Can you use marijuana if you take Vyvanse?

Although cannabis may help with some symptoms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), taking cannabis with Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine dimesylate), a prescription ADHD medication, may increase certain side effects.

Learn how cannabis and Vyvanse interact with one another to make the safest choices for your health.

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What is Vyvanse?

Vyvanse is an oral medication that’s prescribed for ADHD and sometimes for binge eating disorder. It may help with:

• Focus
• Impulse control
• Mood swings
• High appetite

How does Vyvanse work?

People who have ADHD may have lower levels of certain brain chemicals, including dopamine and norepinephrine, which regulate functions such as:  

• Focus
• Impulse control
• Decision making
• Mood
• Energy levels

When Vyvanse is processed in the body, it stimulates an increase in the levels of dopamine and norepinephrine. This action helps improve focus and reduce impulsivity in people with ADHD.

Vyvanse comes with a risk of side effects, including:

• Insomnia
• Anxiety
• Dizziness
• Diarrhea
• Rapid heartbeat

In rare cases, more severe side effects can occur, including:

• Anorexia
• Dependency or addiction
• Psychosis 

Your doctor will help you establish a safe dosing plan to minimize these risks.

Is it safe to mix Vyvanse and weed?

There’s limited research on the interaction between cannabis and Vyvanse.

However, both substances have some potential side effects in common, including:

• Anxiety
• Rapid heartbeat
• Dizziness

Taking them together may increase the risk of these side effects.

People who have ADHD are at higher risk of substance use disorders. Both cannabis and Vyvanse have a risk of dependency.

Both Vyvanse and cannabis can affect your mood and mental health. In some people, especially those with a history of anxiety, psychosis, or bipolar disorder, cannabis may worsen psychiatric symptoms. This risk should be considered when using both substances.

Both Vyvanse and cannabis can increase your heart rate and blood pressure. If you’re at risk of a heart condition, ask your doctor before combining them.

It’s important to speak with your healthcare team if you notice any adverse effects after combining cannabis and Vyvanse.

Can you take Vyvanse and CBD?

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a nonintoxicating cannabis compound. It can be used to help with:

• Anxiety
• Sleep
• Pain
• Inflammation

No major interaction between CBD and Vyvanse has ever been reported. But CBD may inhibit enzymes that affect how your body breaks down Vyvanse. Tell your doctor if you use CBD regularly so they can monitor your response to Vyvanse.

Possible benefits of using cannabis with Vyvanse

It’s possible that combining cannabis with Vyvanse offers some benefits, such as: 

• Reducing Vyvanse intake: Some self-reported surveys suggest that cannabis may help with ADHD symptoms. So using cannabis to help treat ADHD might help you reduce your Vyvanse intake. However, you should not replace or reduce your Vyvanse intake on your own. Changes to your dosage should be made under your doctor’s supervision.

• Improving medication side effects: Cannabis may help ease certain side effects associated with Vyvanse, including insomnia and low appetite.

How to take weed and Vyvanse

If you’re a cannabis user who has been prescribed Vyvanse, speak with your doctor about finding a safe dosing plan.

You can also follow these general safety guidelines:

• Start low and go slow: Take the suggested Vyvanse dose, as determined by your doctor, with a low dose of cannabis to see how you feel. Increase your cannabis dose slowly until you achieve your desired results.
• Time each dose wisely: To lower your interaction risk, space out your cannabis and Vyvanse doses. Vyvanse can start working after about 2 hours and last for up to 14 hours. When inhaled, cannabis can start working in less than 15 minutes and last for up to 3 hours. Cannabis edibles can start working after 2 hours and last for up to 8 hours.
• Ask about other medications: Speak with your doctor if you’re taking any other medications, as some of them may interact with cannabis and Vyvanse.

The bottom line: Combining Vyvanse with cannabis may increase some side effects

Both cannabis and Vyvanse can be used to treat ADHD symptoms. While combining them is unlikely to cause a severe interaction, you may be at higher risk of certain side effects, such as dizziness or anxiety.

If you have any questions about taking Vyvanse and cannabis together, speak with your doctor or schedule a consultation with a Leafwell provider.

Resources

• Alcohol and drug use disorders in adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: Prevalence and associations with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptom severity and emotional dysregulation. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7515748/
• Cannabinoid and terpenoid doses are associated with adult ADHD status of medical cannabis patients. https://www.rmmj.org.il/userimages/1036/1/PublishFiles/1038Article.pdf
• Self-reported effects of cannabis on ADHD symptoms, ADHD medication side effects, and ADHD-related executive dysfunction. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/10870547211050949
• Vyvanse prescribing information. https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2023/021977s050,208510s007lbl.pdf
• Vyvanse uses. https://www.drugs.com/vyvanse.html