-Term Memory Loss

According to the study, The Effects of Marijuana on Your Memory, published in Harvest Health Publishing, cannabis can affect your short-term memory, among other things. As a result, it may not always be the best idea to consume cannabis while studying because it can make you forget things.

This is especially true with strains that are high in THC, the main psychoactive cannabinoid in cannabis, which tends to diminish short-term memory in many users. Essentially, THC acts on the CB receptors in the hippocampus, cerebral cortex, and amygdala, which are responsible for short-term memories and thoughts. 

Some users face this problem more than others, so you need to try cannabis for yourself. And when using cannabis for studying, choose strains with high CBD content to further minimize the chances of short-term memory loss.

3. Some Strains can Make You More Fidgetty

Cannabis strains that are high in THC can make some people more fidgety and in severe cases, increase their anxiety levels, which can keep them from being still and focusing on a single task.

If you feel more agitated whenever you consume cannabis — not necessarily a bad trip — you should consider not using cannabis while studying. And if you do, always choose a CBD-dominant strain.

How to Use Cannabis While Studying?

With the good, the bad, and the ugly out of the way, let’s understand how to use cannabis while studying. Follow these tips to ensure cannabis works in your favor, not against you.

1. Consider Using CBD-Dominant Strains

As mentioned earlier, while THC can have wondrous effects on your mind and body, for many users, those effects can stop them from studying properly. So, it is advised to choose CBD-dominant strains while studying. 

How does cannabis improve focus? Well, CBD can improve your focus and energy without any risk of a couch lock, agitation, or short-term memory loss.

2. Consume Cannabis the Right Way

How well cannabis helps you study also depends on how you consume it. Here, the best route is either smoking or vaping cannabis — the effects will show up quickly and you will have more control over the dosing.

We don’t recommend edibles because the effects will take longer to set in and they tend to be a lot more powerful than vapes and joints, which can get you way too stoned to study.

3. Try Microdosing

Microdosing is quickly gaining popularity in the cannabis community, where you consume a tiny dose of cannabis regularly during the day. It won’t make you high — in fact, you’ll barely feel the effects — but it has been shown to have various benefits. 

Microdosing can boost your energy and improve your focus without getting you too high, even if you consume a THC-dominant strain. 

4. Choose Strains High in Pinene and Limonene

As mentioned earlier, cannabis strains that are rich in limonene tend to be more stimulating and can boost your energy. And another terpene that can help you study better is pinene. 

Pinene can prevent short-term memory loss associated with some cannabis strains. This terpene inhibits acetylcholinesterase — an enzyme that breaks down acetylcholine that affects your memory function. 

5. Know the Right Time for Cannabis While Studying

Cannabis also plays a role in how it affects your performance while studying. Generally, you can consume cannabis before studying as long as you know it is not going to put you in a couch lock. 

But if you are studying a subject like maths or physics, it may not be the best idea to consume cannabis beforehand as it may sometimes hamper your analytical skills.

On the other hand, you can consider consuming cannabis after studying — it can help you relax and better synthesize the information you just gathered in your mind. And no, you won’t forget everything if you consume cannabis after studying.

In any case, it is most probably not a good idea to consume cannabis before a test. 

6. Stay Hydrated and Well Fed

This tip is universal, whether you are consuming cannabis for studying or for fun. You should always be well-fed and hydrated before consuming cannabis to reduce any risks of having a negative experience. 

Plus, staying hydrated can improve your brain performance and memory, and eating well before studying can curb the munchies, which can be quite distracting when you are trying to focus.

How to Choose the Right Cannabis Strain for Studying?

Choosing the right strain for studying is quite easy — you only have to keep two things in mind.

First, the strain should be high in CBD and low in THC. This is because THC can impair your short-term memory and CBD does not affect your memory at all, according to the study Impact of Cannabidiol on the Acute Memory.

Second, the strain should ideally be rich in pinene and limonene as they improve your focus and reduce the chances of short-term memory impairment. And avoid strains that are rich in myrcene and linalool.

As long as the strain you choose fits these two requirements, you are good to go with using that cannabis strain for studying. But to help you get started, here are a few recommendations that work perfectly well for studying:

• Durban Poison
• Green Crack
• Jack Herer
• Sour Diesel
• Haze Berry
• Super Silver Haze
• Royal Runtz
• Blue Dream
• Wedding Crasher
• Ringo’s Gift

And when consuming cannabis, pay attention to dosing as well. You don’t want to be as high as a weather balloon when studying — instead, aim to get a slight buzz. Always start with a small dose and see how it affects your performance and build your way up until you find the sweet spot.

Summary: Can You Use Cannabis for Studying: Does Cannabis Improve Focus?

Cannabis’ effect on learning has only been studied for a few decades, so the data is scarce. Some studies suggest that cannabis does improve the learning experience, but other studies say otherwise. 

But that’s not surprising. Cannabis affects everyone in a different way, and while it may work for some, it may not for others. Yes, cannabis can help you study better but not always.

Hence, it is recommended that you start with a low dose and build your way up until you find the sweet spot. For one user, that sweet spot would be smoking an entire doobie, but for someone else, it might be microdosing. Find what works for you and follow that.

There is a reason why Mary Jane is Shaggy’s (from Scooby Doo) favorite name — this plant keeps on giving! Whether you want to be more focused or minimize distractions around you, cannabis is here to save your day. So, try it and let us know how well it helps you study.