Couchlock

"Couchlock" (or "couch-lock") describes a state of heavy physical sedation, muscle relaxation, and reduced motivation — sufficient to discourage movement — following cannabis consumption. It is strongly associated in consumer culture with high-THC, myrcene-dominant "indica-type" chemovars, though controlled clinical evidence for this association is limited. Russo (2011 Br J Pharmacol) reviewed preclinical evidence that myrcene produces sedation, muscle relaxation, and analgesia in rodent models (including prolongation of pentobarbital sleep time), providing a mechanistic rationale for terpene contribution to the phenomenon. However, controlled human trials confirming a myrcene-driven "couchlock" effect are lacking, and cultivar labels ("indica"/"sativa") are poor predictors of terpene content (Smith et al. 2022 PLoS One). High-dose THC alone reliably produces sedation via CB1 agonism in ventral striatal and brainstem circuits. ⚠️ Terpene attribution largely correlational. Citations: Russo EB. Br J Pharmacol. 2011;163:1344-1364; Smith CJ et al. PLoS One. 2022;17(5):e0267498; NASEM 2017.