There’s something uniquely curious about being high on weed. Not just mildly relaxed, not just lightly toasted – but fully immersed in altered thoughts, heightened senses, and out-of-nowhere giggle fits. It’s an experience that feels both personal and universal; the taste of snacks becomes transcendent, your thoughts spiral into creative brilliance (or absolute nonsense) and time...well, time gets weird.
But beyond the haze of euphoria and philosphical musings, cannabis is triggering a fascinating display of biochemical reactions throughout your body and brain. You’re high on weed, bru, and that comes with some changes. And science has a lot to say about what’s behind those red eyes and snack-fueled tangents.
If you’ve ever wondered what’s really going on when you’re high on weed, we'll take a look at some of the more prevalent effects.
The Brain High on Weed
When you light up and inhale, THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), the primary psychoactive compound in cannabis, rushes into your bloodstream and crosses the blood-brain barrier like it owns the place. There, it binds with cannabinoid receptors – mainly CB1 receptors – which are densely located in brain regions responsible for pleasure, memory, cognition, co-ordination, and time perception [1].
These receptors are part of the endocannabinoid systme (ECS), a vast cellular network that helps regulate mood,, appetite, pain, and even immune function [2]. When THC binds to CB1 receptors, it disrupts the usual flow of neurotransmitters like dopamine, glutamate, and GABA – giving rise to the kaleidoscopic, often hilarious symptoms we associate with being high on weed.
The Munchies: Your Appetite's Been Hijacked
The moment you go from ‘not hungry’ to ‘I need every form of carbohydrate known to humans right now’ isn’t lack of willpower – it's neurochemistry in action. THC stimulates neurons in the hypothalmus, the part of your brain that governs hunger. But more surprisingly, it also activates olfactory and taste pathways, making food smell and taste better – which amplifies the pleasure of eating [3].
Research in Nature Neuroscience showed that THC turns up the volume on your brain’s hunger signals even if you’re full, explaining why your appetite is so hard to suppress when you’re high on weed.
Red Eyes: A Good Sign You’re High on Weed
Got red, glazed-over eyes? That’s the result of THC lowering blood pressure, which causes your blood vessels and capillaries to dilate – including those in your eyes. This increased blood flow leads to the iconic stoner stare – and fun fact: it’s also one reason cannabis helps reduce intraocular pressure for people with glaucoma [4].
So if you’re red-eyed and vibing, congratulations – you're definitely high on weed. This is typically when stoners start vying for the Willie Nelson award for the best excuses as to why your eyes are red.
Exhibit A: I'm allergic to.....Tuesday......
Further Reading:Why Does Cannabis Make Your Eyes Red?
Cottonmouth: An Inconvenient Symptom of Being High on Weed
That classic dry mouth sensation – also known as xerostomia – is due to THC’s effect on the submandibular glands, which help produce saliva. These glands are rich in CB1 and CB2 receptors, and THC inhibits their ability to make saliva [5]. No, it’s not dehydration – it's a chemical blockade. Having a dry mouth when you’re high on weed isn’t pleasant, but the good news is remedies are pretty straightforward. Water, or something sour like citrus, can help get those juices flowing again. Naturally, caffeinated beverages and alcoholic drinks are to be avoided when you're high on weed as rather than quench your thirst, they’ll dry you out further.
Further Reading: Why Smoking Cannabis Causes A Dry Mouth
The Giggles: The Best Part of Being High on Weed?
Why is everything so funny when you’re high on weed? Do you turn into the life and soul of the group, cracking incredible witty remarks, or do you just fold with laughter at even the most innocuous thing?
Researchers believe THC increases blood flow to the right frontal and left temporal lobes, regions linked to laughter and the processing of humorous stimuli, a.k.a. funny stuff. At the same time, cannabis lowers inhibition and affects how we interpret social cues, meaning that you’re more likely to find ordinary things absolutely hilarious. This cognitive disinhibition might also explain why jokes that don’t even make sense suddenly seem profound.
Q. What’s red and invisible?
A. No tomatoes.
Further Reading:The 5 Best Cannabis Strains For The Giggles
Why Being High on Weed seems to Dilate Time
Ever checked the clock and thought, “wait, how is it only 7:15?” That’s time distortion – another classic marker of being high on weed. THC affects the cerebelum and basal ganglia, areas involved in time perception and motor control [6]. The altered dopamine flow in these regions slows down your internal clock, which can make moments feel drawn-out, profound, or weirdly elastic.
For creatives and artists, this ‘expanded time’ can feel like a gift – more space to think, observe, and create. Truthfully, though - the weirdest time-related anomaly for cannabis users is that it's always 4:20 precisely.
Creative Thinking Increases While High on Weed
There’s a reason many artists, writers, and musicians have called cannabis their muse. THC has been shown to enhance divergent thinking, the ability to generate multiple creative ideas from a single prompt. By lowering activity in the default mode network and increasing dopamine in the prefrontal cortex, cannabis helps disrupt habitual thought patterns, encouraging freer associations and novel insights. Get high on weed and grab a notepad, paintbrush, or guitar. A sentence, a shape, or a sound might suddenly bloom into a classic.
