How does cannabis get you high?
How does cannabis get you high?
While cannabis can create a high, it’s important to note that the cannabis plant has hundreds of different cannabinoids and terpenes that can yield various outcomes depending on how you use them. Read more about that here.
How the endocannabinoid system works
Every vertebrate has an endocannabinoid system, “endo” means “within.” This system causes you to feel the effects of cannabis – whether high or otherwise. Cannabis plants contain phytocannabinoids (plant cannabinoids), including THC and CBD. The body contains endocannabinoids that interact with these plant cannabinoids, which is what’s going on chemically when you feel high. Our brain has receptors for both THC and CBD.
Plant cannabinoids + Your endocannabinoids = High feeling & other effects
Many factors can affect your cannabis experience, including:
Type of strain you consume – Sativa, Indica, or Hybrid (or its mix of cannabinoids and terpenes)
How much you consume
Your set and setting
Your individual body chemistry
Your sensitivity or tolerance of cannabis
While the latter two are difficult to control, the first three are something you can control by educating yourself about strains and dosage.
Strains
When people talk about strains of cannabis, they typically talk about Sativas as energetic strains, Indicas and relaxing, and Hybrids as a mix of the two isn’t an accurate predictor of effects. Rather, these are botanical names that describe a plant’s structures, not the effects it produces. As we explain in Sativas vs. Indicas vs. Hybrids, a better predictor of cannabis effects is cannabinoids and terpenes.
Cannabinoids and terpenes work together to produce effects – this is called the entourage effect. We are still learning about this, but this is why many consumers now like to understand the composition of the plants they consume.
Think of it like this: The terpenes are the car, and the cannabinoids are the engine.
This is why Clearly California asks, “How do you want to feel?” to help guide strain recommendations.
How to dose cannabis
Your dosage – or how much cannabis you consume – can significantly impact your experience. If you take three hits off a pre-roll, you’ll probably feel more substantial effects than one hit, but the relationship between quantity consumed and effects experienced is not that simple.
The relationship between amount and effects differs from many drugs, where consuming more means experiencing more effects. At a certain point in consumption, cannabis effects can plateau, and consuming more won’t necessarily make you higher. This is called biphasic – after that plateau, effects enter a second phase where more weed doesn’t mean more effects.
In addition to being biphasic, cannabis is also bidirectional. This means that it can have opposite effects at different doses. A little bit of marijuana might calm you down, but a lot of it might make you feel anxious.
As you can see, cannabis dosing isn’t so simple. Clearly California provides explicit recommendations for dosage with all of our products. We recommend “low and slow” and microdose your way to a comfortable dose. You can always add, but you can never take away.
For more tips on dosing, read our five tips for first-timers.
Set and setting
As we discuss in Set and setting tips for first-timers, research shows that the non-pharmacological factors of set and setting may influence cannabis effects. Set – or mindset – includes an individual’s personality, expectations, level of preparation for the experience, and intention when taking cannabis. Setting is the environment in which the drug effects are experienced.
Cannabis has the potential to amplify both pleasant feelings and unpleasant feelings. If you’re feeling good before your smoke sesh, chances are you’ll feel better after. If you’re feeling bad before your smoke sesh, your bad feelings very well could be amplified afterward. For more guidance on set and setting, read more here.
Ready to go?
If you need some help choosing a product to get started, we can help.