Mary Jane for Hangovers: Tips and General Advice

As New Year’s Eve approaches, most people have already decided how they’ll celebrate. Some have stocked up (or grown) the necessary substances to set the mood, while others prefer alcoholic drinks—sometimes even mixing the two. Either way, a glass of champagne at midnight is a time-honored tradition for almost everyone celebrating the holiday. But often, one glass leads to another, and that’s how the dreaded hangover begins.

Why Do We Feel Bad the Next Morning?

The most common hangover symptoms are headache, dry mouth, nausea, and general sluggishness. This happens because many of your body’s systems are thrown off balance. Alcohol, once processed by the liver, turns into toxins. Your body spends a lot of resources breaking these down, which leads to overall weakness.

Dry mouth is another familiar post-party effect, caused by alcohol’s diuretic properties. However, the main reason for that parched feeling isn’t a lack of fluids, but rather improper distribution of blood in the body. Alcohol also triggers an inflammatory response from the immune system, disrupts metabolism and acid-base balance, and negatively affects the nervous system (which is why you might be extra sensitive to bright lights and loud sounds).

How to Ease Hangover Symptoms

There are countless ways to deal with a hangover: pickle juice, special pills, or certain foods. Every drinker has their own go-to remedy. But if you look at the science, marijuana is a serious contender among traditional methods. So why light up a joint the morning after a wild party?

• It’s scientifically proven that cannabis helps relieve headaches and migraines. This was confirmed by a study at the University of Colorado.
• THC helps combat nausea, a common complaint after heavy drinking. This was supported by researchers from the American Cancer Society.
• Cannabis can also boost your appetite, which is important since your body needs nutrients to recover from a hangover.
• Cannabinoids help with immune system issues, which is also backed by scientific research.

Overall, cannabis is great for hangovers because it tackles almost all the unpleasant symptoms at once—a fact confirmed by many experienced users. The only thing it won’t fix is dry mouth, so be sure to have plenty of mineral water on hand. If smoking isn’t appealing in your condition, try using a vaporizer or enjoy a cannabis-infused edible. Just remember to prepare these in advance.

However, keep in mind that easing a hangover doesn’t mean getting rid of it completely. Unfortunately, the symptoms only disappear once your body has fully processed all the alcohol. So, the best way to prevent a hangover is to drink in moderation.

General Tips for a Tough Hangover

1. Take activated charcoal (1 tablet per 10 kg of body weight).
2. Take a light shower, open the windows, and breathe fresh air.
3. Drink mineral water; you can also add baking soda (1–2 teaspoons per liter of water).
4. Try “Antipohmelin” (a Russian hangover remedy) and take 4–6 tablets.
5. Pickle juice is a classic. Drink it on an empty stomach, then follow with water—right after getting out of bed.
6. Lemon juice and honey are both beneficial.
7. Aspirin can help with headaches.
8. If you partied hard with psychoactive substances, boost your vitamin intake (sports vitamins are best; some even use IV or IM vitamins—if you’re really struggling, this might be your option), plus calcium and amino acids. Read this article if you used euphoretics or stimulants.
9. Sleep as much as possible.
10. Try to eat something to get your stomach working—porridge or soup is best.
11. Treat yourself with some cannabis!