The high we experience from marijuana can lead to very personal experiences, affecting each user differently. With that said, there are a few external factors that can affect how your body responds to the THC properties in weed. Predicting how you’re going to feel after consuming cannabis is difficult, as there are many factors that influence the high you get from cannabis. From complex interactions between your body’s DNA and the plant’s, and factors such as your existing mood and surrounding setting, your high can be vastly different from one occasion to another.
In this article, we will visit the most common factors that can affect the high we get from cannabis, and how you can work that to your advantage.
Factor #1: The Cannabinoid Profile of the Cannabis Strain
The cannabinoid profile of the strain you’re working with is one of the easiest ways to determine how high you’ll get. In plain words, it’s the THC to CBD ratio of the strain you’re taking. Some specific strains, such as Apple Fritter and Citrique have impression THC:CBD ratios, that can be good for either social situations on one end or good for taking a chill night off.
Factor #2: Sensitivity to Terpenes
Terpenes are the compounds in our strains that grants its aroma and taste, such as the berries in Blueberry Kush and sour flavour in Lemon Haze
The terpenes are the ones that give our strains aromas and taste, like the berry in the Blackberry strain and lemon in Lemon haze. Anecdotal evidence suggests that terpenes also play a part in the intensity a user feels from a cannabis high.
Factor #3: Your Age
Unfortunately, things are always peachier when we are in our youth. Cannabis often yields a more pleasant, euphoric high when we are younger in age, whether that’s due to our lack of tolerance or unpleasant experiences.
Factor #4: Method of Consumption
Unanimously the most prominent factor of how cannabis can affect your high, is the method which you consume it.
Smoking a joint or consuming an edible can yield to very different effects. For example, edibles take longer to have an effect but produce much stronger and long-lasting highs than joints or bongs. If it’s your first-time consuming cannabis, it’s important to start slow, and recommended to start with a joint instead of with edibles.
Factor #5: The Dosage Taken
Likely the second most important factor is the dosage of cannabis your intake. Taking a 10mg THC edible will have very drastic differences than a 100mg THC edible. Again, if you’re new to the world of marijuana, start with passing a single joint, or low dosage edibles.
Factor #6: Location of Intake
Some of the most pleasant experiences with cannabis is in comfortable settings, with friends and loved ones. More adventurous veterans enjoy smoking while hiking or other physical activities, which ads another layer of factors onto their high.
Factor #7: The Strain of Choice
You might be familiar with the terms ‘Indica’ and ‘Sativa’. The former induces you into a feeling of zen and rest, while the latter incites creativity and energy. Depending on which of sativa and indica takes majority in your strain of choice, your experience will also vary.
