“Because I got high!” We couldn’t help but belt out Afroman’s famous tune when researching the nitty-gritty of this article. Yes, many a song has been penned about getting high, and what usually comes to mind is a solidly hand-rolled joint, although, nowadays, there are many ways to get that smooth buzz going! So, inhale-2-3, exhale-2-3, relax… and, let’s learn more! And, getting down with options on how to best get high, whether for social or medicinal reasons, is what we’ll be unpacking today.
What's in a Cannabis high?
There are over 100 cannabinoids found in a cannabis plant, but it’s the tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) responsible for your high. So, for example, if considering a CBD oil to try and see you hanging out in the clouds, set that idea aside – no THC in a cannabis product means that you will not get stoned.
CBD in products such as oils, drinks, creams, and more have become popular and seen in many a household, said to help recover from ailments like arthritis or even soothing anxiety. But look out for THC in the ingredients if you want to get a kick out of things. This is the substance that will give you and your brain a lift.
It’s not just sucking on a spliff that gets you stoned; there are many other ways to get high. So stay around if you want to find how to get your preferred high-inducing THC hit!
1) Let's Get Smokin'!
Put your hand up if your misspent youth was smoking cannabis? Yes, weed, for many a reminder of their time as a teen, alcohol, drinking, and to get spaced, often part of the weekend social! (Saying this, we are definitely not advocating nor here to lead the way for drugs and alcohol abuse at any age!)
As Popular as everyday Household Products
Now making a comeback and popular not just with the younger generation, cannabis and cannabis products are becoming popular. As your everyday household products in your monthly household shopping trolly, just in a more controlled form than the above-said teens throwing caution to the wind.
Not legalized in all States, this is changing, not only in the US but in many other countries where certain old skool street drugs are making it onto the okayed substance list, particularly in the professional medical field.
The most common users of marijuana are still those that smoke cannabis in the form of what is called a joint, spliff, blunt, using a bong or hubbly-bubbly. A way to get high in just a few minutes, it’s a buzz that also doesn’t last very long, a quick recovery calling to soothe the classic munchies. Smoking a spliff lends itself to a mild mellow high compared to other substances. It’s also become more commonplace for smokers to produce their own cannabis plants.
Controlling how stoned one wants to get is relatively easy. To get the most THC on board, some smokers inhale deeply and hold before exhaling again. Naturally, you will get high, but mind, it doesn’t leave you with a cough and a splutter.
The negative remains that, as with ordinary cigarette smoke, smoking cannabis remains dangerous as it may cause lung damage, heart disease, and a nasty smokers’ cough. Smoking regularly can result in illnesses and conditions like emphysema or lung cancer, diseases requiring intense treatment, and often sadly leads to death. Not what we want for ourselves or a loved one.
2) ...what about Hotboxing?
When it comes to secondhand smoking, research shows that one can definitely pick up a contact high from someone else’s joint but that the conditions need to be quite specific – and intense – for that to occur. A hotboxing situation in an unventilated area like a car full of college students comes to mind!
The study, as mentioned above, shows that in such a situation, those who inhaled the smoke secondhand showed THC in blood and urine samples. However, scientists did add that any high experienced may very well be psychosomatic unless under those circumstances.
Researchers concluded that being exposed to marijuana smoke under “extreme conditions” like a tightly crowded, unventilated area can indeed give non-smokers a contact buzz. However, outside of that minimal scope, any contact high you think you might be feeling due to secondhand cannabis smoke is likely a result of the power of suggestion.
3) Is Vaping the answer?
Today, many a dope smoker has moved to vaping under the premise that it’s safer on the lungs than traditional cannabis smoking. The jury’s still out on whether inhalants are safer than a spliff. Here, to talk about inhalants’ effects, the high is almost immediate and can last as long as a couple of hours. The outcome is basically the same as smoking a spliff, although it is claimed that up to 90% of the cannabinoids in dried cannabis or oil can be translated via a vape into a great THC hit for users.
However, we must differentiate that vaping isn’t always just inhaling via an e-cigarette or a device with a mouthpiece – so-called portable vaporizers – that tabletop models exist too, those that one can plug into a wall. The look and feel of these devices vary in shape and material. One can find these in wooden or plastic form, with either a hose or a bag from which one inhales the vape. Whether the mouthpiece or tabletop, vaporizers, vaporizers – work with an electric coil that heats up to a significant enough temperature to ‘vape’ the oils or dried marijuana. E-cigarettes or vape pens are generally set to a fixed temperature, whereas temperatures can be controlled with the plugged-in device.
4) Whipped Cream, anyone?
