What it means to be Couch-Locked
At one point in time, every stoner will experience couch lock. Not every strain will knock you off your feet, but rest assured that one day, you will experience couch lock. While there is a lot of debate on what causes couch lock, many people attribute Indica strains as the main culprit. However, there are a few sativa strains that will also let you melt into the couch.
A recent Couch Lock Experience
It was 420 and at exactly 4:20 PM I lit up a freshly rolled blueberry blunt. The herb I was using was given to me by a grower friend and stank right through the jar. Packed with frosty white flakes, I rolled up the blunt and lit it up.
The first few hits were fine; I could taste the blueberry flavor as I inhaled. Suddenly, when I smoked roughly a quarter of the blunt I had to put it down. There was a heavy degree of high-ness I was dealing with. It’s important to note that I smoke every day and my tolerance is quite high. Nonetheless, this time I found myself slouching in my chair, my head was heavy as well as my body.
To see if I could ride it out, I picked up my guitar and plucked away for a bit. Nothing exceptional, however I did play with my eyes closed for a while which was pretty cool. Eventually the heaviness was way too much and I went to lay down. I set a timer for about 15-20 minutes of me lying flat on my back, eyes closed and entering a deep state of mental activity. My mind was racing with random ideas that kept on popping into my head while my body was essentially useless for the time being.
When my alarm went off, I stood up and boiled some coffee. For the next fifteen minutes I sipped on my cup and managed to rid myself of the shroud of couch lock to the point where I was mobile once more.
It took me a few hours before I was completely back to normal.
Why do you get Couch Lock?
The cannabinoid profile of Indicas and Sativas contain similar characteristics, however in different proportions. There are some Indicas however that is especially heavy in one terpene that is rumored to be responsible for the couch lock sensation. This terpene is called “myrcene”.The general consensus agrees that myrcene is the responsible party in switching a high from “energetic to In-da-couch”. Typically, lower percentages of myrcene (lower than %.04) will give you the “upper” you’re looking for, however when the percentages go over this threshold…the sedative effects begin to manifest.
Right now we don’t really have any regulatory indicators on the myrcene levels in your cannabis and hopefully as cannabis enters a more legal state of affairs, this could become part of the labeling processes. This would give consumers a way to judge how energetic or couch locked a bud will be.
Why I don’t mind Couch Lock
Sometimes, you just need to shut yourself down. There are times that I can’t sleep and my mind races all throughout the night. If I have a heavy “couch lock” strain, I simply take a few puffs and drift into slumber. Not to mention, I personally experience couch lock to be more “hallucinogenic” in nature.
When you’re zonked out of your mind, eyes closed…you’ll quickly understand what I’m talking about.I personally prefer more energetic strains; however, I don’t dislike couch lock strains either. In fact, couch lock strains are the best for when you’re sick and need to rest, or when your sleep cycles are off and you need a re-calibration.
It really comes down to personal preference.
What to do when you’re couch locked and don’t want to be
Sometimes couch lock hits you when you least expect it. So what do you do to reverse the effects. In my case, I typically find that eating something, drinking some coffee and resting for a good 15-20 minutes will allow you to get up and fight the couch lock effects. Once you’re up and about…be active and get the blood flowing. Stretch, breathe deeply and perhaps splash some water on your face.
Other than that…you just have to ride it out.
COUCH LOCKED CANNABIS, READ THESE..
WHAT ARE COUCH LOCK STRAINS, CLICK HERE.
OR..
CAN YOU GET TOO HIGH, CLICK HERE.
