How to Prevent a Bad Cannabis Trip
People use cannabis for infinite reasons. They offer endless explanations, only some of which are true. People will say they use cannabis as a therapy for medical problems. Others look forward to an occasional relaxing chill.
Cannabis works differently than other mind-altering inebriants. It does not heighten experience like cocaine, nor does it obliterate reality like heroin. Cannabis offers escape and distraction from daily physical and mental stressors. A cannabis high depends on the individual’s brain and body specifics and the user's choice of cannabis strain. The experience may alter mood, increase clarity, trigger spatial disorientation, and heighten sense experience.
However, some users want to go further; they want to see how far the cannabis trip can take them. They want to sense paranoia and may want to touch the edge of schizophrenia. A “bad cannabis trip” can take you there, whether you pursue the experience intentionally or unintentionally. Users and their friends should know how to prevent a bad cannabis trip.
How to recognize a bad cannabis trip!
You can have a lousy cannabis event even if you use a mild strain. So much depends on an individual’s genetics, physical condition, and mental predisposition. No two cannabis users respond to the same cannabis strain in the same way. However, you or your user friends could be riding a bad trip if the following signs are present:
Delusions or hallucinations
Extreme mental anxiety and physical agitation
A frightening sense of paranoia
Increased heart rate
Pale complexion
Shortness of breath
Sudden fluctuation in blood pressure
Sweating
Trembling, shaking, and cramping
Vomiting and upset stomach
There is no scientific evidence that cannabis kills − although a bad trip can kill if you are also operating a motor vehicle. Still, some cannabis users do not know how to handle their bad trips.
What is the problem?
The THC content in cannabis positively influences the nervous system by binding to neurotransmitters. It will restore the normal flow of neural messages that have been upset by pain, inflammation, disease, stress, and more. Cannabis users may benefit from this restoration and rejuvenation.
However, the THC content may agitate those same neural cells adding anxiety to the experience in some cannabis users. The THC percentage may exceed the user's level of tolerance, in adverse social conditions, too heavily or too frequently in a short time, or with alcohol in social circumstances that provide no support.
5 keys to prevent a bad cannabis trip!
If you intend to use cannabis in any form, you should learn what to expect. You should know what to avoid and how to handle a bad trip, just as you should know when to stop drinking and take responsibility for your actions. Here are five keys to preventing a bad cannabis trip:
Get your head straight.
At its best, cannabis will “normalize” your state of mind. If your head is stressed and emotions suppressed, the cannabis will magnify those influences. The advice then is to approach cannabis use with some stability if you want to optimize a pleasant experience.
You can infer that you invite an agitating experience when you use cannabis while angry, upset, or depressed. Cannabis may reduce this mindset with a mild experience, but it can heighten the negative leaving you confused, disoriented, and fearful.
Logically, it would be best if you used it when you are in a good mood, comfortable with your surroundings, and free from external pressures. Conversely, if you use cannabis to escape from significant stress, you are likely to bring those negatives on the trip with you.
Know what you are using.
Virgin users often experience agitation on their first cannabis experience because they do not know what to expect. They over- or under-estimate the expectation, so they are suckers for the worst effects.
All users must understand the influences triggered by cannabis biochemistry. They must investigate what THC and CBD can do. Depending on their experience, they can shop for cannabis strains with a preferred content and ratio.
Only experience will test your level of tolerance. With a bit of research, you can identify the strain that will provide mild euphoria and creative clarity. You may also find the strain that lifts your mood and prompts giggles and chatter. Or you may discover the cannabis that will push you towards paranoia and total escape.
Use with friends.
Using cannabis alone poses some risks. Social isolation can prove damaging if use alone becomes chronic. There is a social aspect to cannabis use that encourages use with others who share your conversation, munchies, and good humor. For example, a cannabis joint is designed for sharing.
Consuming cannabis alone poses a considerable risk for first-time users. Every consumer experience is unique, so that users may need coaching or comfort in their individual experience. Using cannabis among friends in the same mood and environment helps improve your mindset.
Avoid high-potency cannabis strains.
Many cannabis strains contain high levels of THC, more commonly than in the past. Taking too much THC in any form will challenge your level of tolerance. It may be processed relatively safely in time, but it requires building that level with measured repeated use.
Too much THC or too much THC in too short a time almost guarantees a bad trip. The legalization of cannabis has introduced accurate labeling of products which provides consumers with independently tested ingredients.
Choose the method of consumption carefully.
Discussions of cannabis consumption often assume the use involves smoking joints. Smoking a spliff as if it were a cigarette increases the dose of any strain. Smokers should take one or two drags on a joint before setting it aside or passing it to another. The effects take just a few moments, allowing the smoker to enjoy and assess the reaction. Pacing the inhalation effectively distributes the dose.
This need-to-dose applies to other methods of consumption. Dabbing and water pipes, for instance, purify the intake, thereby increasing the potency. Moreover, the significant risk in edibles follows the temptation to eat too much or too many in rapid sequence. Because edibles process more slowly, the flavors encourage users to try some more because they do not feel the effects immediately.
