Cannabis Effects: Weed Gets You High

The idea of getting high can intimidate you, and no one should pressure you to try cannabis. Thus, if you are considering trying marijuana, learn cannabis effects and why weed gets you high.

Chemistry of the Cannabis High

Looking at some cannabis flower, you may notice the small, shiny, and crystalline glands covering them. Specifically, these small glands are called Trichomes that produce viscous resin rich in cannabinoids and terpenes.

Growers have bred their cannabis strains to produce resin high in one cannabinoid – THC. THC is the primary psychoactive cannabinoid. 

All our bodies have nervous systems; thus, we also possess an endocannabinoid system or ECS. It regulates the functions of our physiology, keeping everything in balance. It consists of cannabinoid receptors and endocannabinoids – signaling molecules that bind to these receptors.

In the same way, THC shares a similar molecular structure to anandamide. It mimics the endocannabinoids in the body and binds to the CB1 receptor, inducing similar blissful effects.

When smoking cannabis, THX diffuses through the alveoli of the lungs and into the bloodstream. It passes the blood-brain barrier and begins latching onto the CB1 receptor on neurons throughout the brain, leading to a surge in dopamine production.

What Does It Feel Like to be High in Weed?

People will experience different highs from the same dose of THC, even when smoking the same strain. These are the common experiences when using cannabis: 

• Elevated mood
• Increased hunger
• Falling deep into thought
•  Enhanced creativity
• Increased sociability
• Frequent laughter 

On the other hand, cannabis helps people be more talkative, confident, and able to express abstract ideas. In fact, cannabis users will agree that some best conversations they ever took part in involved copious amounts of the herb.

How to Tell When You’re High

When THC starts setting in, you will start feeling different.

Pleasant Sensations 

You will mainly enjoy the pleasant effects of being high, which includes:

•  Happiness
• Euphoria
• Cognitive clarity
• Increased mental activity.
• Enhanced creativity
• The “giggles”
•  Enhanced touch, taste, smell, hearing, and sight

Unpleasant Sensations

These unpleasant sensations can include:

•  Anxiety
• Confusion
•  Panic
•  Paranoia
• Increased heart rate
• Psychosis (in very rare cases)

Stages of Cannabis High

Furthermore, each user may experience high differently, this experience may comprise several common phases:

Stage 1 – You’ll start to feel the THC effects creeping in after your first toke. Your body will start to feel lighter, your mind will spring to life, and the dopamine will begin to flow.

Stage 2 – Around 20-30 minutes, the high begins to peak. Feelings of motivation and creativity begin to hit in full. You will start becoming talkative, social, and the desire to share whatever is rattling around your cranium.

 Stage 3 – Your mind becomes more lucid, and the effects shift from the cognitive experience into a relaxing body high.

Stage 4 – You touch down back to Earth, reaching sobriety again. 

Different Methods of Consumption Lead to Different Highs

There are several ways to consume cannabis, each consumption will lead you to a distinct experience.

Smoking / Vaping – The high comes rapidly and peaks after 30 minutes. The high typically lasts around 4-8 hours.

Edibles – Eating cannabis offers a more intense experience. The edibles are high, take up to two hours and last up to 12 hours.

Sublingual – Placing tinctures or oil underneath the tongue. This simple and fast method shares a similar onset and duration to inhaling cannabis.

Marijuana can ultimately widen our perspective, shift the way our brain thinks, and allow us to imagine and observe things we usually would not pick up on. Check different cannabis products online for more information.