Marijuana and Meditation

This post is general information, not medical advice. If you are thinking about combining marijuana and meditation, talk first with your physician and a professional meditation instructor about the risks.

Can you combine marijuana and meditation? No study we found has tested the pair. THC can bring side effects that work against what meditation trains: CDC says cannabis use can bring feelings of anxiety and paranoia, and THC can make it harder to concentrate and remember for a while.

Cannabis has a long history: the National Cancer Institute notes medicinal use going back at least 3,000 years, and both it and meditation appear in some religious traditions.

Meditation itself is studied for stress and pain, with mixed results.

This post stays with what studies show. We deal with medical marijuana, so we keep to the physical evidence rather than metaphysics or theology.

That being said, researchers have studied whether practices that train the mind can help people manage stress, pain and blood pressure.  Paying attention to how stress and emotions affect you is one place to start.

Meditation is one way people practice that kind of attention, and you don’t have to hold any religious or spiritual belief to try it. NIH’s complementary health center lists what studies have and have not shown. The practice itself is simple to describe.

What is Meditation?

Meditation is a mind-body technique designed to calm the body and mind.  It typically involves settling into a comfortable position (sitting or lying down on your back) and focusing your mind on a particular object.

Keep your back straight and your breathing steady while you hold that focus.

The object of focus can be anything: a lit candle, a statue, a point on the wall.

It can also be a word, phrase or mantra that you repeat in your mind.  Or you could simply focus on your breathing.

If you get distracted and start thinking about something other than your chosen object, you simply take note that you were distracted, and you return your focus to your chosen object.

And that’s pretty much the nuts and bolts of meditation.   You can do it for ten minutes or you can do it for two hours.

If you’ve never meditated before, you may want to try ten minutes first. Our post on everyday habits that help you find calm lists other simple things to try.

Why Meditate?

Studies have looked at whether meditation helps with these conditions, with results that range from promising to mixed:

• High blood pressure
• Stress
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Insomnia
• Pain
• Nicotine addiction

Small studies have linked meditation training with a stronger antibody response to a flu shot in 25 workers, better attention after four brief sessions, and gray matter changes in 16 people after an 8-week program.

Promising, but these were small studies. Our post on mood management skills covers other ways to manage a bad mood.

Why Combine Marijuana and Meditation?

Some people use both for anxiety, sleep or pain, but the evidence differs: CDC links cannabis use with depression and social anxiety, and NIH calls the evidence for cannabinoids and anxiety small.

So what happens when you combine the two? No one can say for a given person: we found no research on the pair, and people who say it works for them are giving personal accounts, not study results.

Others would rather not mix and match.  Each can have strong effects on its own.  Adding marijuana to a meditation routine can also add THC side effects such as anxiety or poor focus, which work against the practice.

Meditation and Marijuana: One Team Member’s Story

Many years ago, one of the members of the Dr. Green Relief team (we’ll call him “Rick”) ate marijuana-infused brownies for the first time.

And like some first-time edible users, Rick ate more than he meant to.   Not only that, he ate them late into the evening and didn’t feel the effects until around midnight.

It was a long night for Rick.

His thoughts were out of control, and his anxiety had backed him into a corner.

Fortunately, Rick had already been studying and practicing meditation for a while.

He put on some Bob Marley to boost the positive vibes in his room, and he started meditating.  Instead of fighting his thoughts, he just focused on breathing in and out.  He imagined himself at the center of his thoughts, where he could observe them peacefully, instead of getting dragged down by them.

Rick didn’t come down from the high until late the next morning.  Although it was a harrowing experience, it was also a valuable one, and it taught him two things:

1. Edibles typically take longer to act, NIDA notes, so people may take more than they meant to before the effects arrive.
2. Anxiety and paranoia are known side effects of THC, CDC notes, and severe symptoms after cannabis use need medical help.

Is It Safe?

NIH’s complementary health center says meditation is usually considered to have few risks, but a 2020 review of 83 studies found about 8% of participants had a negative effect.

The most common negative effects were anxiety and depression, so people with a mental health condition should talk with their doctor before starting.  You should notify your meditation instructor of your condition.

It’s even more important to notify your doctor and your meditation instructor before combining meditation with marijuana.

Before You Combine Marijuana and Meditation

1. Develop a meditation practice first

NIH’s complementary health center explains how meditation and mindfulness are practiced and what studies show.

There are also plenty of meditation apps you can download on your mobile device and use for instruction.

An in-person meditation instructor can do what an app cannot.  An instructor can observe you while you’re meditating, help you correct your posture and encourage you to eliminate bad habits.  An instructor can also be a valuable sounding board for any feedback or thoughts that you want to share.

2. Give your practice time before adding anything

There is no set waiting period, but there is a good reason not to rush.

Meditation has its ups and downs.  Some days, you might feel like the time you sat went really well.  Other days, you may feel like you weren’t able to shut off your mind.

Also, when you spend a lot of time observing your own mind, emotional and psychological baggage can come up.  You might be ready to face this baggage.  Or you might not be.  Again, this is why it’s so important to work with an instructor.

Practicing over several months will give you a sense of the highs and lows of meditation, and of how your mind responds to quiet attention.

3. Talk with your physician before mixing marijuana and meditation

If you use medical marijuana and want to meditate, a few safety points:

• Do not meditate in a bath, a car or anywhere a sudden drowsy spell could be dangerous.
•  Your physician, not a blog, decides the amount and timing of any medical marijuana you use.
• If THC makes you anxious or paranoid, stop, sit somewhere safe and focus on slow breathing; get help if symptoms are severe.
• Never drive or care for others alone after using THC, and tell your physician if you find yourself using more than you planned.

Have you ever combined marijuana and meditation? Share your experiences with us on Instagram or Facebook.

And if you have a Florida qualifying condition and want to know your options, schedule an appointment with us.

Last updated October 17, 2026 by the Dr. Green Relief Editorial Team.

Sources

• NCCIH. Meditation and Mindfulness: Effectiveness and Safety
• NCCIH. Cannabis (Marijuana) and Cannabinoids: What You Need To Know
• National Cancer Institute. Cannabis and Cannabinoids (PDQ), Health Professional Version
• CDC. Cannabis and Mental Health (February 15, 2024)
• Davidson RJ, et al. Alterations in brain and immune function produced by mindfulness meditation. Psychosom Med. 2003 (PubMed)
• Zeidan F, et al. Mindfulness meditation improves cognition: evidence of brief mental training. Conscious Cogn. 2010 (PubMed)
• Hölzel BK, et al. Mindfulness practice leads to increases in regional brain gray matter density. Psychiatry Res. 2011 (PubMed)
• NIDA. Cannabis (Marijuana)