It’s no secret we’re big fans of cannabis here. Heck, if you’re reading this you probably are, too.
But did you know that there are ways to get your cannabis to work better?
The truth is that cannabis is just one piece of the health and wellness puzzle, albeit one of the most fun ones. If the other pieces of this metaphorical puzzle are also present, you can expect your cannabis experience to get better, brighter, and stronger than ever before.
We’ll explain more and provide some cannabis-centric “biohacks” soon. But first we should go over how cannabis actually works.
- How Does Cannabis Work?
- Combining Cannabis With Terpenes
- Cannabis Edibles: A Synergistic Combo?
- Cannabis and Mushrooms
- Cannabis and Exercise
- Got Sleep Problems? Try Cannabis.
- Cannabis and Alcohol
How Does Cannabis Work?
Cannabis works the way it does by binding to many of our brain’s most important signaling systems. There are the endocannabinoid receptors, of course, but cannabis also interacts with the systems that control serotonin, dopamine, GABA, and more. Cannabis is basically the catalyst for all sorts of good things to start happening.
But it’s far from the only catalyst. Once you understand cannabis’s inner workings, it becomes clear that other substances act within similar pathways, too. And that opens the doors to all sorts of interesting combinations…
Combining Cannabis With Terpenes
Take the terpenes, for example. They bind to many of the same receptors cannabis does. One terpene called beta-caryophyllene actually binds to endocannabinoid receptors so strongly that’s it’s also classified as a cannabinoid. B-caryophyllene mostly interacts with CB2 receptors, which means it has many of the same qualities as CBD: it’s anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, and more.
Other terpenes may make THC stronger by helping the body absorb it more efficiently. Many terpenes are such small molecules that they easily cross the blood-brain-barrier; scientists call them permeability enhancers. These terpenes include myrcene, limonene, and pinene.
Cannabis Hacks:
- Eat a mango, lemon, or other citrus fruit before you use cannabis to (possibly) make your experience stronger.
- Eat a peppery meal before you use cannabis to (possibly) make your experience less psychedelic and more body-based.
Cannabis Edibles: A Synergistic Combo?
And terpenes aren’t the only thing that can make cannabis stronger. New research shows that cannabinoids like CBD are absorbed better if they’re taken with a fatty meal.
This isn’t really surprising, if you think about it: cannabinoids are fat-soluble! Just like the bioavailability of vitamin A in carrots is improved if you fry them in butter first (yum), the bioavailability of cannabis goes up if you ingest it with fat.
Those who want to try this unique combo have access to nearly endless possibilities. Cannabis edibles come to mind; many of them are loaded with healthy fats that create time-released THC-bliss. And if you’re feeling adventurous you can easily make your own edibles by adding a cannabis tincture or cannabutter to a favourite recipe or two.
Cannabis Hacks:
- Try using cannabis edibles to boost your body’s absorption of cannabinoids.
- Try eating a diet high in omega 3 fats (think seafood) to help your body’s endocannabinoid system stay sensitive.
Cannabis and Mushrooms
For those who want to take the transcendent nature of cannabis up a notch, there’s another option. You can take cannabis and magic mushrooms in conjunction!
One more thing to keep in mind: sometimes only the smallest of ‘inputs’ is needed to get your endocannabinoid system back to functioning on all cylinders. Those who want to add the cannabis + magic mushroom combo to their lives may actually do best with very small microdoses. You can learn more about microdosing here.
Cannabis + Mushroom Hacks:
- Use psilocybin to trigger psychedelic experiences, and CBD-rich cannabis to balance them out.
- Microdose with both cannabis and mushrooms to slowly ‘rewire’ your brain and its memory-formation centers.
Cannabis and Exercise
Cannabis and exercise have more in common than you might expect. Both increase fat-burning, both are correlated with having a slimmer waist (yes, seriously), and both are helpful for those with anxiety and depression because they deliver an extra boost of cannabinoids into the brain.
All that said…if you want to amplify your experience with cannabis, there may be no better way than this one. Intense exercise tends to increase the duration of any given cannabis high; it may even increase its intensity. Those who use cannabis regularly may even experience upliftment as their workouts liberate fat reserves— and the cannabinoids that are stored within them.
Cannabis + Exercise Hacks:
- Use an energizing cannabis product prior to exercise.
- Use a relaxing cannabis product post-exercise.
Got Sleep Problems? Try Cannabis.
Cannabis is a favourite natural solution for many people who struggle with their sleep. The plant has been shown to promote deep sleep naturally (aka without the side effects that come from conventional sleep aids). Consider an Indica-based product, or a product rich in CBN, to get your sleep cycles really dialled in.
And an inversely related concept is also true: getting good sleep may help the cannabis you do take work even better. While short-term sleep deprivation actually provides a transient boost in one’s endocannabinoid levels, being low on sleep in the long term can burn your ECS out.
And when that happens…it’ll take more and more cannabis to get back to a healthy baseline. Not good.
Cannabis + Sleep Hacks:
- Use sleep-specific cannabis products to sleep better…
- …and then reap the rewards as sleeping better allows your cannabis to work better.
Cannabis and Alcohol
OK, this last duo might be a little unexpected, but hear us out.
We’re not saying that alcohol will help you get the best out of cannabis, or experience a better high, or anything like that.
But cannabis may heighten your perception of things enough to make alcohol more enjoyable. It may even encourage moderation on some neurochemical level. Seriously — cannabis has been correlated with reduced dependency on other substances. Cannabis may also protect your liver from the adverse effects of alcohol. Plus the combo has some historical precedent:
“Yeah bring me champagne when I’m thirsty. Bring me reefer when I want to get high. Yeah bring me champagne when I’m thirsty. Bring me reefer when I want to get high…”
– Muddy Waters, Champaign & Reefer, 1981
And even if if you differ from Muddy Waters and don’t find that alcohol and cannabis go well together…no worries. You can always just go Cali sober.