Should you consume marijuana before getting a tattoo?

Consuming marijuana before any activity can improve the situation. While large amounts of cannabis can cause anxiety in some people, most experienced cannabis users know their bodies well enough to prevent this. But until you start smoking, you never really know what effect it will have on you and in what situation. So should you smoke marijuana before getting a tattoo?

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Smoking before inking can get complicated. While marijuana can relax you through a moderately unpleasant experience, it can also make you more anxious and sensitive to pain. Being scared while someone sticks a needle through your skin doesn’t sound like a walk in the park.

First the practical reasons. Cannabis has blood-thinning properties. This can lead to increased bleeding during a tattoo session, which can make it more difficult for the artist to properly implant the ink, potentially affecting the quality and longevity of your tattoo.

Although some think that cannabis might help relieve the discomfort associated with tattooing, it can actually increase pain sensitivity. It’s also important to remember that pain is an important signal that helps us understand when something isn’t quite right. Weakening this signal can make communicating about your well-being with your artist more difficult.

Levi Moodie, owner and artist of The Drifter’s Ink, believes customers should be careful when it comes to cannabis and tattoos. He prefers to tattoo people who are sober, clear about their vision for the tattoo, who really want it and don’t change their mind in the middle of the session.

Moodie shares:

“Often people who smoke marijuana go from being cautious as they should be to overthinking their tattoos, wavering on ideas or placement of the tattoo, and then when the needle hits the skin, they may end up having the experience too overthink it a lot.” and freak out. I’ve experienced it a few times.”

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While you shouldn’t smoke before getting a tattoo, you can definitely take advantage of marijuana’s healing properties afterward. THC is a known anti-inflammatory agent and can help relieve aches and pains during your skin’s recovery process.