How to Enhance Your High

Do you want to get more high, or do you want a better high? Some of you are probably thinking…isn’t that the same thing?

Yes and no. Regardless of your goal, there are proven ways to do both. By the end of this article, you’ll have the tools you need to not only maximize your high, but enrich your cannabis experience according to your desires.

We’ll break this into two categories. First of all, strictly speaking, we’ll address ways to increase blood levels of THC. This is the main compound responsible for the high you achieve by consuming cannabis.

The other bioactive compounds in cannabis – things like CBD, other cannabinoids, and terpenes - are officially non-psychotropic, meaning that they won’t technically make you high. However, there is no doubt that they have a profound effect on the mind-body. Through synergistic and modulatory effects, they absolutely do contribute to – or in some cases, take away from - your high.

That’s why, secondly, we’ll look at ways to affect your intake of these other compounds. Here’s where we’ll really delve into the question, “what does it mean to enhance your high?”, because this can mean a multitude of things, including increased euphoria, increased calm, less inhibition, more open-mindedness, decreased pain perception, and other therapeutic effects.

And once we address the proven ways for how to enhance your high on weed…what about the unproven ways? In a field where the street lore far outpaces the science, there are plenty of other claims circulating the internet, many of them even masquerading as scientific fact. For example, can eating certain foods like mango really enhance your high? We’ll check the science on whether or not these claims are plausible.

Part 1: How to Get More High (aka How to Increase Blood Levels of THC)

The high you get from cannabis mainly comes from delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol, which you know as THC. Delta-9-THC and its delta-8 isomer (present in much lower quantities) are technically the only psychotropic compounds found naturally in cannabis. That’s why this section will focus on how to actually increase the amount of THC getting into your system.

Choose strains with more THC.

This might seem obvious, but it’s not as straight-forward as you think. First of all, smoking weed is not perfectly efficient – only a certain amount of THC makes it into your lungs, and bioavailability is not 100%. In fact, the amount of THC that gets into your blood (especially from smoking) is actually incredibly variable. This research study showed that blood plasma levels of THC do not necessarily correlate the amount of THC in the product! The researchers hypothesize that the smokers actually subconsciously adjust their intake to suit their tolerance. Which brings us to #2…

Hone your technique.

‍Did you know that experienced smokers are able to achieve higher blood plasma levels of THC from smoking? They simply know how to smoke weed more efficiently. The amount of THC that makes it into your system is dependent on several variables, including time between puffs, volume of puffs, number of puffs, and breath holds. But don’t bother holding your breath too long. Research has shown that efficiency of absorption does not improve beyond 10 seconds of breath holding. You could also try switching up your smoking device. One study showed that subjective high was greater in subjects who smoked from bongs, while all other smoking devices produced comparable results.

Try edibles instead of smoking.

‍If smoking efficiently is not one of your many talents, edibles are a fail-safe way to know pretty much exactly how much THC is getting into your system. But be prepared for an altogether different experience. When you take an edible, the effect of your high will take a while to set in, but it may be more intense and last longer. That’s partly due to a psychotropic metabolite of THC, called 11-hydroxy-THC, which is present in much higher quantities after consuming edible THC compared to smoking. If you have more questions about how edibles are different from smoking – like how edible cannabis is metabolized by the body and how long do highs last - you can check out our other blog articles.

Switch up the edible.

‍Speaking of edibles, did you know that you can change the bioavailability of THC and the rate of absorption in the GI tract by changing up the matrix? That means that an edible chocolate, for example, could have a different bioavailability compared to an edible gummy. THC is hydrophobic, or in other words, fat soluble. It has been previously shown that other hydrophobic compounds are more bioavailable when consumed with triglycerides, a type of fat. Consuming an edible in a fatty matrix, and/or eating it alongside a fatty food, could help enhance your high.

Try it after exercise.

‍This trick works if you’re a regular user. That’s because THC is lipophilic, which means it gets stored in the body’s fat cells. Research has shown that regular users consuming THC after a run have a slight elevation in blood plasma THC levels, probably due to THC that was liberated from fat stores during exercise.

Try with alcohol.

‍But not too much! Research showed that a low level of alcohol increased blood plasma levels of THC, but a higher dose of alcohol actually dampened the subjective positive effects.

Take a tolerance break.

‍Research on the accumulated tolerance of THC showed that CB1, which is the main receptor activated by THC, is down-regulated by as much as 20% in chronic users. The good news is that after a month break, the receptor activity was completely recovered. So if you’re just not getting the same kick you used to, consider taking a few weeks off.

Part 2: How to Get a Better High (aka How to Control Everything Else)

Keep in mind that elevating blood plasma levels of THC alone is probably not the best approach to enhancing your high. A far safer and more effective approach is to consider all of the other bioactive compounds – particularly cannabinoids and terpenes – that are found in cannabis.