How Being High on Weed Affects Your Body
When you’re high on weed, the mind soars, but the body sometimes melts. THC, along with CBD and other cannabinoids, interacts with peripheral CB2 receptors, modulating pain, tension, and inflammation. This contributes to the ‘body high’ - a relaxed, weightless sensation, sometimes with tingling in the limbs or a warm heaviness that makes the couch feel like a cloud.
Music, touch, and textures can also feel richer. Your sensory processing is enhanced – which might be why a fleece blanket, a bite of chocolate, or a bass drop can feel like a religious experience.
High on Weed, Higher on Self
Being high on weed doesn’t just warp your senses. It often shifts your self-perception, loosening the ego’s grip and creating space for reflection, humor, or philosophical thought. It’s why you see stoners typically portrayed as either couch-locked and a page behind the conversation, or soaring above the conversation with ideas on everything from UFOs to whether God plays a mean guitar.
This is due to the way THC alters activity in the anterior cingulate cortex and posterior cingulate, regions of the brain associated with introspection, emotion, and consciousness.
Ever stared at your hand and thought, Wow, I’m made of stardust? That’s not nonsense – it's neuroscience on THC. Trippy.
Growing Your Own: High on Your Own Supply
Getting high on your own weed hits different. There’s something deeply rewarding about cultivating your own cannabis plants. Not only do your control the quality and strain, but there’s a special pride in smoking flower you nurtured yourself. It’s fresher, richer, and personal.
Whether you seek the deep relaxation of a couch-lock indica or the uplifting buzz and boundless creativity of a sativa, choosing the right cannabis seeds is the first step in taking your highs from enjoyable to truly inforgettable.
If you’ve ever wondered what it's like to be high on weed you grew yourself, maybe it’s time to pick up a pack of premium seeds and start your journey. If youre sole aim is to experience the joy of being high on weed, here’s a few of the best from Seedsman:
Fuel D.OG
A robust 705 sativa hybrid with THC lab-certified at 22%, Fuel D.OG flowers in 65-70 days. Expect an energizing, uplifting high that sparks creativity and focus. Aroma and taste are bold diesel with sharp citrus and grapefruit notes, anchored by classic OG Kush qualities.
Buy Fuel.DOG Feminized Seeds
Badazz OG Cheese
A sativa-dominant powerhouse boasting high THC and low CBD for a clear, cerebral high that’s euphoric and active – no couch-lock here. As the name suggests, Badazz OG Cheese's flavor delivers classic cheese funk with savory, tangy undertones and a clean, slightly spicy finish. After just 65 days of flowering, abundant yields await.
Buy Badazz OG Cheese Feminized Seeds
Bruce Banger
Seedsman’s potent sativa-dominant phenotype Bruce Banger reveals a savory gas/fuel aroma with earthy sweet notes. THC levels typically hover around 20-25%, delivering an uplifting yet focused buzz that nudges creativity while the Kush component relaxes the body – all after just 65 days in flowering. This is a potent one.
Buy Bruce Banger Feminized Seeds
Strawberry Banana Grape
A fruity delight that’s 70% sativa, with high THC, Strawberry Banana Grape flowers in 9-11 weeks and brings a euphoric, uplifting high perfect for creative brainstorming or social sessions. Aroma and flavor are reminiscent of forest fruits and lemon, with a hint of spice adding to the curiosity of this aweome phenotype. The high mold resistance is a huge plus.
Buy Strawberry Banana Grape Feminized Seeds
Purple Ghost Candy
One of our most incredible strains, Purple Ghost Candy packs an almighty 27.5% THC in its highly resinous buds. Yields are high, cultivation is surprisingly easy, and the flavor profile is among the most enjoyable you’ll ever taste – fruity, with notes of lemon, lime, hints of peach and OG fuel all battle for your attention in this connoisseur strain. Flowering takes 9-11 weeks.
Buy Purple Ghost Candy Feminized Seeds
High on Weed? Start From Seed
Getting high on weed isn’t just getting stoned – it's a real time dance of brain chemistry, sensory perception, and altered consciousness. From the giggles to the munchies, every effect has a scientific story – and a strangely poetic payoff.
Cannabis lets you see the world – and yourself – from a slightly skewed, slightly magical perspective. It’s not just escapism. It’s exploration. And for those ready to go deeper, nothing compares to being high on weed you cultivated yourself.
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References:
[1] Cannabinoid receptors: Where are they and what do they do (K Mackie)
[2] An introduction to the endogenous cannabinoid system (Hui-Chen Lu, K Mackie)
[3] Endocannabinoids: An appetite for fat (Vincenzo Di Marzo)
[4] Cannabinoids for the Treatment of Glaucoma: A Review (Neeraj Joshi, Haifa Mariam, Ashwin Kamath)
[5] Cannabinoid CB1 receptors regulate salivation
[6] The effect of cannabis on perception of time: a critical review
