Can Weed Cause Headaches?

Direct Answer

Yes, weed can cause headaches. A headache after smoking weed usually traces back to one of four things: dehydration, too much THC, the smoke itself, or withdrawal if you use daily and then stop. Each one has a different fix, so it helps to figure out which one is yours.

What causes a headache after smoking weed

There’s no single proven mechanism behind cannabis headaches. A 2025 neurology review describes cannabinoids as a mixed bag for headache: possibly helpful for some people, with real concerns about overuse headache for others (Kuruvilla, 2025). What the research does point to is a short list of likely triggers.

Dehydration. Cannabis is linked to dry mouth (Reyad et al., 2025), and it’s easy to go hours without water while you’re high. Going without water is a recognized headache and migraine trigger on its own (Blau, 2005).

Too much THC. A bigger dose means stronger effects across the board. The method matters too. In a controlled trial, vaping produced higher THC blood levels and stronger effects than smoking the same dose (Spindle et al., 2018), so a dose that felt fine in a joint can land harder in a vape.

The smoke. Burning cannabis means inhaling carbon monoxide. In one controlled study, a marijuana cigarette raised blood carbon monoxide nearly five times more than a tobacco cigarette did (Wu et al., 1988). Carbon monoxide exposure is a well-known cause of headache.

Withdrawal. If you use daily and stop, a headache can be part of withdrawal. The DSM-5 criteria for cannabis withdrawal list headache among the possible physical symptoms, and a meta-analysis of 47 studies estimated that 47% of people who use cannabis regularly experience withdrawal (Bahji et al., 2020).

What about sativas? You’ll see sativas blamed for headaches online. There’s no good research behind that, and strain labels aren’t a reliable guide to what’s in the jar: a 2022 analysis of commercial cannabis found that indica, sativa and hybrid labels don’t consistently match a product’s chemistry (Smith et al., 2022). If one product keeps giving you a headache, check the terpene profile on its lab report and compare it with products that don’t.

How to get rid of a weed headache (and prevent the next one)

  1. Drink water. Start with a full glass and keep sipping. It’s the cheapest fix and it covers the most common trigger.
  2. Lower the dose. Next time, try half. If you’ve switched from smoking to a vape, start lower than you’re used to.
  3. Skip the smoke. If headaches show up when you smoke but not with a vape or an edible, the smoke is the likely culprit.
  4. Check the lab report. A full-panel COA shows the product was tested for potency plus residual solvents, pesticides and heavy metals. If a brand can’t show you one, pass.
  5. Track it. Note the product, dose, method and how much water you had. Patterns show up fast.

When to see a doctor. A headache that’s sudden and severe, lasts more than a day, keeps coming back, or comes with vision changes, confusion, weakness or a stiff neck needs medical care, not a dosing tweak. The same goes if you take prescription headache or migraine medication: in a study of people with chronic migraine, current cannabis users had 6.3 times the odds of medication overuse headache (Zhang & Woldeamanuel, 2021).

Sources

  • Bahji A, et al. Prevalence of cannabis withdrawal symptoms among people with regular or dependent use of cannabinoids. JAMA Netw Open. 2020. PMID 32271390
  • Blau JN. Water deprivation: a new migraine precipitant. Headache. 2005. PMID 15953311
  • Kuruvilla DE. Cannabinoids in headache: helpful or harmful? Curr Opin Neurol. 2025. PMID 40152937
  • Reyad MM, et al. Oral health in the age of cannabis. J Can Dent Assoc. 2025. PMID 41911525
  • Smith CJ, et al. The phytochemical diversity of commercial Cannabis in the United States. PLoS One. 2022. PMID 35588111
  • Spindle TR, et al. Acute effects of smoked and vaporized cannabis in healthy adults who infrequently use cannabis. JAMA Netw Open. 2018. PMID 30646391
  • Wu TC, et al. Pulmonary hazards of smoking marijuana as compared with tobacco. N Engl J Med. 1988. PMID 3340105
  • Zhang N, Woldeamanuel YW. Medication overuse headache in patients with chronic migraine using cannabis. Headache. 2021. PMID 34370866
  • Iffland K, Grotenhermen F. An update on safety and side effects of cannabidiol. Cannabis Cannabinoid Res. 2017. PMID 28861514
  • Bonn-Miller MO, et al. Labeling accuracy of cannabidiol extracts sold online. JAMA. 2017. PMID 29114823
  • American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5): cannabis withdrawal.
  • Degelis Pilla, CEO

    Degelis Pilla, CFA

    CEO and Co-Founder

    Degelis (“Dege,” pronounced “Dayj”) launched TribeTokes in 2017 after identifying a specific problem in the cannabis vaping market: most products were made with cutting agents and additives that had no place in a wellness brand. She built TribeTokes from zero into a multi-million dollar DTC brand with over 100,000 customers, a full cannabinoid product catalog, and a loyal wholesale retail network. Inc. ranked TribeTokes No. 2,888 on its 2026 Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest-growing private companies, and named Degelis to its Female Founders 250 in 2024.

    Degelis is an active member of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization and a regular voice in both the cannabis and women-in-business spaces. She is a CFA charterholder (Chartered Financial Analyst), and holds her undergraduate business degree from the University of Virginia.
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Related questions

Frequently asked questions

Can weed cause headaches?

Yes. The most likely triggers are dehydration, too much THC, the smoke itself, and withdrawal in people who use daily and stop. Each has a different fix.

Why do I get a headache after smoking weed?

Smoke is a strong suspect. Burning cannabis means inhaling carbon monoxide, which is a known headache trigger. Dehydration and a dose that's too strong are the other usual causes. If you only get headaches when you smoke, try a vape or an edible at a lower dose.

Why does weed give me a headache sometimes but not always?

Usually because something changed: less water that day, a bigger dose, a different method, or a different product. Tracking those four things for a couple of weeks tends to show the pattern.

Can quitting weed cause headaches?

It can. Headache is one of the physical symptoms listed in the DSM-5 criteria for cannabis withdrawal, and about half of regular users experience withdrawal when they stop. It typically passes as withdrawal does.

Can vaping weed give you a headache?

Yes. Vaping skips the smoke, but it can deliver more THC than smoking the same amount, so dose is the first thing to check. Start lower than you would with flower.

How do you get rid of a weed headache?

Drink water, rest somewhere cool and quiet, and wait for the high to fade. Next time, lower the dose and skip the smoke. If a headache is severe, sudden, or comes with other symptoms, get medical care.

Can CBD cause headaches?

It isn't one of the common ones. A review of CBD safety found the most frequently reported side effects were tiredness, diarrhea and appetite changes (Iffland and Grotenhermen, 2017). Labeling is a bigger risk: a JAMA analysis of CBD products sold online found many labels were inaccurate and some products contained THC that wasn't listed (Bonn-Miller et al., 2017). Buy CBD with a full-panel lab report.

Do sativas cause more headaches than indicas?

There's no good evidence that they do. Indica and sativa labels don't reliably predict what's in a product (Smith et al., 2022). If one product keeps triggering headaches, compare its lab report with ones that don't.

This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. TribeTokes products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Consult a healthcare professional before using cannabinoid products, especially if you take prescription headache or migraine medications.