If you’ve ever used cannabis, you’ll understand just how significantly it can alter how we view the world. Most people are able to notice these changes after just a few puffs. A harmony you previously paid little attention to in that song that you’ve listened to hundreds of times now has new depths. Cannabis also gives landscapes, sunsets, and forest settings a sense of profundity, giving everything an almost high-definition aesthetic (at least to some people).
Using cannabis in San Jose legally necessitates having access to medical marijuana, which can be obtained through a medical marijuana card. The process of obtaining a medical marijuana card is straightforward these days, involving just three simple steps. You can easily receive your recommendation by applying for it online.
Naturally, we cannot discuss cannabis and the senses without mentioning taste. Marijuana not only triggers frequent raids on the refrigerator and urges for snacks, but it also activates the taste buds and alters the way even the most commonplace snacks taste.
So, exactly how does cannabis impact our senses? Why does the herb alter how we experience tastes, sounds, and sights? Learn more about the fundamentals of the human senses and how the cannabis plant may affect each of them by reading on.
The Significance of Our Senses
Our sense organs transmit signals from outside sources and send them through the nervous system into the brain, allowing us to experience the world around us. Here, these signals are used by our biological computer to create a picture of our surroundings. Everyday activities like using a keyboard or stovetop, as well as driving and having conversations with others, are made easier by our senses. In essence, our senses are what allow us to survive. Without them, we wouldn’t be very good at spotting threats, finding food, and procreating.
The five senses that humans have are taste, touch, hearing, sight, and smell. These senses are accessed through the sensory organs that correspond to them, such as our eyes and ears, which allow us to see and hear, respectively. Our sensory organs send signals to our central nervous system, which then enables us to respond and behave appropriately. Our brain is safely encased in cerebrospinal fluid inside the cranium.
The Influence of Cannabis on Your Sensory Perception
So, exactly how does marijuana affect our senses? And what takes place physiologically for this to happen?
- Taste
The majority of cannabis users concur that the herb enhances the flavor of food. Even bread and butter proves moreish enough to sate the munchies while high. It elevates the flavors of sweet dishes and gives even the most basic of snacks an edge. Yes, THC has a propensity to make people feel hungry, but this isn’t the only reason why food tastes better.
Endocannabinoids have been found to directly affect taste receptors in the tongue, enhancing sweet flavors, according to research from the Monell Chemical Senses Centre in Japan from 2009. It’s interesting that the researchers discovered that the administration of endocannabinoids had no effect on how other tastes, like sour, salty, bitter, and umami, were perceived.
- Touch
Merkel cells, which are mechanoreceptors, are essential for the perception of touch. More specifically, these cells transform external stimuli into electrical signals that are then transmitted by skin neurons, making them crucial to the experience of light touch. The ECS, Merkel cells, and touch are still the subject of little research, but the system is unquestionably present in the skin.
How cannabinoids affect the feeling of touch has only been the subject of a small number of studies. We currently only have subjective information on the subject. A survey was developed for a 2019 study that was published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine to gather information on how cannabis affects both men and women’s sexual experiences. 144 out of the 199 participants (or 74%) said the herb made them more sensitive to touch.
- Hearing
Few marijuana users will contest the idea that music sounds better when you’re high. But have you ever been high and had sharper hearing? The plant seems to make it easier for listeners to pick out minute details in a track, and everything sounds more vibrant and important. But the enjoyment of music while using marijuana seems to depend, at least in part, on cannabinoid levels. High-THC cannabis was found by researchers from University College London to reduce the impact of music in the reward and emotion-related brain regions. However, adding CBD to the mix neutralized these effects, demonstrating the entourage effect.
Cannabis probably enhances the neurochemical changes that take place when we listen to music rather than altering how our ears perceive sound. Dopamine levels rise when we listen to music we like and when we smoke marijuana.
- Sight
In comparison to taste, the research on cannabis’ effects on vision is still in its early stages and isn’t conclusive. A case study conducted in 2004 and published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology raises the possibility that cannabis use may help to enhance night vision. The University of Granada’s researchers have found, however, that cannabis may significantly affect visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, three-dimensional vision, and the ability of the eyes to focus. These findings are more scientifically sound.
- Smell
Have you ever experienced a change in your sense of smell after consuming marijuana or bong water? Additionally, the research is still not conclusive, and the outcomes differ between animal and human subjects. Cannabis administration has been shown in animal studies to improve odor perception, which in turn increases food intake. Human trials, however, present a different picture. In a study that was published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, fifteen healthy volunteers received 20mg of oral THC. In fact, after the dose, the researchers found a decrease in olfactory function.
Does Marijuana Heighten Your Sensory Perception?
When there is enough CBD present, cannabis does appear to increase our appreciation of sweet foods and make us more receptive to the music we enjoy. The science that is currently available, however, indicates that the herb may, at least temporarily, decrease both visual and olfactory acuity.
Furthermore, it is still far too early in the research to draw any firm conclusions about how cannabis affects touch. In general, cannabis won’t enhance every sense. But it can undoubtedly make it easier for you to appreciate everything your favorite foods and music have to offer.
Consuming cannabis while residing in San Jose necessitates possessing a valid medical marijuana card, granting lawful access to medical cannabis. Prior to partaking in medical marijuana, it’s crucial to acquaint yourself with the marijuana laws in your state. Securing your MMJ card is a convenient online process that connects you with a medical marijuana doctor to evaluate your health condition.
Also read: 6 Tips to Grow AK 47 Cannabis Strain
