Having Trouble Getting High? Try These Top Tips.

Getting high for the first time can be tricky. Like any new experience, learning how to properly get stoned can take some practice. Here are a few tips that can lend a hand to those struggling to experience the psychoactive effects of weed.

It May Be A Hormone Thing

Your unique body chemistry also plays a part in how easy it is for you to feel the effects of cannabis. In a 2014 report published in Science has shown that an abundance of hormone pregnenolone can block the psychoactive effects of THC. Pregnenolone is the precursor steroid hormone that breaks down into estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone in your body. Younger people tend to have more of this hormone. As we age levels may drop by up to 60%.

Interestingly enough, pregnenolone is used to prevent over-stimulation of the CB1 cell receptors. The CB1 receptor is where THC binds inside our bodies. The research suggests that the interaction between THC and pregnenolone may be the reason why we cannot fatally overdose on cannabis.

In an interview with WebMd, French study author explained:

“When the brain is stimulated by high doses of THC, it produces pregnenolone — a 3,000 percent increase — that inhibits the effects of THC.”

Everyone’s biochemistry is different. If your body happens to be particularly good at producing pregnenolone, the hormone will have an impact on whether or not you can actually feel the effects of weed.

Proper Inhalation

Smoking marijuana is quite different than smoking a cigar or a cigarette. To properly experience the effects of the herb, you need to inhale fully into your lungs. By fully, we mean take a very slow and deep breath inward. Think yoga breath. This may sound simple, but it can feel quite unnatural to first timers.

Smoking in this way  is the exact opposite of how you smoke tobacco. Be it out of a pipe, hookah, or a cigar, tobacco smoke is meant to be drawn in only into the mouth. Taking anything other than a shallow breath when smoking a cigar can actually cause you to vomit. This is not the case with cannabis. (Though, admittedly, sometimes people can vomit from coughing too much.)

Weed smoke is very hot. So, breathing it into your lung’s fullest capacity can feel uncomfortable. Coughing begins when hot ash particles stick to the inside of your lung tissue. This sounds very unappealing, but there are several ways to mitigate some of these effects. To make yourself more comfortable and keep your lungs healthy, try smoking out of a bong with ice or using a vape the first time you try marijuana.

Just remember to pull slow and breathe deeply. Keep a glass of ice water or some cough drops handy in case you need some relief for your throat.

Breathing Techniques to Practice

Knowing how to take full inhalations may not come easily to some. Often times, we walk around all day without ever using our lungs to their fullest capacity. Here are a few deep breathing exercises you can practice before hitting the bong:

Basic Deep Breathing Skills

Deep Belly Breathing

Simple Yogi Breathing Techniques

So, our concluding tips for first timers? If you’re having trouble getting high, don’t fret. Practice deep breathing and take the time to inhale each hit fully. If you continue to have issues with the plant, know that your own body may be hormonally reacting to high doses of THC. Perhaps try a strain with a lower THC percentage or a strain that more balanced between THC and CBD.

Know someone struggling to get high? Help them out by sharing this article and letting them know what’s up. Have you struggled to feel marijuana’s psychoactive effects yourself? Share your story with us on one of our social media accounts or in the comments section below. We’d love to hear what you have to say!