Why Does Cannabis Give You The Giggles?
If you’re like me, some of the best times in my entire life have been infused with cannabis.
I laugh pretty easily even when I’m sober, but I know that this precious herb is responsible for helping people have a better sense of humor too. With a few tokes, one funny scene in a movie can actually seem 10 times more hilarious than it really is – resulting in epic laughs resulting in major tummy aches. And this is a good thing, unless, you’re one of those who likes to crack jokes in front of people and always end up laughing at their own jokes….
But do you know why cannabis makes you laugh so much? There’s actually a reason behind it all.
After all, pot isn’t called “wacky tobaccy” for nothing.
Cannabis Stimulates Parts Of The Brain Associated With Laughter
There are studies proving that ingesting cannabis stimulates blood flow to the brain’s left temporal and right frontal lobes. These areas of the brain are associated with laughter. When this part of the brain is overstimulated due to THC, this will provoke laughter. This could explain why we laugh at even seemingly the most mundane things when you’re stoned.
Cannabis Elevates Mood
It’s no secret that cannabis is good for depression. Even if you’re having a bad day, toking up alone or with friends can instantly elevate your mood especially if you smoke strains that are particularly helpful for depression. Most cannabis users already know this; it’s also the reason why PTSD patients find so much relief from using the plant as a way of healing. Cannabis delivers a euphoria that no other substance on earth can give and without any side effects.
Another study showed that in the brains of the clinically depressed, there is also decreased activity in parts of the brain that are associated with humor. If cannabis is effective in reinvigorating this part of the brain, then it would be easier for those depressed to be able to laugh.
THC Reduces Negative Stimuli
Cannabis use makes it easier to forget about emotional pain and stress, but it’s also effective in decreasing our own sensitivity to negative stimuli around us. A 2012 study published in the Journal of European Neuropsychopharmacology revealed that men who were exposed to THC were less likely to feel negative emotions when they were shown angry images. The findings stated, “After THC administration, performance accuracy was decreased for stimuli with a negative but not for stimuli with a positive emotional content”, which basically means that the THC can heighten our ability to feel positive things even if we are faced with negativity.
Laughter is Contagious
One of my favorite sayings from a favorite book, Into the Wild, says: “Happiness is only real when shared.” And happiness, I believe, translates to anything with pot. In the same vein, unless you’re an introvert, most users enjoy sharing the experience of getting high with their friends. I’m sure all of us have experienced the contagion of laughing while stoned. Using cannabis is a social experience for most, and since it can elevate your mood while stimulating parts of the brain that are associated with laughter, using pot with others makes laughing easier.
Sophie Scott, a researcher who is dedicated to studying the social role of laughter, explains in a TED Talk: “It’s an enormously behaviorally contagious effect. You can “catch” laughter from somebody else, and you’re more likely to catch laughter from somebody else if you know them. It’s modulated by the social context.”
There’s also another scientific reason behind the contagion of laughter. When we observe and are empathetic to the actions of others, this fires mirror neurons in the brain. Scientists believe that these mirror neurons explain many things in biology and evolution, including the development of language.
These are just some of a few studies that connect the dots between cannabis and laughter. There is a lack of clinical trials in human brains although given these facts, there’s surely enough for us to assume there is indeed a biochemical link explaining why cannabis use makes it easier for us to laugh.
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