Why Do Some People Enjoy Weed?
A cookie tin under a bed and a revelation
The first time I ever smoked cannabis, I was 13 and visiting my mom for the summer in Dallas. She was working evenings and would leave me alone in her apartment at night. I was miserably bored one night and was looking for something in her room when I found a cookie tin underneath the bed. Inside were some buds of Mexican or Colombian weed with lots of seeds and stems, a few roaches, and a pack of Zig Zag rolling papers.
When I opened that cookie tin and smelled the contents - the aroma of the flower, the resin from the roaches - my senses flooded. The scent was so overpoweringly attractive, I knew at that moment this was something for me (even though it clearly wasn’t because it was hidden underneath the bed.)
From then on during my stay, I would look forward to her going to work in the evenings so that I could clumsily roll another joint (they looked like a toothpick in a wrapper) and get high while she was gone.
When I left to catch a plane back to New Orleans I took a little bud with me, but I was nervous about carrying it on the plane and decided to smoke it in the bathroom instead. That was the best plane ride of my life.
I’m not suggesting it’s ok to smoke cannabis at a young age or to break the law, I am simply writing to say that, for me, it was love at first smell.
The scent of fresh cannabis still floods me with endorphins, makes me feel happy and whole, which got me wondering: why do some people seem predisposed to enjoy cannabis, and others not.
Here are some interesting answers I found:
Receptor Density and Sensitivity: Our bodies naturally produce endocannabinoids, which bind to cannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2) throughout the brain and body, regulating various functions. Individuals may have different densities and sensitivities of these receptors. Someone with a higher density or more sensitive CB1 receptors in brain regions associated with pleasure and reward might experience the psychoactive effects of THC more intensely and potentially more positively.
Endocannabinoid Tone: The baseline level of endocannabinoids in a person's system can vary. Individuals with a naturally lower "endocannabinoid tone" might experience a greater sense of pleasure or relief when cannabinoids like THC bind to their receptors, bringing their system into a more balanced state.
Dopamine Release: THC can stimulate the release of dopamine in the brain's reward pathways, similar to other pleasurable activities. Individuals with a greater dopamine response to THC or a more sensitive dopamine system might experience more pleasure.
Genetics: While no single "cannabis gene" exists, genetic variations can influence the ECS, neurotransmitter systems, and metabolic enzymes. Studies have identified potential genetic markers associated with cannabis use patterns and the likelihood of experiencing certain effects. These genetic predispositions could indirectly influence enjoyment.
Do I possess a genetic predisposition towards cannabis? Are my neurotransmitter systems hardwired to enjoy weed? Or is my ECS deficient in some way and the cannabis compensates for this?
It’s possible it’s all three. My mother and father both smoked so there may be some genetic predisposition. I went through a lot of stress in my youth, so it's possible that my ECS was out of balance and my body was signaling me, telling me that cannabis could be of some help.
What I know is that everything about this plant from the aroma down to its appearance, continues to fill me with a sense of wholeness and wonder every day.
What was your “cookie tin” experience? How did you first find cannabis and what was that experience like?
I recall my first experience with cannabis was also at the age of 13, the early 1980s. I had recently tried tobacco for the first few times, and so my lungs were prepared for Euro-style spliffs. Actually my hipster London-based uncle had popped a cigarette in my mouth when I was 5 and told me to breathe it in, but I hadn't enjoyed that at all.
I'd been through some low-grade childhood trauma, the unjust seeming punishments of an imperious father. His tolerance line was drawn pretty low, so anyway... It was never too bad really, but enough to shatter my confidence and self-esteem.
After very briefly and casually experimenting with solvents and cigarettes (a lifelong demon) and a fair bit of alcohol in passing, I was still left yearning for something to make me feel good, not just blot things out. My friend's life was worse, he is an alcoholic still today, he needed void. I just needed tweaking, augmenting a little.
It was the summer holidays and a friend had 'borrowed' a small chunk of Lebanese hash from under the sink at somebody's parent's house and brought it to where I lived. We smoked it over a few days, standing around the compost heap in the garden when the folks were out.
It made my head spin, but in a comfortable and amusing way that left me with a good sensation in my stomach. We went back inside afterwards and lay on the floor laughing and comparing notes about the wild sensations running through our heads.
Fast forward a couple of weeks and my interest was piqued when I encountered a thin, fragrant stick of Afghani hash for sale by some random guy my friend had been chatting to at the local skating rink. It had *apparently* been sourced from the famous Glastonbury festival. This was said with a wink, a knowing look and a nod of the head.
I handed over a crisp £10 note for it, I think, which must have seemed like a fortune at that age and at that time. I'd guess it was slightly less than a gram, rolled into a snake, thick enough to stay in shape in the cool temperature, but only a matchstick's width.
It smelled and tasted even better than the Leb. He made a big spliff - I had no idea how to roll - and we smoked about a quarter of the stick we'd bought, sitting under the gallery, behind the stalls around the ice. It was the most majestic and relaxing experience I had ever had.
I wasn't clumsy and muted like I was when I tried alcohol, I just felt silky, solid, relaxed and smiley. We had a little skate around the rink with red eyes and big smiles. I am amazed there was no security and they didn't kick us out, but nobody seemed to notice, or if they did, they probably didn't know what they were noticing.
Anyway, the die was cast in that week and a thousand adventures have been enjoyed since, scoring in an illegal system over the following 4 decades or so and growing my own, despite a bust in my 20s.
Honestly, my love affair with cannabis has grown each year, and while I am now quite a light user and vape rather than smoke, cannabis is still a very welcome and helpful friend to me. I feel like it fits my psychology and neurology perfectly.
My only sadness is that in my country, it is very difficult to work around cannabis unless you have a degree in something which I do not, own a medical cannabis facility, or know someone who recruits for them.
I have enquired where to look for jobs with these companies, but they have not responded, at all, ever. It is a shame that I can't work in the field I'd like to of course. Whenever anyone asks me what I'd like to do for a living, I have to answer that I don't know, because the options I'd really enjoy are illegal and in some circles not ideal talking points.
One of the main things that I enjoy in life, family aside, is growing and using cannabis while carrying out my other hobbies. :)