Do you know why you’re so happy when you get high?

Why getting high makes you happy

A few vigorous shots of grass after a day’s work.

Wake up and bake with your morning coffee to start your day with a smile.

Share a bowl with your friends and then get into a laughing rage together.

These are just a few of the many happy moments stoners and cannabis lovers experience. There’s no denying it: getting high makes you happy. On the surface, recreational users turn to the train for an instant boost of joy that many are happy to share with their buddies. Then, medically, marijuana is used as a serious drug to treat depression and anxiety. It’s happiness in a plant!

Why exactly does it make us so dizzy and happy as soon as we feel its effects?

The psychoactive effects

It’s hard to put into words the psychoactive effects of cannabis, but we’ll try anyway.

Once you feel intoxicated, we feel like we are stepping into a different realm of consciousness where suddenly everything is better. Time, the world, people and even colors feel different. This altered state makes everything seem lighter and makes it easier to laugh at even the most mundane things. So much so that even the simplest thing sends us into fits of laughter—when we wouldn’t, when we were sober.

Cannabis is such a relaxing plant. It beats alcohol, hard drugs, and even pills when it comes to taking the edge off. No wonder it’s such a popular after-work drug. Instead of drunken happy hour, more and more people are turning to cannabis. Best of all, you won’t get that nasty hangover the next day. It instantly relieves your worries, relieves your stress, if only for a few hours, and makes you feel damn good overall.

Why cannabis is such a feel-good drug

Apparently there’s a science to why we feel so good.

dr Raphael Mechoulam, the godfather of cannabis, discovered early in his studies on marijuana that a neurotransmitter called anandamide was the reason it makes smokers so happy. Anandamide takes its name from a Sanskrit word, ananda, meaning “bliss.”

In the human brain, anandamide molecules play an important role in our daily lives, particularly in our emotions, sexual energy, memory, pain, and motivation. In addition, anandamide is an important endocannabinoid, one of the compounds we produce in the body that binds to cannabinoid receptors when we consume cannabis.

“Anandamide inhibits the release of glutamate and acetylcholine in the cortex and hippocampus, an effect that may underlie marijuana’s ability to impair the ability to form new memories when the drug is used. The presence of cannabinoid receptors in the parts of the brain that control movement may explain the stumbling behavior some marijuana users experience. Cannabinoid receptors greatly enhance the release of dopamine; this effect plays a crucial role in marijuana’s ability to induce euphoria,” writes Dr. Gary Wenk in his book Your Brain on Food: How Chemicals Control Your Thoughts And Feelings.

“Cannabinoid neurons…influence the functioning of our cortex and various limbic (emotion-controlling) regions; When we stimulate these receptors, we impair higher cognitive functions when we experience euphoria, and when they are blocked, we feel depressed,” he writes.

Interestingly, THC contains high levels of anandamide. So while we produce our own anandamide in the body, it also triggers its release when we smoke and consume cannabis. Cannabis and anandamide bind to the same receptors, and when it comes into contact with THC, dopamine production is increased.

In addition, anandamide has powerful antidepressant and anti-anxiety properties. Even if you don’t suffer from these mental health disorders, a little cannabis goes a long way in making you happier than before you smoked it.

Studies also show that once THC reaches the brain, it triggers the release of dopamine, another neurotransmitter known for its ability to make you feel good. Dopamine is also known as a reward molecule.

It also works the reward system in the brain that is triggered when we do other things that our body intrinsically knows are good for survival or bring us pleasure, like having sex, eating, shopping, the smell of food in the kitchen and much more.

What’s interesting about the dopamine studies is that they warn against overusing and frequent cannabis use: in other words, use in moderation to avoid depleting your brain of serotonin. This is because when dopamine levels are elevated, the brain’s reward system can malfunction, causing you to experience extreme satisfaction and pleasure. Now, if you stay up too long, some of the body’s dopamine receptors can be shut down, even when you’re no longer high from the THC. As a result, dopamine synthesis in the human body can become impaired, causing you to have difficulty finding pleasure in other things that normally give you pleasure, such as hobbies, food, and sex.

There’s nothing wrong with suggesting not to over-consume – in fact, learning how the body works is fascinating. If you’re prone to depression and anxiety, you should be careful about how much marijuana you consume; You may be better off micro-dosing than hitting too much from a bong if you want to keep the positive effects of cannabis on your happiness.

Conclusion

It is fascinating to learn about the properties of cannabis and how they respond to the human body because they make you happier and more euphoric. It’s a natural way to feel optimistic and improve your mood while helping to keep the brain from repeating embarrassing memories. Just remember not to overconsume cannabis.

MORE ABOUT ANANDAMIDE, READ THIS…

WHAT IS ANANDAMIDE AND WHY DOES IT MAKE US SO HAPPY?