Can Cannabis Help Me Focus?
Focus isn’t necessarily the word most people would associate with cannabis, but for some, it’s just as good as a cup of coffee in getting them ready to take on their day’s responsibilities.
Cannabis is typically known for its calming, sometimes out-of-body effects. However, its impact on the individual consumer can vary as with many products. While some users feel lazy, unmotivated, and too relaxed to do anything beyond hanging out, others experience an energy surge, allowing them to focus on tasks like house cleaning or tackling detailed projects. There is much to be dissected when discussing how cannabis can help or hinder focus.
Understanding whether cannabis enhances focus depends heavily on context. Many experts, like John Salamone, a psychopharmacologist at the University of Connecticut, claim that cannabis consumption has “...no effect, or if anything, reduce[s] motivation.”
In furthering this theory, it’s important first to note that “Almost no literature exists on the long-term impact of medical cannabis,” as stated by Staci Gruber, a neuroscientist and Harvard Medical School associate professor of psychiatry and director of Marijuana Investigations for Neuroscientific Discovery (MIND) program at McLean Hospital.
How does cannabis affect cognition?
A central inquiry is how cannabis affects your brain function. Cannabis has been connected to outcomes such as reduced cognitive function, memory loss, and limited attention span. Regardless of whether you are a chronic cannabis user or dabble in the occasional consumption, these effects are present and can cause a significant disruption in your attention span and ability to complete tasks.
Can cannabis help me focus?
With this in mind, Gruber conducted several studies over the last decade to find out just how much cannabis influences our overall brain function. Through her research, Gruber discovered that cannabis effects should be studied comprehensively rather than at face value. When researching a group of patients who consumed medical cannabis to treat pains and other ailments, Gruber found that participants may have improved mental clarity due to their cannabis consumption because their focus was shifted away from their physical challenges. Cannabis reduced their pain and symptoms, opening the door for improvements such as better sleep, elevated moods, and as a result, increased focus. The onset of these results may be seen as secondary, but are directly linked to cannabis use.
What cannabis strains can help me focus?
Secondary effects aside, some strains of cannabis are said to have a positive impact on concentration. Contrary to their sedative indica counterpart, for a more cerebral enhancement, sativa is a popular cannabis type that can make consumers feel energetic, creative, happy, and yes, even focused. This is due to some of sativa’s interesting chemical compounds called limonene and terpene known as pinene, which are linked to reducing anxiety, advancing alertness, and improving memory retention. When an individual feels less anxious, they can concentrate more effectively on their tasks.
Sativa also tends to have a higher level of THC present, which can also contribute to some of these uplifting feelings. Strains like Durban Poison and Sour Diesel are known for their reported euphoric effects, giving consumers a burst of vitality not experienced with other breeds. Cannabis can enhance your ability to focus by increasing your dopamine levels, thus your motivation to begin and complete more activities.
ONA’s focus-supporting cannabis products
The effects of cannabis on your focus are ultimately subjective to each consumer. Still, sativa strains are more likely to have a positive impact on your attentiveness and concentration overall.
Optimize your focus with some of ONA’s quality sativa products here.