Did you ever feel off when smoking cannabis? It generally starts with twitching eyelids, and then it moves on to your shoulders and legs. After a while, you start shaking uncontrollably, and you freak out. Well, you’ve just experienced the notorious cannabis shakes. They should pass in a few minutes, and you’ll be fine. There have been no reported deaths because of cannabis.
We should talk about the nature of these shakes, what causes them, and how you can relieve your symptoms if and when you start shaking.
How and why do you start shaking?
First off, you should know that, in reality, the shakes are involuntary muscle spasms and twitches. Generally, consuming too much weed at one time can lead to involuntary shakes of the body. Don’t worry, though, these shakes are harmless, and they’re not the precursor of something worse. Cannabis shakes are not a big deal most of the time. The aggravating factors that lead to these shakes are:
- Anxiety
- Cold environment
- Overstimulation
- High-THC cannabis strain
Even research has shown that cannabis often elevates anxiety and causes paranoia. Of course, people react differently to cannabis, and if you’re a naturally anxious or paranoid person, then you should smoke less cannabis. Or better yet, smoke relaxing strains like the Indica, instead of the Sativa. This means that a high-THC strain generally leads to a more potent high and more anxiety. Switching out the strain should solve the problem.
About the coldness, know that cannabis will lower your body temperature. This is called THC-induced hypothermia, and it can make you start shivering uncontrollably. That’s where the shakes might be coming from. On the other hand, overstimulation means you’ve consumed way too much cannabis or combined it with other stimulants like coffee, soda, or tobacco. All of these stimulate your body and brain, and the side-effect might be the shaking.
You should make sure to only buy high-quality weed to avoid any negative effects.
Most times, people don’t see it as a big deal to smoke cannabis, drink some soda, have fun with friends, and forget all about the risks of doing so. Without vigilance and attention, you might start embarrassing yourself in front of your friends. The shakes are not exactly something fun and enjoyable.
The good news is that cannabis shakes generally last for 20-25 minutes. Of course, this depends on how much cannabis you took and whether you combined it with other stimulants as well. We recommend contacting a primary care provider or a doctor if you think the symptoms are worse than anticipated.
Relieving the shake symptoms
Fortunately, there are other ways to overcome this other than waiting for the shake symptoms to disappear on their own. Knowing that the shakes are often caused by anxiety, overstimulation, and high-THC cannabis strains means the solutions are straightforward:
- Stop consuming any more stimulants – don’t combine caffeine, soda, and tobacco with cannabis anymore.
- Change your setting – go to a warmer and more relaxing place. Consuming cannabis in a high-stress atmosphere where you feel anxious and hard-pressed doesn’t help your case a lot. If you feel cold from the cannabis, get a blanket, and warm yourself up!
- Change your cannabis strains – instead of consuming high-THC Sativa strains, go for Indica, CBD-based strains. These won’t make you anxious or paranoid. Instead, they’ll make you feel relaxed, comfortable, and a bit sleepy. Sure, it’s not meant for an overactive party where people scream at the top of their lungs, but it’s better than getting the shakes, right?
CBD can counter the anxiety caused by high-THC strains. Even if you’re experiencing shakes right now, consuming CBD may help you reduce the symptoms. CBD Oil or other topicals applied to your skin should help even the odds. The shakes should disappear shortly, and so should the anxiety and coldness.
- Distract yourself – don’t just stand there in a panic mode, thinking about what could happen. You’re just wallowing in the sense of uncontrollable havoc and self-repeating anxiety. Try moving around and forgetting all about the shakes. Comfort yourself, try changing your mood, and calm down! Try breathing exercises to focus on balancing out your shivering body.
It’s never a good idea to panic and worry when experiencing these cannabis shakes. They’re not at all life-threatening, and they won’t affect you long-term. Next time, you’d better think things through and not consume so much cannabis. If this was your first time and you’re scared to try cannabis again, just change the high-THC strains to high-CBD! It means you’re a naturally anxious and paranoid person. It’s not a big deal – you just need to know what works and what doesn’t.
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