Can drug use affect dream recall?

[Jerad]

I am not saying im a pothead, but later last year i tried marijuana like 3-4 times. i never plan to do it again, as i have no need for it and its illegal btw. well anyhow, can drug use permanently affect your dream recall to an extent? not saying im having any trouble now but i dont seem to recall a terrible amount of dreams and was worried it was tied to that. **also** I just wanna put out that i never plan to smoke pot again (or any drug for that matter) and i just hope that no-one thinks less of me for the mistake I made last year.

[Abra]

Naw. Pot has few permanent affects (and even then, aren't they gradual, like those with alcohol?). You'll be fine. In the short term, it's known to diminish dream recall. If you want to worry about long-term effects on dreaming, then talk about hallucinogens, especially those with flashbacks (LSD). Apparently, flashbacks can occur during dreams. ~And no, I have never taken drugs, with the exception of caffeine and sugar.

[pakistan]

It very temporary, the effect wares off in 2-3 days with a REM rebound effect.

[Jerad]

whats rem rebound?

[pakistan]

marijuana represses REM sleep for most people. When you get off it, you get like a energized REM period, when you can get recall alot of dreams and sometimes very vivid. but thats only lasts a couple days.

[AnDUHrew]

NAW. i don't think that drugs affect recall... not that i have any experience

[ninja9578]

As for recall I can't recall ever seeing a noticeable difference in dream recall. Other elements of the dreams were different though. Alcohol made them slower, but more interesting, DXM (from cough syrup you narks ) gave me really really strange dreams, it's the best part of getting sick.

[Universal Mind]

Smoking pot one night a month would not cause me trouble, but a pot binge, which seems to be the inevitable result of my returns to pot, fogs my head up like shower steam on a bathroom mirror.

[durtykurty]

As a responsible adult who has chosen to smoke marijuana at times, I will say that is does affect recall. It may not happen if you smoke one night, however continued use over a longer period of time, i.e. weeks or months, seems to have an impact. This is a peculiar topic as I was just thinking back to my own times of prolonged usage. The times when I was smoking on a constant basis, I would still have dreams, however they were less frequent and subsequently harder to recall. Upon quitting most recently, I have noticed a significant increase in the amount and the ability to recall my dreams. I have often thought using marijuana did have an impact on dreaming, yet there is no scientific evidence to support the idea. I fully understand that marijuana is an illegal substance, however I am a responsible, open-minded, free-willed adult who practices the usage in my own home. I believe that all drugs should be legal, but only for responsible adults.

[Jerad]

Well im only 15 (was 14 when it happened), and i regret smoking pot to this day. it made my straight a grades drop significantly and i nver plan to get high again. itll prob happen again when im much older, but im avoiding it for the time being. maybe forever, cuz i always wanna remember my dreams. my dreams are on of my most prized possesions and they are very dear to me.