People who are new to cannabis must have come across the terms “head high” and “body high.” These two terms describe two different feelings cannabis can make you go through, and it depends on the type of cannabis, how much THC or CBD it has, and also how your body reacts to it. It’s important to understand the difference between a head high and a body high so that you can choose the right one for yourself, depending on your need, whether you use it to feel relaxed or more energetic, or are using it to help with a medical problem.
This blog will give you the lowdown on both these forms of highs, their benefits, side effects, and their hybrid counterparts so that you can make the right decision for your needs.
What Is a Body High?
A body high means your body gets a physical sensation after using cannabis. It’s more about how you feel in the body than in your mind, and this body-high feeling generally comes from Indica strains, which are popular for their calm, relaxed, or sedative properties. It gives you a soothing feeling like a wave, and sometimes a heavy feeling like you’re sinking into the couch. People might feel a warm or tingly feeling in their arms and legs.
A body high is often used by people who want relief from chronic pain, muscle tension, insomnia, or anxiety. People usually take them in the evening or before bed because they have calming effects and reduce stress, which helps in restful sleep. A body high helps in deep relaxation and can help reduce physical discomfort and emotional stress.
What Are the Body High Side Effects?
A body high could be really helpful in reducing pain and tension, especially for people who are using cannabis medicinally. However, it might have some side effects, like
- Drowsiness or sedation: People who take a body high have felt too relaxed, leading to reduced motivation and making physical activity difficult.
- Dry mouth and dry eyes: People who use heavy body highs go through dry mouth and eyes, which are common with many cannabis strains.
- Increased appetite: People often call it “the munchies” because it can help people gain an appetite, but it might not be convenient for everyone.
- Reduced coordination or motor control: People often lose motor control and concentration after getting a body high.
What Is a Head High?
A head high means the feeling that gets in your mind after using cannabis, and it usually comes from Sativa strains. These strains help you feel more awake, energetic, and happy, even on gloomy days. Your mind gets activated, and you can think more clearly and become creative, talkative, or outgoing. That’s why people often use it during the day.
A head high can be really helpful in making art, coming up with new ideas, or having fun conversations. It can even help uplift your mood and might give you some temporary relief from things like depression or ADHD.
What Are the Head High Side Effects?
Head highs might sound great and even make you feel good, but they also come with problems, and people who are sensitive to THC especially suffer. The problems include:
- Anxiety or paranoia: High THC levels lead to racing thoughts in some people and occur especially in Sativa strains.
- Restlessness or overstimulation: People who want to relax might not be happy with the overstimulation.
- Dizziness or lightheadedness: New users or people with low tolerance might suffer from dizziness.
- Short-term memory issues: When a cerebral high is strong, many people often complain about this.
When Are Head Highs and Body Highs Most Useful?
It’s good to know and understand the best time and situation to use a head high or body high so that you can get better results from your cannabis. What you want to feel: If you wish to be creative or relaxed after a long day or ease pain, it helps you choose the right type of high to help you satisfy your needs.
What Time of Day Is It?
People often wonder when the perfect time is to get high. Head highs, which typically come from sativa or sativa-dominant strains, are generally used daily because they increase energy, help concentration, and keep you mentally active the entire day. While body highs come from indica or indica-dominant strains and are best for evenings when you want to relax, their sedative effects help with sleep and physical recovery, so taking them after dinner or before bed would be perfect.
What Sort of Person Are You?
If you are a high-energy person or prone to anxiety, then a body high would be beneficial for you because it balances the high energy and helps you calm down. However, if you are lethargic or need motivation, then a head high can give you that mental kickstart. On the other hand, some people choose a hybrid to balance mental stimulation and physical relaxation, depending on their personality and tolerance.
Why Are You Taking This Strain?
Head High would be a perfect choice if you want to concentrate or be more social, because it helps with creative activities like writing or developing new ideas. Meanwhile, a body high is better for helping with sleep or reducing stress.
How Are You Consuming Cannabis?
Smoking or vaping cannabis usually works quickly, and it’s easier to tell if you are feeling a head high or a body high. However, edibles would be more effective because the body processes the THC differently, so it gives a full-body effect.
Do Any Other Factors Affect Your High?
Yes, many things, like your tolerance and what you have eaten, can affect it. A calm environment would make a body high feel stronger, while music or a crowded area would make a head high more enjoyable.
