You have been smoking weed for as long as you remember. From the first time you tasted it and started coughing like crazy to the time you frantically tried to get the smell of that pungent aroma from your room as your mom just arrived home from work, or the first time you experimentally tried to plant your own cannabis seeds. . These memories will definitely be with you for a long time, but have you ever stopped and really thought about what makes you high in weed? I am posing this question now as it is taken so much for granted, that I think it is time to fully understand that substance you love so much but know nothing much about.
What is Marijuana?
Before we further delve deeper into the topic of what makes us high in cannabis, let us understand first what is weed? By definition, marijuana is a psychoactive plant from the plant name Cannabis which is used nowadays either for recreational or medicinal purposes. There are two main types of marijuana strains namely Indica and Sativa. It has been an age-old debate which is the better strain, Sativa vs Indica? Sativas offers a cerebral high where users will feel euphoric and happy. Users tend to be more energetic and focused. In short, a Sativa high is a productive high. The Indica strain, on the other hand, deals more with the physical effects the strain has on the body. It gives a deep relaxing feeling where most of the tie the body is in a completely tranquil state, thee ar tie when the strain is a potent one, the users are locked on to their couches oblivious of their surroundings and may even be lured into a deep slumber. The high that both the Sativa and indica strains are brought about by a cannabinoid present in the cannabis plant called THC. The higher the THC content of the weed, the more potent it becomes.
What is THC?
THC is a compound present in the cannabis plant that is responsible for feeling high. It is part of a class of compounds in marijuana called cannabinoids. THC is responsible for the psychoactive characteristics of weed. THC stands for tetrahydrocannabinol. It has another partner called CBD or cannabidiol, which is the non-psychoactive compound in cannabis but is responsible for the medicinal effects marijuana may offer to medical cannabis users.
THC has the ability to alter both the physical and mental characteristics of a cannabis user. It may alter sensory perception, bring jolts of energy, and bring total happiness to a cannabis smoker. As for the physical alterations, THC offers is the user a complete body relaxation and a calming demeanor when consumed.
THC vs CBD
Both THC and CBD are compound cannabinoids derived from the marijuana plant, however, they are almost completely the opposite of each other and are different in so many ways.
The major difference between THC and CBD is that THC intoxicates the user while CBD has no intoxicating effects at all. The CBD in marijuana is sought after by a lot of medical cannabis users for this major contribution to medical cannabis, pain management. From minor aches such as headaches, back pains, muscle spasms to more agonizing pain disorders such as migraines, arthritis, and the like. CBD also has the ability to block some of the intoxicating effects brought about by THC. it binds itself to cannabinoid receptors keeping THC from activating these so-called receptors. This means there will be lessened psychoactive effects. Weed with a combination of THC and CBD will balance each other out most of the time and will tend to lessen the potency of a marijuana strain. These are however strains with a very high THC content that it negates the CBD content of the weed and produces those potent marijuana strains hardcore recreational marijuana users enjoy.
Now that we have cleared what makes us high in weed, we have also touched on the two main cannabinoids in cannabis and their respective effects on an individual. The difference in both these compounds might soon be an influential factor in your next visit to the dispensary.