Recognizing the different types of highs and the best strains for them takes the mystery out of weed. Understanding the difference between a body high vs. a head high allows you to purchase exactly what you need for any given situation. Let’s dive in!
How Weed Makes You High
Let’s start with trichomes, those sticky tiny orange hairs that cover your weed buds. Trichomes are where the terpenes and cannabinoids are produced. The stickier and hairier the flower, the more potent it’s going to be. Terpenes are responsible for the different flavors and aromas of each strain. They also bind with the flower’s cannabinoids to cause certain reactions in the body’s endocannabinoid system.
Every mammal has an endocannabinoid system made up of cannabinoid receptors. When you consume weed, your body’s cannabinoid receptors bind with the different cannabinoids found in the plant, mainly THC and CBD. Certain cannabinoids attach to receptors in the body and others affect those in the brain. Different types of high are produced depending on which cannabinoids are present in the strain.
Body High vs. Head High: How You Consume It
How your body receives the cannabinoids and terpenes has a major effect on the type of high you get. There are many different types of marijuana products and each one affects you differently. Depending on the amount of THC or CBD in each product.
- Edibles: When you eat cannabis, your body processes it through your liver, resulting in a slow-acting, deep body high no matter what type of strain the edible came from.
- Smoking Flower: When smoked or vaped, the cannabinoids go straight into your lungs and then on into your bloodstream. This allows them to quickly pass through the blood-brain barrier, immediately affecting the receptors in the brain. This creates more of a head high.
- Cannabis Oils and Tinctures: if you place a few drops of weed oil under your tongue, it will enter your bloodstream and produce a rapid head-high. If you make a tincture and drink it, then the cannabinoids must go through your stomach and be processed by the liver. Resulting in a delayed body high.
Body High vs. Head High: Indica, Sativa and Hybrids
Each marijuana strain has a different amount of trichomes, terpenes, and cannabinoids. Each of these is attracted to different receptor areas of your body, producing various types of highs.
Indica and Body Highs
Indica strains are known for having more CBD than THC, contributing to an overall sensation of deep relaxation. Indicas are recommended for those with insomnia and to help combat nausea. They are excellent at managing anxiety or those with higher levels of day-to-day stress. Higher levels of CBD also mean that indicas are also known for their potential for pain reduction and inflammation.
The negative side-effects of a strong body high can be a lack of motivation and an inability to leave the couch. Although great for insomniacs, an indica smoked too early could knock you out for the rest of the day. So, be sure to clear your schedule, or save it for after work!
It can also increase your appetite and cause the ‘munchies’, an insatiable need to eat everything in sight. If you’re watching your weight or trying to stay healthy, you’ll want to stock up on healthy snacks before smoking some indica.
Sativa and Head Highs
Sativas tend to have much higher levels of THC than indicas. THC is the psychoactive cannabinoid that is responsible for the intoxicating ‘high’ feeling, thus leading to a much stronger head high.
Known for creating a sensation of happiness and euphoria, sativas are great for inspiring creativity and motivation. This is the strain you want to smoke before cleaning your house or brainstorming with friends about next year’s Halloween costume. It’s also used to help reduce symptoms of depression and antisocial behavior.
Sativa is not the strain you want to smoke before bed. It is stimulating and will most likely leave you lying awake for hours with your mind racing. It can also cause paranoia and anxiety. When you’ve had a stressful busy day, avoid sativa and go for indica instead.
Hybrids and Balancing Body High vs. Head High
Truthfully, it’s very rare to find a strain that is purely indica or sativa, though such are available online at CanEx. Due to cross-breeding, most strains today are hybrids that are either indica or sativa dominant. This is why it is so important for growers and budtenders to know the types of terpenes and cannabinoids present in each strain. The type of high you get will depend entirely on the strain’s own unique blend of trichomes, THC, CBD, and terpenes.
Cultivators are able to take strains that are known for a particular effect and breed them with another one to create strains that eliminate as much as possible the negative side effects of body highs vs. head highs. Allowing for sativas that still make you productive but not paranoid, and indicas that relax you without binding you to the couch for the rest of the day.
It’s still possible to get the dosage of a hybrid wrong and find yourself experiencing too much of one particular type of high. If that happens the best thing to do is stay hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids, which helps flush the cannabinoids from your system. Exercising or going for a walk also helps by speeding up your metabolism of the cannabinoids.
Now that you understand body high vs. head high and the best strains for them, you can order your weed online for delivery with confidence. The world of cannabis is no longer a guessing game. You can get the precise strain you need to match perfectly with the type of high you want.
