Effective Methods for Getting Higher

 

        Virtually every cannabis user has at one time or another, taken steps to ensure the maximal efficiency of their consumption. Whether to feel more stoned, connected, conscious, or creative, there are ways to achieve such heights practically and with minimal waste.  

Tolerance

        Ingestion of the cannabis plant has an effect of diminishing returns upon repeated consumption. The first bowl of the day (or week) will often be the most potent. As a result many users resign to taking tolerance breaks in order to reset their system. Fortunately, there are ways to achieve similar heightened states even with heavy use by adjusting delivery methods and strain selections. There are many factors determining the level of tolerance each user achieves, however time in between tokes is universally considered a tolerance reducer. 

Strain Tolerance

        While infrequent users will often get high on any old strain, the more regular or seasoned users can do well to smoke weed from various different plants throughout the day. Cannabis tolerance can be achieved with one or multiple strains, however increased variety tends to have a minimal tolerance building effect. One strategy to minimize cannabis tolerance is to purchase bulk quantities of various strains, and schedule them throughout the week so that the body is able to recover from specific strains. For example, purchasing 6 strains: A, B, C, D, E, F and smoking A,B one day, C, D the next, and E, F the final day before repeating will often be more successful than smoking any of the strains 2 days in a row. More potent strains of cannabis often take longer to build up a specific strain tolerance to, however once a tolerance has been established, that strain will often produce little to no results on repeated consumption. 

Medium (papers, bowls, bongs, edibles, extracts)

Each medium method has its own benefits and drawbacks to achieving a more heightened state. 

Papers:

(+)Often the most convenient form of smoking, joints are relatively easy to roll and consume

(-)Burnt weed in between puffs and at the end of the joint is often wasted, delivery method is generally agreed to be less effective than bowls and bongs

Hints: Try using a filter (or tobacco) for the mouthpiece and remind your friend his story can wait til after he’s puffed. 

Bowls:

(+)Easy to pack and conceal, affordable, all weed gets consumed

(-)Harsher on the lungs than bongs, less filtration, glass is fragile   

Hints: Try lighting the corner of the bowl rather than the entire thing. Packing 1 hit bowls is a great way to save weed.  

Bongs:

(+)More effective delivery system than papers or pipes, water filters harmful components

(-)Difficult to move (without spilling or breaking) and more fragile than pipes

Hints: Bongs are a great way to take large hits at once, try packing the bong with as much  weed as you think you can finish in one hit to minimize waste. 

Edibles:

(+)Smokeless, often delicious, your liver will break down THC into a separate psychoactive compound (11-Hydroxy-THC)

(-)Less consistent than flower, takes time for onset, potentially overwhelming

Hints: Because edible weed is a different psychoactive compound than smoking, it can potentially have a more intense psychadelic effect. Gummy candies tend to be a more effective delivery system than chocolates. 

Concentrates:

(+)Higher THC % than flower, extremely potent, fun to use a blowtorch

(-)Builds high tolerance to other forms of cannabis, potentially overwhelming

Hints: Be cautious at first with dabs, it is extremely easy to ruin your day with overconsumption. Irregular (not every day) smoking of extracts will get you much higher over time.

Regularity

        While many hardcore cannabis users take pride in their all day every day consumption, there are also effective ways of getting higher as a result of taking breaks in between smoking. While I often choose daily consumption, I have found that the most psychadelic and potent method of delivery is to smoke a large quantity irregularly. Suggestions for the regular smoker to achieve higher highs include smoking every other day, or waiting until nighttime to consume.