New To Marijuana? Here’s How Cannabis Can Alter Your Mental State



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Contributor: Missy Matheny

Marijuana use is gaining increasing acceptance with the general population. With additional states at least considering outright legalization, more and more people are trying marijuana. I’ve compiled a beginner’s guide for those who are using marijuana for the first time. From how to set up for a great first-time experience, to the differences to expect based on the delivery system chosen, and the importance of taking it slow and steady.

An In-Depth Look At How Cannabis Affects Your Mood

Marijuana is a unique drug, as many things that have nothing to do with the plant, can affect the outcome of each individual experience. From the environment around the person, to how their body chemistry reacts to the compounds found in THC, all the way down to the delivery method of the cannabis, itself. There isn’t really anything comparable to how the complex combination of compounds found in the cannabis plant affects the human body.

New To Marijuana Here's How Cannabis Can Alter Your Mental State Comfy

The Right Setting

Before using any marijuana products, a person needs to be comfortable in the area they are in, as well as with the people around them. Marijuana can amplify feelings of both a positive and negative nature. To help ensure a positive experience is had, it’s best to have optimistic feelings from the beginning, in order to create a truly comfortable atmosphere.

When using marijuana products, avoiding other substances is advisable, as alcohol, prescription medication, and other drugs can change the way marijuana affects the mind and body. Especially, the first time. If a person doesn’t know how they will react to marijuana, conflicting how the body feels, with other mind-altering substances, can take away from (or distort/change) the feelings a person would get from only using marijuana.

A relaxed atmosphere, in a comfortable environment, with trusted people is the best setup for a great experience with every smoke session. What this means specifically is up to the individual, but every experience with marijuana use should start with positive vibes.

New To Marijuana Here's How Cannabis Can Alter Your Mental State Pipes

Different Ways to use Marijuana


There are several ways marijuana can be delivered to the body. The most common (and widely known) way is smoking.

This can come in many varieties, from the classic joints, pipes, and bongs, to the recently popularized vaping and dabs. Traditional methods involve using dried flowers straight from the plants, but with legalization, dabs have become super popular.

In this method, a concentrated version of the marijuana flower is smoked instead. All these delivery systems rely on the same concept: inhaling THC (and other cannabinoids) into the lungs. When using these methods, a user can expect to feel the effects within minutes, and then, depending on the potency, the individual’s metabolism, as well as their chosen smoking device, the high will subside in a few hours.

Edibles are another popular way to deliver marijuana to the body. As cannabis becomes more acceptable, chefs are making more varieties of marijuana-infused foods. Once, edibles were focused on more of the sweet treats and dessert varieties, now recipes for a wide range of delectable foods are available. When using edibles, the effects can take longer to feel, taking anywhere from half an hour to a few hours, in order to feel the peak effects. They last longer than smoking, with the effects lasting up for hours. There is also a higher risk of taking more than a person needs to (or should), and although a person cannot die from marijuana, too much can lead to a bad time.

Tinctures are a liquid cannabis extract. The user places a few drops under the tongue where it’s absorbed. The effects are faster to achieve this way than edibles because the marijuana isn’t digested first. Digestion can also affect dosage control. Tinctures are popular because they help lower the risk of taking more than is needed. It’s important not to swallow the liquid, as this will change the duration and intensity of the effects. The effects can be felt within minutes, and last a few hours (or more).

Topicals are a lotion, or cream, that is applied to the body. More commonly, these are found with CBD in them, as that is believed to be a pain reliever in the compounds found in marijuana, but they can also be found containing THC, with recipes to make homemade topicals readily available online. They are more for localized pain relief, or muscle relaxation, however. And, even though, marijuana is popular as a recreational substance, it is a medicine, at the end of the day.

New To Marijuana Here's How Cannabis Can Alter Your Mental State Caution

Always Proceed with Caution


When using any mind-altering substance, no matter if it’s the first time, or the thousandth time, a person should always be careful. Don’t use marijuana before driving, or before anything that requires a sober mind.

Don’t use marijuana products that are from the black market, either. This means not buying (or using) marijuana products in states where it’s still illegal to do so. Unfortunately, there are risks in an unregulated market, with contamination and unknown additives possible, and that’s not even mentioning the potential legal ramifications.

Go slow when dosing. There is no need to keep up with anyone else. Everyone reacts differently to marijuana, not just the first time, but over long periods of time, as well. And, with the different kinds of delivery to the body, different strains, and potency levels, every smoking experience is different. Going too fast can lead to anxiety attacks, and in extreme cases, vomiting.

When using concentrates, go even slower. The word concentrate means that the flower has been refined to have more potency. Depending on the percentages, one dab can be the equivalent of smoking a whole joint, or almost a gram of flower, in one hit.

What to Expect When High

Explaining what using marijuana feels like is difficult. Every cannabis experience is different. Which is why being high on marijuana is hard to discern and explain. There are some common things that cannabis users tend to feel. Again, this varies by person, dosage, potency, and so many other things.

Euphoria, or the feelings of happiness and well-being, is a common occurrence. This can be a bit of mood-elevation and feeling lifted, mentally. Or, it can deliver a feeling of being more connected with the world. A popular trope of hippy culture is that they are nature lovers. For some people, cannabis can make them feel more in touch with the natural world.

You can also expect to feel relaxed, on both a physical and mental level. Cannabis can slow racing thoughts and relieve muscle tension. This relaxes the body and mind. For some people, this leads to what is known as “couch lock.” The body becomes so relaxed and comfortable, that getting up can seem like a lot of unnecessary effort.

A spark in creativity, or feeling artistic or philosophical, can happen, too. Some artists use cannabis to give them a little creative direction from time to time. But it’s not limited to artists, and these feelings can also lead to long, deep discussions about the universe, and everything that exists in it. But, it can also help when you are deciding what to draw, color, sculpt, write, or design.

While high, you may experience a sort of sensitivity to light, color, sound, touch, taste, and smell. This doesn’t mean that lights are suddenly brighter, or that sounds are louder. Instead, it’s like the world becomes a little brighter, and sounds become more interesting. Because cannabis can alter the way a person hears sounds, music can become a huge focal point for some users when they are high. Cartoons are popular among cannabis users, not just because of their comedy tropes, but also because of the vibrant colors that are associated with animation.

Being amused and giggly, is another expected effect of cannabis use. Cannabis is a mild hallucinogen, however, it doesn’t usually cause visual hallucinations. Instead, it changes the way the mind perceives things. This can make normally mundane things seem interesting, because the brain is seeing them in a new light. 

And finally, hunger, or “the munchies” can happen when high.

This can lead to a person devouring more than a normal amount of food in one sitting. This is almost a stereotype for stoners. I say “almost,” because it’s kind of true. Although, there are strains that don’t usually cause the munchies, and some users seem to never get them. However, that said, a stoner going on a snacking binge is a normal occurrence. Cannabis can give a heightened sense of taste, too, and some things just taste amazing while high.

This list isn’t all-inclusive, and there can be opposite reactions to all the positive feelings listed. Some people just don’t react well to using cannabis. It’s not their fault, and it’s okay. A lot of people, though, given the right environment, and the right dosage, will find marijuana to be an amazing, and almost indescribable, experience to someone who’s never tried it.

Please always be responsible when using mind-altering substances. Only adults should be using marijuana, and only in states that allow legal use.



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