So we’ve probably all had a time or two in our lives when we’ve been sitting on the couch stoned and had what we considered to be the deepest thought anyone has ever had, or maybe the funniest. A few I can name are “Do animals have ghosts?” and “If so, could there be a ghost horse standing in my flat judging me?”. This is obviously ridiculous as I lived in a flat at the time and there would be no way for a ghost horse to get up there. Why would it have died in a fourth floor stable? In a few past articles we have started looking into how cannabis affects our bodies and the science behind the endocannabinoid system. So why don’t we have a little delve into why science people reckon our brains get into oddly deep but also stupid thought while territories we are stoned?

So high thoughts can come in a wide variety of styles. Sometimes we will just get deep like my ghost horse theory, sometimes they will be terrifying like my ghost horse theory. Sometimes they come in the form of pure paranoia…like my ghost horse theory . Ok, I’ll stop but you understand my point. Weed can affect our brain in a wide variety of different ways and as I sort of mentioned this is all thanks to the endocannabinoid system. When we have discussed this system before we have talked about how the cannabinoids in weed can mimic cannabinoids that occur in our systems and will alter the way our neurons fire. This in turn explains things like being suddenly hungry or sleepy. The physical effects make sense because we are just electric bones covered in meat that need certain things. However, this doesn’t fully describe why the thoughts we have when high are so different.

As far as I can gather the strange thoughts that happen while high are not so much to do with the reactions in the endocannabinoid system, but rather have to do with blood flow. Cannabis can increase blood flow to certain parts of the brain, including the area responsible for abstract thought. As humans are pretty big boys on the old evolutionary chain we have lovely fancy frontal lobes that give us all sorts of things like complex thought and imagination and so on. Basically when we smoke we increase blood flow to this part of the brain stimulating it into weird and sometimes wonderful places. Unfortunately, sometimes stoner thoughts aren’t so wonderful. Sure you can start off thinking about how weirdly soft cat armpits are but that doesn’t mean you’re going to stay in that lovely, safe, warm brain space while your blood goes swirling around your frontal lobe.

I reckon this is largely due to the kind of brain you have, and also the type of weed you are smoking. The simplest explanation would be that if you have a negative brain generally you’d be more prone to nasty or paranoid thoughts whereas happy sunshine people get kitten armpits. It is definitely part of it, if your brain is prone to feeling bad stimulation could make it worse. However, there are strains that are specifically uplifting and happy that are used medicinally by those with depression and other mental health issues. So it can’t just be that weed enhances whatever you were thinking in the first place.

This is where we come back to the endocannabinoid system in all its glory. Smoking weed is a full body experience and funnily enough your brain is probably going to react to what your body is doing. So if you smoke something crazy strong when you can’ t handle it your body is more likely to become physically overwhelmed and your brain will likely follow.

If your body is having a nice time, no increased heart rate or nausea then your brain will likely settle into a nice time as well. If you know you get uncomfortable with physical highs like couchlock and the lack of bodily control will make you anxious then be careful with heavy indicas. It is extremely important to know your body and your limits.

So the weed you smoke matters but so do your surroundings. If you are hanging out with friends or watching a comedy then it’s more likely your stoner thoughts will be happy and bizarre. Deep intense thoughts might come because you’re lying on your bed listening to the kind of music that reverberates through your skull and your soul. If you are smoking in a stressful situation, stuff might go south pretty quickly.

Of course, it can be a worry that when we get into a dark place we won’t be able to get out again, which can just make the anxiety worse. If you find yourself there then maybe try one of these tips to sober up and control your high. One ancient way of sobering up is eating something with a lot of black pepper on it. Genuinely crunching on a peppercorn can completely refocus the brain and bring you back to reality. Lemon is another great way to bring you down. You can also try drinking a lot of water and just having a nice lie down with a relaxing show you love on. Altering your surroundings into nice thought territory can be a wonderful way to calm down. As a great man once said “Don’t Panic”.

As per usual a lot of this is based on small studies and anecdotal evidence due to the lack of funding in cannabis research. One thing that the science boys are pretty sure of is that excessive cannabis use at a young age can affect the frontal lobe while it is still developing. So this is something that we need to be careful of. Otherwise, learn how your brain works and figure out what you should and shouldn’t smoke to avoid the nastier parts of the stoner thoughts. Keep it calm, happy and comfortable.

Newsletter Sign Up

Make sure you never miss another Vault promo – sign up for our newsletter at https://www.cannabis-seeds-store.co.uk/the-vault-newsletter

Remember: It is illegal to germinate cannabis seeds in many countries including the UK. It is our duty to inform you of this fact and to urge you to obey all of your local laws to the letter. The Vault only ever sells or sends out seeds for souvenirs , collection or novelty purposes.

Photo by Juan Rumimpunu on Unsplash