Smoking bong, ingesting, or vaping marijuana can make you high or “stoned.” If you’ve never tried marijuana, you might wonder what it feels like.
Marijuana can have drastically different effects from one person to the next. Some people report feeling happy or relaxed. Others report laughter, altered time and sensory perception, and increased appetite. But marijuana can also cause less-desirable effects.
Keep in mind that marijuana is still illegal in most states. In others, it’s only legal with a prescription. You should only use marijuana when it’s legal.
Sensations of being under the influence of marijuana
Marijuana affects each person differently. Some people are very sensitive to marijuana’s effects, while others might not notice them as much.
How you react to marijuana depends on a number of factors, including:
- the dose, strain, and potency
- whether you smoke, vape, or ingest it
- how often you use marijuana
- your age, gender, and physiology
- whether you drink alcohol or take other drugs at the same time
While high on marijuana, you might feel:
- euphoric
- relaxed
- amused
- giggly
- creative
- hungry
- more sensitive to light, color, sound, touch, taste, and smell
However, marijuana use can also lead to unpleasant feelings or experiences. These include:
- anxiety
- confusion
- delusions and hallucinations
- high blood pressure
- nausea and vomiting
- panic
- paranoia
- psychosis
- racing heartbeat
Negative reactions are more likely when you’re inexperienced or take too much. Strong cannabis can trigger a stronger reaction.
Stages of being high
The active ingredient in marijuana is THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol). When you smoke or vape marijuana, THC enters your bloodstream via your lungs. Its concentration in the blood peaks within minutes. Eventually, THC is broken down and excreted in urine and stool.
Since your blood concentration of THC changes over time, it’s possible to experience different stages of being high. For example, feelings of euphoria tend to peak sometime after blood concentration of THC has peaked.
More research needs to be done to understand whether the effects of marijuana change over time.
Do different strains cause different highs?
Strains are different breeds of the cannabis plant. There are three main strains of marijuana: indica, sativa, and hybrids.
Users associate indica strains with relaxation, while sativa strains are believed to produce a more active, physical high. Hybrid strains are thought to combine the effects of both indica and sativa strains.
However, these differences in high are not scientifically proven. In addition, some researchers believe they’re unfounded.
According to a 2016 interview with Dr. Ethan Russo, an expert on the human endocannabinoid system, “One cannot in any way currently guess the biochemical content of a given cannabis plant based on its height, branching, or leaf morphology.”
He also stated that: “The differences in observed effects of cannabis are then due to their terpenoid content.” Terpenoids are a substantial group of organic compounds found in plants. They can have a wide variety of effects in humans.
What does it feel like to be high on edibles?
Ingesting marijuana, whether in tinctures, sprays, or food and drink, leads to a different high than smoking. Theoretically, the effects are less intense, as THC is released into the bloodstream over a longer period of time.
For example, in a 2017 study that compared the effects of smoking, vaporizing, and ingesting cannabis, users reported weaker drug effects when cannabis was ingested.
However, there are anecdotal reports of edibles producing a strong and sometimes debilitating high. This might be due to the dose.
Other sources suggest that when ingested, THC reaches the liver faster, where it’s broken down into another psychoactive compound. The high might change depending on the concentration and ratios of THC and its metabolites in the bloodstream. More research needs to be done to understand these differences.
Are the munchies real?
The “munchies” are a scientifically supported effect of marijuana. There’s likely more than one mechanism behind them.
THC affects brain areas that control appetite. It may also increase ghrelin, a hormone associated with hunger. Finally, THC enhances smell and taste, which can cause you to start or continue eating.
What does it feel like to vape marijuana?
Vaping marijuana is different from smoking marijuana. When you vape, you are inhaling vapor instead of smoke.
Vaping releases higher concentrations of marijuana’s active ingredients than other methods. As a result, vaping can produce a stronger high.
How long does a high last?
The duration of a marijuana high depends on a variety of different factors, including the dose and potency. In addition, how you consume marijuana can drastically affect how long you feel high.
Keep in mind that other differences, such as whether you smoke marijuana using a bong or a joint, can also affect how long the high lasts.
CBD vs. THC highs
CBD refers to cannabidiol. Like THC, CBD is a compound found in cannabis. However, unlike THC, CBD does not produce feelings of euphoria, or a high.
CBD does interact with the endocannabinoid system. Its effects are similar to those associated with marijuana. It’s been used to treat pain, anxiety, depression, and a number of other conditions.
Marijuana often contains a combination of CBD and THC. Other cannabis products only contain CBD or THC.
Effects of marijuana on your health
Marijuana has both short- and long-term effects in your body. Both depend on how much you take, how you take it, and how often. The negative effects of marijuana can be more pronounced in younger users.
In particular, marijuana can negatively affect:
- mood
- sleep
- attention span
- learning and memory
- respiratory health
- circulatory health
- digestion
- immune system
- mental health
Marijuana is also addictive, which means that you can become dependent on it. If you’re thinking about taking marijuana, take some time to learn more about its effects on your body.
Bruh, getting high is the best. You sit there and it makes movies better. It helps you focus (sometimes). It makes food taste better. I mean sure sometimes you’ll get “too high” and get paranoid but it isn’t going to kill you. It’s better for you in every way honestly.