Although cannabis can provide temporary relief from stress, the researchers say frequent use over time could potentially interfere with the biological systems that regulate the stress response. Cservenka cautions that the findings do not establish that frequent cannabis use causes higher cortisol levels upon waking. They also do not show that elevated morning cortisol causes people to use cannabis more frequently. The researchers found that the size of this morning cortisol increase was similar in cannabis users and nonusers. Even so, Cservenka said it is reasonable to consider the possibility that frequent cannabis users may experience disruptions in their normal daily stress rhythms.