Why You Can’t Die from a Marijuana Overdose

Throughout human history, there has never been a recorded death from a marijuana overdose. This is one of the most well-known facts about marijuana. But is it really true? And if so, why? The reality is that marijuana cannot kill the human body. However, it is entirely possible to consume too much marijuana and have an unpleasant experience. Even many experienced users have found themselves in situations where they wished they could go back. If you’ve misjudged your dose and are feeling unwell, don’t worry. You’re going to be fine. It won’t last long, and you won’t die from it.

Why Do Opioid and Alcohol Overdoses Cause Death?

People can die from opioid overdoses or alcohol poisoning, but marijuana affects the body and mind in a very different way. We’re all familiar with the tragic phrase “died from an overdose.” In the case of opioids, there is a very specific mechanism that leads to death. According to Professor K.T.S. Pattinson, an anesthesiologist at Oxford University, “The main cause of death among drug addicts is so-called ‘respiratory depression.’” In other words, during an opioid overdose, the victim loses consciousness and the body forgets to breathe.

The “main driver of breathing,” which keeps the body breathing automatically, is located in the lower part of the brainstem, in an area known as the pre-Bötzinger complex. Opioids don’t just suppress pain and increase pleasure; they also suppress the pre-Bötzinger complex, causing breathing to become slow and irregular. In an overdose, breathing can stop completely, and death occurs due to lack of oxygen.

Opioid receptors are found in many areas of the brain, including the pre-Bötzinger complex in the brainstem, which controls breathing. This is the main reason why opioid overdoses can be fatal—they affect this critical part of the brain. In some cases, opioid overdoses can also suppress the brain’s mechanisms that regulate heart function and blood circulation, leading to low blood pressure and heart failure. Alcohol poisoning can be fatal when the liver can no longer process the alcohol, and the alcohol in the blood anesthetizes the same brain systems that control breathing and blood pressure. When these systems are blocked, death can occur.

Why Doesn’t Marijuana Have the Same Effect?

The reason is that cannabinoids act on specific receptors that are not concentrated in the brainstem, where breathing and heart rate are controlled. Cannabinoid receptors are most densely located in the basal ganglia, hippocampus, and cerebellum, which are responsible for cognition and movement. These receptors are present only in very small amounts in brainstem areas like the pre-Bötzinger complex.

Cannabinoid receptors are found throughout the brain, but in the respiratory center of the brainstem (the pre-Bötzinger complex), they are present in very low numbers. CB1 receptors—one of the most common types of receptors in the brain—are found in many parts of the body.

In a 1990 study on cannabinoid receptors, researchers from the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) reported that “the sparse densities [of cannabinoid receptors] in lower brain regions controlling cardiovascular and respiratory functions may explain why high doses of THC are not lethal.”

In summary, opioid and alcohol overdoses can shut down the body’s breathing and circulatory systems, which are located in the lower brainstem. Marijuana does not have the ability to affect these lower brainstem systems in the same way. While it is certainly possible to overdo it with marijuana and have a bad experience, it is not possible to die from a marijuana overdose.