If you’re reading this article, you’ve either smoked cannabis before or you’re thinking of trying it out. Let this be a guide into the world of cannabis enthusiasts for anyone willing to give it a shot. So, cannabis, why and how does it make you high? Moreover, will you like being high or will you feel incontrollable? Let’s take a look at its effects and the reason why you get high!
The chemistry of the cannabis plant is essential here. Inside it, there are cannabinoids, terpenes, and trichomes. There are many cannabinoids to speak of, though only a few of them are worth talking about. In particular, THC is the main psychoactive cannabinoids that gets you high. CBD is also important, though this one is more relaxing and counters the psychoactive effects of THC.
Cannabis growers have started to artificially select THC-dominant cannabis strains for their potent psychoactive effects. The way this works is simple – the THC affects your nervous system by binding to specific receptors in your endocannabinoid system. The ECS (endocannabinoids system) influences many physiological functions in our body, including mood regulation.
For instance, THC binds to the CB1 molecules in the ECS, and lead to a boost in your mood, similar to how anandamide functions in a runner’s high.
How does being high feel?
Usually, when you get high from cannabis, you get certain feelings and psychological states such as:
- Improved mood
- Enhanced creativity
- Involuntary laughter
- Increased hunger
- Contemplative predilection
- Improved social skills
In other words, you’re a very euphoric person while high. You laugh, talk to people, eat all you can, think on the nature of the Universe, and come up with great ideas. What’s not to like, right? Well, during the state of high, you’re happy and euphoric, and you experienced increased mental clarity and creativity. Moreover, it seems as your five senses are more acute than ever before.
However, there are some downsides to being high, as well:
- Potential paranoia
- Anxiety
- Panic
- Confusion
- Psychosis
Indeed, psychotic attacks are part of the potential downsides to being high. However, these cases are incredibly rare and happen only to people with preexisting medical conditions who shouldn’t get high in the first place. Regular people may only experience confusion and anxiety for a time.
Usually, getting high progresses in a couple of phases. Initially, you’ll feel your eyes get watery and the THC goes to your head. Shortly, you’ll feel yourself getting lighter, your mind becoming clearer, more creative than ever, and you start becoming contemplative. This is when you start becoming joyful and euphoric. You get the impression that everybody’s your friend.
The last phase revolves around the feeling of relaxation and universal tranquility. The high has reached a peak and is now going down, yet you’re still high for the time being. This is the most comfortable sensation during the state of high. After this phase, you’ll become sober again.
As you can see, your body and mind aren’t unitary when you become high. Your mind starts prancing about, making up a multitude of imaginary worlds, while your body feels more relaxed than ever. The states are contradictory, though they aren’t unpleasant. In fact, the combination between these states of being is what makes the state of high so enjoyable.
Can I get high only by smoking cannabis?
The short answer would be no. You can get high by smoking or vaping cannabis, but you can also get high by eating edibles or taking cannabis oils and tinctures sublingually. For instance, when you eat cannabis edibles, the effects will be much more intense than if you were to smoke it. It will take longer for the effects to kick in, but once they do, be ready for a nitrogen bomb to explode inside your cranium!
Consuming cannabis-based oils and tinctures sublingually bears no striking differences to smoking cannabis. They offer approximately the same effects in the same amount of time. The experience of being high will generally be the same, so it doesn’t really matter what method you choose between these two.
Last but not least, we should touch upon the topic of divergent thinking. You see, people usually use the convergent thinking during day-to-day tasks. Convergent thinking relies on logic, reason, analytic prowess, etc. Cannabis has been found to emphasize and bring divergent thinking to the surface. Divergent thinking has to do with creativity, imagination, limitless innovativeness, and freedom of thinking. Being high is thinking divergently!