Hands up! Who’s enjoyed a dope brownie with a dollop of ice cream or whipped cream?
Eating or drinking cannabis may be the better substance over smoking or inhalants; from a health perspective, consuming high doses of THC can have unpleasant side effects. We’re certainly not drawing comparisons to heroin, but to get high on edibles can cause a significant trip. Recovery from hallucinations can take a few hours to subside, so to manage your high, start with a low dose of the drug, take it slow, in both quantity and time, before taking the next dose. Your high will kick in between 30 and 90 minutes.
Putting cannabis edibles into a more consistent form in the manufacture of the drug in capsule form. Although capsules offer more certainly in dose and type, sentiment persists as first-time users; you may not know how you will respond to THC being absorbed into your bloodstream. Studies show that depending on your system metabolizes THC, you may end up with a high or no response at all. Of course, CBD-only capsules exist too, but don’t expect to get high on those; read your labels.
Saying all of the above, experienced nighttime users enjoy edible or drinkable (think tea) cannabis as a sleep aid. In contrast, experienced daytime users swear by this to help reduce anxiety, inflammation, and pain.
5) Slap on a Patch?
You may be familiar with patches as a treatment for cases of nicotine addiction, but patches extend far beyond that. Morphine patches, for example, have been used for years in the treatment of chronic and severe pain.
Patches offer relief with a significant half-life. Patches and transdermals have now extended to cannabis products too. Primarily used in the professional medical field as a treatment for chronic pain, this is a product where one can be sure of the slow release dosage. A treatment type that is a cause for applause, we look forward to cannabis legalization even further.
Patches take effect in up to 10 minutes, and the result can last up to 12 hours.
As is the case with capsules, CBD-only patches exist too, with no use to get high but to serve as treatment in cases of arthritis and insomnia.
6) Suck it!
Gums, drops, suckers, and tinctures! Tinctures, where your cannabis oil (whether THC, CBD, or a blend) sits in a glass bottle, admissions managed via a dropper. This is a measured dose of cannabis-infused oil. The cannabinoid is taken up in the bloodstream via the membranes of the mouth with no need for digestion to occur, as is when one eats a cannabis cookie.
Get high in just a few minutes, recovery and sobriety in up to three hours.
7) Dabs - and not the dancing!
Watch out; let hallucinations not lead you astray! If an extreme buzz is not your game, then stay away from this one, as we often hear of dangerous-sounding experiences regarding dabs and wax. In addition, it has been said that abuse and addiction using this form of the drug are significant.
There are minimal studies that have been done in this regard, so we cannot report on how dangerous dabs are nor what heart problems or brain damage may be caused here. When you get high fast with a high percentage of THC making it into your bloodstream, reports of unpleasant experiences are why we’re suggesting to make a careful call on this one.
Usually made from hash oil, dabs may contain chemical compounds because of the extraction method used in putting together this drug.
Look after your body and your brain
We hope you enjoyed this read on the highs and the lows of, well, getting high! As is the disclaimer with anything, cannabis falls into the drug and alcohol category, and one must take care of potential drug abuse.
Drug and Alcohol Abuse
Falling into the drugs and alcohol category, we must add that sometimes cannabis is not for you. Especially with drugs such as cannabis becoming legalized and therefore seen on the same level as alcohol, keep an eye on how you are affected.
How does cannabis make you feel? Have you developed a cough from smoking one too many blunts? If your health is taking a knock, focus on recovery, perhaps another, more tempered way to manage your intake. But, again, a medical professional may be able to help.
Now moving into addiction. No one sets out to become addicted, but addiction is accurate, and hospital admissions are rife with those not coping with their intake. And yes, even though it is said to be a much less harsh drug than, say, heroin, certain street drugs, glue, or other chemical-induced substances, marijuana is a substance that can be abused. Many people have ended up in the throes of addiction, the cause in certain situations for a call to rehab, treatment, and recovery.
All drugs and substances should be treated with the knowledge that they can cause damage. So, look out for yourself and those around you, your loved one, your household, your children (those teens!), family, and friends.
Mental Health
Smoking cannabis can hurt the heart and cause a nasty cough, but it can also damage the head. Even though this read supports the safe use of marijuana products, particularly for medicinal purposes, we must call out that some may have a mental illness where drugs like marijuana can exacerbate a person’s health. And, we must add that said person need not be addicted. Even though not as extreme, for example, heroin, cannabis substances can be abused to the detriment of one’s mental health. As suggested, beyond just the potential issue of addiction, drug-induced mental illness is actual, so do take care.
Prevent issues on all fronts; no one wants a stint in rehab! We’re not suggesting that you not get stoned, but before self-medicating, instead, consult a physician.