What does being high feel like? The answer to this question will vary depending on who you ask but the general consensus among all cannabis consumers is that it’s a desirable feeling. If not, why would anyone else take up the act of smoking?
With that being said, describing the feelings of being high is a difficult task. Feelings are subjective. A beginner’s first experience with weed will be vastly different from a veteran’s thousandth bong rip.
Countless media have tried and failed to accurately describe what does being high feel like, and really, there isn’t one conclusive definitive answer to define the feeling. There are simply too many variables at play to give a concrete answer across every demographic and cannabis product type.
However, there are certain characteristics that come into the light once you’re under the influence that let you know you’re high. Here’s what they are:
What Does Being High Feel Like? Desirable Effects
Whether it’s your first time or hundredth time medicating with cannabis, there are physical and emotional sensations that we seek to obtain whenever we smoke up. For some, the objective might be to relieve pain and inflammation. For others, it might be to stimulate appetite and sedate the body.
Depending on the strain, genetics, potency, and consumption method, these effects can range wildly. Since cannabinoids act on our endocannabinoid system, the effects can range from physical relief and sedation to emotional regulation and elevation.
For the sake of clarity, we’ll split up the desirable effects of smoking up into the categories of physical and mental.
Desirable Physical Effects
- Bodily sedation
- Appetite stimulation
- Insomnia relief
- Inflammation relief
- Pain relief
- Nausea relief
- Increased sensory perception (light, colour, touch, taste, smell)
- Increased energy
Desirable Mental Effects
- Delayed judgement
- Increased humour
- New ways of thinking
- Elevated creativity
- Increased sociability
- Novel ways of thinking
- Elevated mood
- Depression relief
- Anxiety relief
It’s important to note that desirable effects from cannabis will not occur simultaneously at the same time. As we’ve said before, the strain, potency, and consumption method will heavily impact both the onset and type of effects you’ll experience.
Your body’s unique physiology will also impact how you weed affects you, too.
What Does Being High Feel Like? The Other Side
So far, we’ve covered the desirable effects of weed that every user wants to experience. However, as with many other substances, there are negative side effects, too.
Despite the easy accessibility that cannabis has, it simply isn’t for everyone. If you have unknown pre-existing medical conditions or mood disorders, smoking can exacerbate these issues. Other times, the effects of cannabis can be so intense and overwhelming that many users will swear off of ever trying them again.
Here are the physical and mental side effects and risk of consuming too much cannabis
Physical Side effects
- Bodily sedation
- Increased heart rate
- Vomiting
- Nausea
- Cottonmouth
- Brain fog
- High blood pressure
Mental Side Effects
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Hallucinations
- Panic attacks
- Impaired judgement
- Delayed stimuli reaction
- Paranoia
- Memory loss
As you can see by comparing our 2 lists, there’s an overlap between the desirable effects and undesirable side effects of consuming cannabis. This is to be expected as what works for others may not work for you.
That being said, you shouldn’t let these lists decide what’s best for you. The best way to find out what does being high feel like is to try it out for yourself!
If it’s your first time smoking, we prepared a guide so you’ll know what to do, what to expect, and what to avoid to make your first experience as optimal as possible.
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