SPOKANE — Perhaps the Dude was onto something.
Scientists at Washington State University have found evidence that regular marijuana users stay more relaxed in stressful situations.
The study found that daily cannabis users were significantly calmer than non-users when subjected to a barrage of stress tests. That’s even though all the participants were sober on the day of testing.
The Spokesman-Review reports that the WSU study looked at whether a heavy cannabis user would experience stress-relieving or stress-inducing effects after a high wears off.
The Dude was the pot-smoking hero of the movie “The Big Lebowski.”
Researchers say the findings are consistent with a growing body of literature that indicates chronic cannabis use is associated with dulled adrenal and emotional reactivity. The study was published recently in the journal Psychopharmacology.
