Marijuana high: Strains, smoking, vaping, and edibles

Edible highs tend to last longer than a smoking or vaping high. The effects of cannabis edibles may not become noticeable until half an hour to one and a half hours after ingestion. Some users report that edibles can induce a powerful or even overwhelming sensation.

Effects of weed on the brain

Instead of attempting to prolong the inhalation for a stronger effect — a smoother experience comes from taking slow, deliberate breaths. Larger inhalations (but without prolonged retention), are recommended. Yet, many believe that holding marijuana smoke longer intensifies its potency. THC is rapidly absorbed by the lungs within seconds, making smoke retention ineffective for enhancing the high’s strength.

Factors that affect a cannabis high

Given that THC and anandamide share similar properties, consuming cannabis can produce similar effects. Both of these cannabinoids demonstrate a strong affinity for binding to the endocannabinoid system’s receptors, CB1 and CB2. It turns out anandamide is responsible for much more than happiness.

The main cannabinoid that you’re probably familiar with in the weed plant is how long does it take for weed pen to hit THC. These compounds can also be extracted from the plant and used to make hash (edibles), concentrates, vape carts, and other forms of weed. When you smoke bud, cannabinoids and terpenes are activated by heat and enter your lungs and body. We all know that smoking buds from the cannabis plant gets you high.

The Risks of Holding in Hits For Too Long

For some (cannabis consumption triggers a counterintuitive response), paradoxically increasing anxiety. Consequently (in these individuals), anandamide doesn’t metabolize as efficiently, contributing to their naturally relaxed state. An enzyme called FAAH , fatty acid amide hydrolase, naturally breaks down anandamide, with certain people genetically less capable of producing it. This process generates the feeling of euphoria. Activities like eating chocolate, practicing yoga, or running can also elevate anandamide levels, producing a milder but similar euphoric state (similar to a “runner’s high”). Just as a key unlocks a door, a neurotransmitter must bind to its corresponding receptor to trigger a biological response.

Younger users tend to experience more pronounced negative effects from cannabis. Cannabis affects the body through both immediate and lasting changes. CBD does engage with the endocannabinoid system. **A 2017 study outlined the following timelines for cannabis effects:** *Method* | *Onset* | *Peak* | *Total Duration* — | — | — | — Smoking and vaping | Within minutes | 20 to 30 minutes | 2 to 3 hours Edibles | 30 to 90 minutes | 3 hours | Within 24 hours The length of a cannabis high varies based on factors like dosage and potency.

How marijuana works

If your mindset is negative — like having a bad day, you might end up having a bad smoke session no matter how much you love weed. As with many things relating to cannabis — there’s much more to learn about the entourage effect, and the exact way distinct cannabinoids and terpenes interact together. One hit may be plenty for you — while your friend can burn down a whole joint without batting an eye. At one dose — it can help anxiety; at another, it can exacerbate it. A little bit of weed might calm you down, but a lot of weed might make you anxious.

Chronic cannabis use may cause the body to significantly reduce its production of natural endocannabinoids, as the plant’s chemicals replace them. THC impedes neural communication between the brain and the rest of the body, contributing to cannabis’s relaxing properties. Smoking and vaping generally produce a shorter but more intense high compared to edibles.