In the year 2023, cannabis use has become a cultural norm around the world. People of all ages and backgrounds are using cannabis for both medical relief and recreation.
Vaporizers have been pivotal to this rise in popularity. They offer an immense variety of benefits to users; they are efficient, economical, discreet, and make it easy to measure precise doses. Cannabis vaporization has come a long way in just a few short years, leading many people away from smoking into vape shops like MagicVaporizers. Other methods of cannabis consumption are popular as well, and whatever method you choose, it’s clear that cannabis will remain a favorite amongst many.
If you’re a fan of cannabis and music, it’s likely no surprise that the two go hand-in-hand. After all, getting high while listening to your favorite tunes can make for an unforgettable experience. But did you know that pairing the two might actually enhance their effect on each other? Evidence suggests that certain strains of cannabis and types of music are better suited to one another than others, and understanding this relationship could help take your next listen or smoke session to the next level.
In this blog post, we’ll explore how cannabis affects what we hear when our favorite songs come on, how to choose strain types for various styles of music, and why enjoying music with cannabis makes such a difference in how it feels. Read on if you want to learn more about combining these two passions!
Enhanced Dopamine
The first thing worth noting when answering the question, “is music better to listen to with cannabis?” is that both activities actually enhance your dopamine levels. If you were to listen to music without being under the influence of cannabis, your dopamine levels would increase, meaning you would be in a better mood.
When you consume cannabis, your dopamine levels also increase. In other words, when we perform both activities, consuming cannabis and listening to music, our reward centres are flooded with dopamine. More importantly, the more you consume cannabis and listen to music, the more you will condition your brain to perceive music as a rewarding or positive experience.
Slowed Time
The next factor you’ll need to consider when understanding the relationship between cannabis and music is the fact that cannabis has been reported to slow time for the person who is consuming it. Of course, time is not actually slowing down; it is just perceived to be slowing down.
It is thought that this happens because of how cannabis acts on the endocannabinoid receptors in the thalamus. The thalamus is responsible for the deregulation of perception and sensation, which also affects sensory input filtering; in other words, filtering out the perception of time. In terms of the effects when listening to music, it basically means you have more time to appreciate what is happening within the song and to be able to listen to individual notes or melodies.
Memory is Altered
The next reason why music seems to be better when listened to after consuming cannabis is your memory is altered under the influence of cannabis. You have probably noticed that while you are under the influence of THC, your short-term memory is not as fantastic as it usually is, and neither is your long-term memory.
When you listen to music without being under the influence of cannabis, your brain is essentially trying to guess what will happen next based on what is just heard. This process doesn’t occur when you are under the influence of cannabis since cannabis disrupts your short-term memory.
In other words, every note played in the song seems like a revelation and a pleasant surprise since your brain cannot guess what will happen next, making it sound even more impressive. Another way to think about it is that you are quite literally listening to a song as it unfolds, and you are going along for the ride.
A Feeling of Connection
Another reason music seems to be better after consuming cannabis is that you have an intense feeling of connection. This is thought to happen because cannabis allows you to think about things, without the risk of sounding like a cliché, outside of the box. Why? Because when you are under the influence of cannabis, all of your senses are being experienced simultaneously, which helps you to connect to different things you normally wouldn’t while not under the influence of cannabis.
This means that when you listen to a song, your brain will be creating connections to various things you might not have thought of while not under the influence. More importantly, you’ll be able to form a deeper connection to the song’s artist since your brain will be thinking of his frame of mind when writing the song, what the other intended messages could be, and more.