Regular visitors to our online smartshop are, for the most part, the kind of people who enjoy a bit of adventure. A magic truffle trip here, a nice hit from the bong there… from cannabis to psilocybin and from DMT to peyote cacti: in our shop, you’ll find everything you need to have a good time.
The undisputed king of substances used in the Netherlands is, of course, cannabis. Chances are, you’ve smoked a joint or eaten a slice of space cake at some point. But have you ever wondered why cannabis actually gives you such a great high? Probably not, but don’t panic. We’re going to explain it to you in detail!
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THC
How is it that a simple plant that first emerged on what is now the Tibetan Plateau can alter our perception of reality so drastically? The secret lies in a class of compounds called cannabinoids. Although cannabis plants are known to produce at least 140 types of cannabinoids, there is one that is largely responsible for many of the effects of getting high. You know this as tetrahydrocannabinol, or simply THC.
After smoking a joint, for example, THC is absorbed into the lungs and then into your bloodstream. If you choose to eat cannabis, it takes much longer for it to enter your system. The liver is then responsible for converting THC into another compound that ultimately gives you that high. This method is, incidentally, much more unpredictable than simply smoking or vaping cannabis—something we already mentioned in a previous blog.
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Absorption in the brain
THC that is inhaled “reaches fairly high levels quite quickly,” says Daniele Piomelli, professor of anatomy and neurobiology, biological chemistry, and pharmacology at the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine. Within 20 minutes, the bloodstream transports THC molecules to every tissue in the body, including the brain, where it can alter neural chemistry. “From the lungs, it’s a fairly direct uptake into the brain,” says Kelly Drew, professor of chemistry and biochemistry at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
The THC molecules that cross the blood-brain barrier bind extremely well with receptors that typically receive compounds called endocannabinoids, which the body produces on its own. These receptors are part of the endocannabinoid system, which is involved in various functions, including stress, food intake, metabolism, and pain, according to Piomelli, who also directs the Center for the Study of Cannabis at UC Irvine.
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Endocannabinoid system
“The endocannabinoid system is the most pervasive, diffuse, and important modulatory system in the brain, because it regulates the release of virtually every neurotransmitter,” said Piomelli. Neurotransmitters are molecules that brain cells, or neurons, use to communicate with one another. One neuron sends a message to the next by releasing neurotransmitters, such as dopamine or serotonin, into an infinitesimally small gap that separates one neuron from another. This gap is called the synapse.
When THC enters the brain, the molecules diffuse into the synapses where they “activate CB1 receptors,” Drew said. THC doesn’t cause the most extreme possible reaction like some synthetic cannabinoids such as K2 or Spice, but it “turns up the volume” and increases the likelihood that the presynaptic neuron it affects will temporarily stop sending neurotransmitters, she said.
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‘Simple Phenomenon’
Sound complicated? It’s not that bad. “The high is a very simple phenomenon,” says Piomelli. “THC hits like a sledgehammer, flooding the endocannabinoid system with signals that the postsynaptic neurons didn’t send. When presynaptic neurons receive a signal from the brain to stop sending neurotransmitters, this alters the normal flow of information between neurons, resulting in a high.”
Scientists are still working to identify the mechanisms that cause someone to feel high, but there is reason to believe that this effect on a specific part of the brain is an important piece of the puzzle. “Influencing this part of the brain takes us to a mental place where the function of the things we experience is less important than the things themselves: our hands are no longer just something we use to touch or grasp, but something with an inner existence and intrinsic value,” says Piomelli. Psychedelics, such as magic truffles or magic mushrooms, do the same.