Characteristics of a Body High and Head High
A body high is generally related to indica strains, and it creates deep relaxation. People often describe it as a heavy or “melting” feeling in the muscles. It will calm your muscles, and you will be sleepy. This type of high is beneficial in easing pain and reducing tension, so you can sleep well.
A head high is common with sativa strains and mainly affects the mind. It helps boost mood and energy and makes people more talkative and creative.
How to Achieve a Head High or Body High
If you want a head high or a body high, then you need to choose the right type of cannabis because cannabis has three main types: sativa, indica, and hybrid. All of them affect your body and mind in different ways.
Sativa Strains
Sativa strains lead to a head high where you feel energized, and they will help in mental stimulation. People often use these strains in the daytime because they help create good focus, creativity, and a good mood. Sativa strains make you feel more alert and social, and you feel more inspired. Many popular sativa strains are used to get the mental stimulation, like Green Crack and Jack Herer. You can get the effects quickly by smoking or vaping sativa flower. However, you have to be mindful because too much intake might lead to anxiety, especially for new users.
Indica Strains
Indica strains are suitable for a strong body high because they are relaxing and often have sedative effects. The body high often produces a warm, heavy wave of relaxation throughout your body. There are many common Indica strains, like Granddaddy Purple and Northern Lights, and you can consume them through smoking or edibles.
Hybrid Strains
Hybrid strains are generally a mix of both sativa and indica genetics, which gives a balanced experience and gives both mental and physical effects. Some popular hybrids are Girl Scout Cookies and Blue Dream.
Scientific Factors That Influence Each High
Whatever high you feel after consuming cannabis, whether it’s in your head or your body, it happens because of natural chemicals in cannabis called cannabinoids and terpenes. There are two most important cannabinoids: THC and CBD, in which THC makes you feel high in your mind while CBD calms you down and reduces some of THC’s stronger effects.
A head high generally happens because of cannabis that has a lot of THC and little CBD, and mostly it also has terpenes like limonene or pinene. These things give you energy and make you feel more awake and focused. While a body high comes from strains with more CBD or ones that have calming terpenes like myrcene and caryophyllene, these chemicals help in reducing pain and stress.
The influence of cannabis also depends on how you are consuming it. Smoking, vaping, or eating edibles can affect how your body absorbs THC and bring changes in your mind and body.
Why Hybrids Are Increasingly Popular—Simple Explanation
Hybrid cannabis is becoming more popular day by day because it gives both head and body highs. Many people want the balance between the two highs and aren’t ready for just one, so they use hybrids. Hybrids combine sativa and indica plants, so growers can create strains according to specific needs. For example, a Sativa-dominant hybrid would make you feel happy and creative without adding to your nervousness. In contrast, an Indica-dominant hybrid will help relax your body while still letting you think clearly.
Nowadays, people are becoming aware of cannabis, and they want strains that match their exact needs of staying focused at work or helping with pain. In such cases, hybrids work great because they have more choices and flexibility to fit different situations and lifestyles.
Conclusion
Cannabis is really helpful in reducing pain or helping you stay energized, based on the strains you pick. Choosing between a head high and a body high might seem tough, as both highs have different strains and cannabinoids. A head high would work in the mind, while a body high shows its effects on the body, so according to your needs, preferences, and tolerance levels, you have to choose between the two. Sativa and Indica strains are used in both head and body highs, but nowadays, hybrid cannabis has also become popular because it mixes both strains to create a balance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a strain produce both a head high and a body high?
Yes, many hybrid strains can help you get the effects of both a head and body high. They are made so that you get both mental and physical effects. Hybrid strains balance sativa and indica genetics to give you the right energy and relaxation.
Are indica and sativa labels accurate predictors?
No, not always. Indica might be related to body highs and sativa to head highs, but the effects depend on the specific cannabinoids and terpenes in the strain. Two indica strains might give a different result; the same goes for sativas.
Which method gives a stronger body high?
Edibles can be really good for a strong body high because the liver converts THC into a more powerful form. The effects might not be quick, but when they kick in, they last for a long time and are intense compared to smoking or vaping.
Is a head high safe for anxiety?
It depends on your tolerance because, for some people, a head high can be really helpful in boosting mood and focus, while for others who are sensitive to THC, it might increase anxiety. So, trying a small dose first would help understand the effects.