Let’s start simple, by looking at the second-most studied cannabinoid found in cannabis: cannabidiol, better known as CBD.

Consider the ratio of THC to CBD. The ratio of THC to CBD is the easiest parameter for the consumer to control, since it is labeled on most retail cannabis. Once upon a time, humans were consuming the ratios naturally found in plants. Nowadays, we have breeding methods that allow us to breed specifically for certain amounts of each compound. We also have production methods that allow us to manipulate the quantities of these compounds in retail products. Because of the psychotropic reputation of THC, this has led to higher and higher ratios of THC compared to CBD in retail products. In the past 20 years, the ratio of THC to CBD in commercial products has increased at least 8-fold.

Why is this important? THC acts on your body’s own chemical receptors to cause that familiar effect on your body. CBD acts on the same receptors, but binds at a different site. In doing so, CBD changes the way THC interacts with that receptor. That means that CBD can actually mitigate the effects of your THC-induced high. So, if you’re going for maximum high, does that mean you want to maximize the THC to CBD ratio?

Not necessarily. Remember, we’re talking about enhancing your high, which can mean a lot of different things. CBD has a multitude of calming and therapeutic effects in its own right. Perhaps more importantly, the effect of CBD in the presence of THC is to mitigate the negative effects that could be caused by THC, while preserving the benefits of cannabis. Looking for a higher ratio of THC to CBD can help reduce anxiety and cognitive impairment that is sometimes associated with consuming weed.

Switch your strain.

‍Cannabis users know that there is a difference between strains. They have different flavors, and on a related note, they definitely produce different effects. An obvious example is the pronounced differences between indica and sativa and various hybrids. Within those broad categories, growers can breed for other specific traits, all of which can produce different biological effects.

How do we account for different effects that cannot be explained by the amounts of THC and CBD? The answer lies in the other cannabinoids (there are over 100) and terpenes found in cannabis. Researchers have hypothesized something called “the entourage effect.” This is a theory that the other compounds found in cannabis could be modulating or enhancing the effect of THC and CBD. For example, they could work by enhancing the bioavailability of THC/CBD, or by preventing degradation of those more prominent cannabinoids. To read more about the entourage effect, check out our blog article.

The science on this is so new that there is no way to predict the effect that a particular strain will have on any one individual. You can experiment with a few different strains and decide which one is best for you.

So now you know how to enhance your weed high! But what about all of those other tips circulating the internet, can those work too? Let’s check it out.

Does Eating Mango Enhance Your High?

This one seems to pop up often. The logic goes like this: a compound called myrcene has biological effects, and myrcene is found in mango. Therefore, mango + cannabis = super high. True?

Actually, it’s a big leap to assume that’s the case. Myrcene is a well-known terpene, found in many different plants – including cannabis. As we mentioned above, myrcene may be contributing to the entourage effect – the theory that other compounds present in cannabis are affecting the biological effect. But remember, the entourage effect is a relatively new idea. We haven’t even begun to understand the mechanisms in play, like how terpenes present in cannabis may or may not contribute to the biological effects, let alone how compounds in an entirely separate fruit might be contributing. Sure, mango contains myrcene, but mango in itself is its own complicated matrix.

Is it possible? Sure, but it’s by no means proven or even likely. (But you can try it if you like).

Are There Other Foods That Can Enhance Your High?

We’re not going to comb through the whole internet, but here are a few things to look out for. The main thing to understand is that just because a food exerts a certain biological effect on the body doesn’t mean that it potentiates the effect of cannabis. Even if a food or activity directly activates the body’s cannabinoid receptors, we can’t extrapolate anything meaningful from that.

To understand why, let’s look at the endocannabinoid system. This is a system of receptors within the body that are known to interact with the cannabinoids found in cannabis. However, those receptors were actually designed to bind a different kind of chemical – two, in fact – which the body produces on its own. These are called endocannabinoids, because they are produced naturally in the body. They interact with our cannabinoid receptors to regulate many physiological processes, like mood and hunger.

But you don’t get high from your body’s own cannabinoids – why is that? The cannabinoid receptors are not like buttons to be turned on and off. Our natural endocannabinoids bind in a different way compared to the “phytocannabinoids'' found in cannabis. More importantly, phytocannabinoids like THC bind with a MUCH greater affinity to our receptors. That means that they easily override our bodies’ natural cannabinoids. That’s key. Just because a food or activity involves the body’s endocannabinoid system does not mean it enhances your high.

The Take Away

The ways in which cannabinoids and other components in cannabis interact with the body are incredibly nuanced. There are so many ways to enhance your high, and many of them come down to personal experience. Try some out for yourself! Shop our products, and as you’re browsing, remember to check the THC and CBD ratios, and try out some different strains to see how that entourage effect is working for you! As always, feel free to contact us for a free consultation.