No two people will ever experience the same high from marijuana, even if they smoke/vape/consume the same amount, during the same time duration and in the same environment. This is because the high you get is subject to a number of factors, both ‘internal’ and ‘external.’ In this post, we’ll have a look at all the things which determine how much and how long you would you be high. So without further ado:
1) Delivery method
There are many ways to consume cannabis, from smoking and vaping to edibles and beverages; however, each method differs in the magnitude and the duration of high it is capable of delivering.
For instance, smoking a joint and eating a marijuana-infused brownie will affect you differently – while the former gets you high almost instantaneously, the latter takes some time to mix in the bloodstream. Furthermore, the quantity of the drug consumed via the two methods varies a lot; hence, delivery method is the first factor on our list.
2) Dose
Deciding the ideal dosage in your first outing with a new strain or edibles is a tricky task. So, if you want to avoid those cringeworthy ‘spins’ the following morning, going slow and low is the key. As you get more experienced at consuming the drug, you’d automatically find the type and the quantity of marijuana that hits your sweet spot!
3) Cannabinoid profile
Each marijuana strain has a different cannabinoid profile. Putting generally, Indica strains are typically higher in THC as compared to the Sativa ones. So the former is more sedative and is thus recommended to patients dealing with insomnia.
High amounts of THC though can lead to anxiety in some recreational consumers. If you see yourself falling in this category, it’s high time you began experimenting with other strains that at least have CBD and THC in the ratio of 1:1
4) Terpene Profile
In case you haven’t heard this term before, terpenes are aromatic compounds that impart unique aroma and taste to each strain. Simply putting, they are the lemon in your Lemon Haze, the berry in your Blueberry Kush, the fuel in your Sour Diesel.
With terpenes, come a number of medicinal benefits; however, whether they play a role in the high is still a matter of debate owing to a dearth of research. Anecdotal evidence though has so far suggested that these aromatic compounds could be a factor.
For instance, the terpene Linalool, which is also the primary fragrance compound in Lavender, is believed to have stress-relieving and relaxing effects. So, for the time being, it shouldn’t be wrong to assume that terpenes may be a ‘high’ deciding metric.
5) Age
If you are in your 30’s, odds are high that you may have heard some of your friends say that they used to smoke when they were young but they can’t tolerate the effects of the drug anymore. This isn’t because they have families to raise and aren’t interested in such stuff, but rather because of the possibility that age may have a surprising role to play in enjoying a marijuana high.
A study conducted on rats in 2007 found a link between the age and the effects of cannabis. It was deduced that adolescent rats were more tolerant of the effects of cannabis than their adult counterparts, who showed more signs of stress, anxiety and restricted movement.
6) Tolerance
The last factor on our list is the tolerance level, which is specific to each individual. A person’s tolerance levels toward a drug depend on a number of factors like age, body chemistry, frequency of consumption, etc. It is imperative that you know your tolerance levels because “genius sometimes consists of knowing when to stop.”
