Cannabis and Music | Stoner Blog
Stoners will tell you until they’re blue in the face that smoking cannabis makes music sound much better. From the beats to the lyrics, potheads swear that tunes sound better and mean more when you’re high. Weed is a popular concert-going item and many people smoke a joint while jamming to their favorite musician, whether it be at a hip hop concert or a basement metal show. But why do stoners like music so much? Why do these two always seem to go hand in hand?
Music has been proven to have positive effects on the mind. Back in high school, the “cool” teachers used to let kids listen to their iPods while taking tests or some would play Mozart or Bach from a CD player. Even plants know that music is healthy, studies have shown that plants will react in positive ways (depending on the vibrational frequencies) to music that is played for them during growth. New Scientist, a medical journal, among others have shown studies that prove music is beneficial to all kinds of medical situations. It can be used to focus the mind, calm down, or energize, depending on the kind of music. Cannabis has been shown to help with these things as well, so perhaps the two form some sort of amazing effect when combined?
A study conducted in 2011 regarding the modulation of auditory and visual processing where the subjects were given THC and CBD showed that THC activated and deactivated certain areas in the brain which controlled the hearing and seeing senses. CBD did not have an effect on these areas. So THC has an effect on the way we hear music as well as the way that we process visual items. It was stated by Nina Kraus (Northwestern University) that the brain uses neruons that communicate sensory information through electrical pulses. In this case, it’s the sound of the music. The increased sensory perception in the endocannabinoid system is caused by the binding of the receptors to the brain. Dopamine is released and less anxiety-causing signals are sent, which lets the stoner chill out and enjoy the music more carefully and with less internal (and external) distraction.
But since cannabis is still considered a schedule 1 drug by the federal government, there aren’t many more studies regarding the connection between cannabis and music. As the two seem to have similar effects on the human body, they could be used as a kind of therapy for people suffering with depression, anxiety, PTSD, and a multitude of other afflictions. In the meantime, it’s suggested by Stonerdays that you roll up a joint or pack your bong and smoke to some of your favorite songs. Doctors orders.