If you asked a dozen random people what the side effects of smoking weed are their answers would probably include: the munchies, feeling lazy, missing work/getting fired, poor hygiene, being poor, and losing interest in romance. It’s true that these are all things regular weed smokers are at serious risk of, there are other less obvious downsides to worshipping at the feet of the marijuana God. One of those is skin problems like blemishes, rashes, itchy patches, spots, and worse of all, acne!

Who gets acne from smoking pot?

There is no definite agreement between experts on the odds of someone who smokes weed developing acne, or on what links the two in the cases where a connection has been established. However, the majority opinion seems to be that while some people in studies were probably biologically destined to develop it regardless, in other cases the acne was either triggered or aggravated by the weed.

The direct relationship between weed and acne

The stress factor

Marijuana is generally thought to make the smoker feel chilled and happy, and of course it often does, but weed also has some more sinister elements, compounds which have the opposite effect and leave the smoker feeing anxious and stressed. Acne tends to worsen when negative emotions and feelings like this take hold.

The role of testosterone

THC [tetrahydrocannabinol], the strongest compound in weed, not only interferes with normal brain chemistry it also messes with the body’s hormonal balance; raising normal testosterone levels anywhere from 3-5% every time weed is used. This can cause oil glands on the face, neck and back to go to overdrive, leading to acne either developing or worsening. This may not matter too much for someone who is extremely healthy, but for anyone with hormonal acne (which is a lot of young people) this is like a red flag to a bull.

What you eat matters

Lastly there is the typical problem of craving greasy fast food and snacks after smoking weed, which is not good for avoiding, or calming down, acne. Fruit may be the healthy and sensible choice but let’s be honest – oily, salty and sugary foods always taste better, even though you know they are going to make your skin spotty and irritated.

Collagen damage

If you’ve ever wondered why a baby or young child has such smooth and wrinkle free skin it’s all down to collagen. This important protein plays a huge part in the way we look and feel. It supports firm skin structure, keeps hair healthy and shiny, and even helps keep joints working well. The bad news is that marijuana smoke is packed with hydrocarbons, collagen’s kryptonite.