Cannabis and Psychedelics: Does Weed Intensify Mushroom Trips?
When it comes to human health, perhaps there’s no plant with as many benefits as cannabis. The western world is only starting to acknowledge the medicinal benefits of marijuana. But apart from its health benefits, marijuana is also psychoactive and functions as a recreational drug.
Marijuana has gained widespread acceptance over the last few decades. Most countries now allow the use of medical and recreational cannabis.
Marijuana has a calming or relaxing effect that has proved useful in the management of mental conditions like depression. This property shows that marijuana has a great effect on the human mind.
There are more potent psychoactive plants such as premium magic truffles and psilocybe cubensis is one of the more popular species. You can buy this conveniently from your local pharmacy.
You have probably tried tripping on magic mushrooms. But have you tried mixing it with marijuana? If someone passes you a joint when you are just about to trip or after tripping, should you smoke it?
Users sometimes experiment with mixing these substances. The results differ depending on the individual and your reaction may be different from that of another user.
The main question is whether marijuana hinders or enhances the psychedelic experience. There is no scientific evidence for the combined interactions of these drugs, but an understanding of how the individual drugs work could offer insight.
The Marijuana Effect
Cannabis contains a range of cannabinoids including cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). THC is highly psychoactive while CBD is sedating.
CBD provides a calming, sedative effect that is useful in managing anxiety, depression, and other mental disorders. The THC component gives it a euphoric effect.
The effect of cannabis will depend largely on the concentration ratios of CBD and THC. Like psychedelics, it can give a warped sense of time and enhanced sensory perception, which offers a relaxation effect.
Cannabinoids are similar to neurotransmitters such as anandamide that act on cannabinoid receptors. Cannabinoid receptors modulate functions such as cognition, mobility, memory, pleasure, coordination, concentration, and time and sensory perception.
THC also activates the release of dopamine, a chemical that modulates the reward center of the brain. The release of dopamine is what causes the feel-good high associated with cannabis.
The Psychedelics Effect
Psychedelics produce a high that is characteristically euphoric and hallucinogenic. This high can be intense and mind-altering. Individuals often report long-term altered perceptions of life.
The chemical psilocin found in magic mushrooms binds to serotonin receptors in the brain. This activates these receptors and the modulation of various body functions that depend on them.
Psychedelics like psilocin also affect the basal ganglia, where they increase the concentration of dopamine. The high activation of dopamine and serotonin receptors is what gives the strong euphoric effect associated with psychedelics.
Unlike cannabis, psychedelics give an energizing mind and body buzz. They also give a distorted perception of time accompanied by joy, giddiness, and altered perceptions.
Now that you understand how the individual drugs work, let’s look at their combined effect. Mushrooms combined with weed is one of the most poly-drug mixtures among recreational users.
How Marijuana Affects Psychedelics
Managing Side Effects
Marijuana is relaxing and helps control nausea. Magic mushrooms can cause both nausea and intense anxiety if you have a bad trip or experience. Some users find marijuana useful in managing these side effects.
Taking cannabis right after the ‘peak’ of a trip also seems to bring out positive experiences. When taken about six hours after taking psychedelics, marijuana can help the individual come back to reality more gently.
A trip, whether good or bad, can be exhausting. The mental experience often leaves the individual drained. Marijuana can help you relax and even fall asleep.
Enhancing the Trip Experience
Cannabis can increase the psychedelic effect of mushrooms. Marijuana itself is psychoactive so it enhances perceptions and senses, both audio and visual.
Taking a small dose of marijuana just before a trip can increase the perceived hallucinations. For beginners, this experience can be too strong and overwhelming. This feeling can be both exciting and terrifying, especially for novice users.
While marijuana alleviates anxiety for some users, for others, it enhances these side effects. This shows that marijuana does not enhance just the positive outcomes of a trip but the negatives too.
The timing of taking marijuana seems to make a difference. Some users report that marijuana reduces their inhibition when taken after consuming shrooms. It calms the mind and makes the slip into the psychedelic experience smoother.
Cannabis seems to enhance ego dissolution. The main skill in getting a quality experience is to relax and surrender control to the psychedelic. Marijuana helps with making it easier to submit to the experience.
Conclusion
The experience of mixing psychedelics with marijuana is highly subjective. The outcomes are affected by factors such as diet, stress, social conditions, and even biological factors.
Mixing weed with psilocybin Canada can have good and terrifying experiences at the same time. If you are new to either drug, it is advisable that you just stick to one or the other.
It’s advisable that you trip on shrooms alone for a while as you understand how it reacts with your body. You should only introduce marijuana once you are sure your body will be able to contain the side effects of a bad trip.