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A high occurs when THC is absorbed through your body and your brain temporarily processes information differently. Depending on how you take it, the speed and intensity of the effect changes. In this article, we explain step by step how that process works.
A high doesn’t start in your head, but in your body. Once THC is absorbed from cannabis, a biological process begins in which the substance eventually reaches your brain via your blood.
So it is not a “sudden feeling”, but a chain of steps: absorption, transport, brain activity & effect.
The method of intake determines how the process goes.
When smoking, THC enters your blood directly through your lungs. As a result, the effect starts quickly, often within minutes. Your body doesn’t have to process much before it arrives in your brain.
With edibles, the process runs through your digestive system. Your body must first convert THC before it enters your blood. As a result, it takes longer before you notice something, but the effect often lasts longer.
The route therefore determines how ‘fast’ and ‘long’ the effect builds up.
Once THC is in your blood, it is transported through your body to your brain.
There, it can bind to specific receptors in the endocannabinoid system. This system plays a role in how your body processes stimuli, emotions and rewards.
THC temporarily affects this natural system, causing the normal signals in your brain to be transmitted differently.
In your brain, THC changes the way certain signals are transmitted.
Areas involved in motivation, attention and feeling react differently than usual. As a result, processes such as focus, perception of time and emotion can temporarily shift.
It is therefore not about ‘extra effects’, but about a different processing of existing stimuli.
A high occurs because your brain temporarily filters less tightly how information comes in and is processed.
As a result, impressions can feel more intense or looser. Music, thoughts and emotions are not ‘made’ differently, but experienced differently because of the way they are processed.
THC affects brain regions involved in reward and sensory perception.
As a result, food can seem more appealing than usual, because smell and taste are perceived more strongly.
For others, the fact that attention shifts plays a role, so that hunger signals are less noticeable.
Everyone has a different body and sensitivity to THC.
Factors such as metabolism, experience, dosage, and mental state all play a role in how the effect develops.
Therefore, a high is always a combination of biology and moment.
THC and other cannabinoids are very similar to substances that your body produces itself. This allows your body to recognize and process these signals in a natural way.
A high doesn’t just happen, but is the result of a clear biological process in your body and brain. Once THC is absorbed, it travels through your blood to your brain, where it temporarily affects how signals are processed.
How you ingest THC determines how quickly and how long you notice something. But in the end, it’s always about the same core: a substance that temporarily changes the way your brain processes stimuli and information.
By understanding this process better, it becomes clear that a high is not a mystery, but an interplay of absorption, brain activity, and personal factors.
Want to know more about how cannabis affects your body? Then read: What does a high feel like? The effects of THC on the body and mind, What does THC do to your body and The risks of cannabis use in the short and long term.
Want to know more about use and shapes? Check 10 ways to consume Cannabis, What is a hash grinder and how does it work? and Hash vs Weed what’s the difference?.
For basic explanation: What makes the cannabis plant so special?, From outdoor plant to hybrid: everything about cannabis plants and What is Hash anyway?.
More about experience and difference between people: Why does one person get stoned faster than another?, What to do if you are too stoned? and How to choose the right cannabis strain?.
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