Psychedelics are a class of compounds that cause hallucinations in users, usually to their gratitude. Substances like magic mushrooms, how to store magic mushrooms ,ayahuasca, LSD, and mescaline tend to expand the mind and senses, bringing on feelings of relaxation and euphoria as well as trippy visual and auditory sensations. Sometimes, microdosing psychedelics are used medicinally, to help combat mental and emotional disorders like clinical anxiety and post-traumatic stress.
Though cannabis is traditionally not categorized as a psychedelic, some users believe that some strains can bring on psychedelic effects. Can cannabis cause hallucinations, and how?
Currently, Cannabis Is in a Class of Its Own
While most other drugs are sorted into classifications like“sedatives,” “stimulants” and “psychedelics,” cannabis comprises an entire category all by itself. Prior to the last decade, not much research has been devoted to understanding the effects of cannabis, and as a result, anecdotes from stoners have long been the primary source of knowledge about cannabis’s effects. Yet, the drug tends to affect different users in different ways, to the extent that buds taken from the exact same cannabis plant might be described as “energizing” and “relaxing” by two users.
Such variety in cannabis’s effects is caused by subtle inconsistencies in users’ endocannabinoid systems, which is the system to which cannabis compounds bind once they enter users’ blood. Some people have overactive endocannabinoid systems, making them less tolerant of high doses of cannabinoids and more likely to experience intense effects. Furthermore, the endocannabinoid system can function differently at different times of the day or under differing conditions, like dehydration or hunger.
Cannabis isn’t considered a psychedelic drug, but it isn’t a stimulant or depressant, either. Cannabis is a unique substance in that it can generate all of these effects in different users given different physical and emotional conditions. It is possible for cannabis users to experience hallucinations similar to those produced by psychedelics — but that doesn’t necessarily mean users are guaranteed to hallucinate when they consume cannabis.
Hallucinations Are a Rare Effect of Cannabis Use
Media depictions of cannabis intoxication often include changes in visual and auditory experience — swirling, color-changing images and sound that has slowed way down. Many people who have never tried weed often assume that the drug alters one’s perception of reality, sometimes in a negative way that could endanger users or those around them. However, stoners know that both the media and cannabis outsiders are remarkably wrong about how frequently this time of effect emerges.
Typically, hallucinations only occur with weed use when a user overdoses significantly on THC. A THC overdose isn’t life-threatening in the same way opiate overdoses are; users who overdose aren’t at risk of organ failure, respiratory distress, or any devastating injury. Instead, THC overdoses radically increase the effects of the drug, meaning users can feel nauseated or panicked, or they can begin to hallucinate. These conditions might cause the user to behave erratically, increasing their risk for injury or death, but if they understand what is happening and are kept safe and calm, they will survive the overdose unscathed.
Some users might want to overdose on THC on purpose in the hopes of experiencing weed-induced hallucinations, and in the right setting, this is completely safe. The key is finding the right high-THC strains from a Denver dispensary.
Here Are Some Purportedly Psychedelic Cannabis Strains
A lot of THC is a primary requirement for a cannabis strain likely to cause psychedelic effects, but some users believe that there are other compounds that facilitate hallucinations. Thus, certain strains are bred with specific cannabinoid and terpene profiles to increase the chances of psychedelic effects. Users chasing weed-induced hallucinations should search for:
Amnesia Haze. Lauded as the first psychedelic strain, Amnesia Haze is known to shift a user’s worldview without feeling overwhelming or uncomfortable.
MK-Ultra. The effects of MK-Ultra are described as stimulating and hypnotic, which is appropriate given the strain’s name.
Headband. With over 27 percent THC, Headband can create visual distortions in addition to any trippy emotional effects.
LSD. It should hardly be surprising that a strain named for a noted psychedelic is reliable in producing hallucinations in addition to strong sedative effects.
Cannabis can cause hallucinations, but only in the right circumstances. Users who don’t want to experience weed’s psychedelic effects can easily avoid them by dosing responsibly and avoiding certain psychedelic strains.
