Why people react differently to THC

The seasoned cannabis users among us will have seen it happen. You’re sitting around with a group of friends sharing a joint. You’re just starting to feel the tingle, and meanwhile one in the group is acting like a complete fool because they’re too “stoned,” another goes white after two puffs, and a third has been laughing uncontrollably for ten minutes straight. How can one person be wrecked after two drags while another can smoke all day as if nothing’s happening?

There’s a scientific explanation. In the 1960s the Israeli chemist Dr. Rafael Mechoulam — “the discoverer” of THC — gave a group of volunteers 10 mg of pure THC extract and recorded what happened. All of them were affected, all of them differently. One wanted to relax and enjoy the feeling; another swore they felt nothing but couldn’t stop talking; a third said the same but burst into uncontrollable laughter every ten or fifteen minutes. One participant had a panic attack — she felt her psychological walls were collapsing.

Mechoulam ran that experiment about sixty years ago. Only recently have we started to understand why people react so differently. Here are five reasons.

Genetics

Your genes can shape how you respond to cannabis. Studies show that some people carry a particular gene variant that makes them more prone to anxiety, agitation, or even psychotic-feeling effects from cannabis. Other studies show that genes also affect how strongly cognitive function is influenced by use. Which is why your cannabis companion probably has worse short-term memory problems than you do…

Sex

Cannabis works differently in men and in women. Men are more prone to the munchies; women are on average more sensitive to the herb and experience more of a pain-relief effect. Men need a higher dose to get the same analgesia. Time of the month? That matters too. THC interacts closely with oestrogen, and the effect of THC is strongest just after oestrogen levels peak and start to decline.

Unique biochemistry

Some people are simply more sensitive to cannabis than others. Everyone has a unique endocannabinoid system, and a few factors shape how that system works per individual: genetics, diet, stress, lifestyle. Endocannabinoids bind to fatty acids, especially omega-3 and omega-6. On a diet low in those, your endocannabinoid system runs less optimally — and that joint can land surprisingly well. With an optimally working system, the same joint can be an overwhelming experience. Nobody is identical; so while we can expect certain general effects, the experience stays individual.

General health

If you’re fit and well, a fat joint and a few hours on the sofa — music on, a bit of gaming, a film — is great. But there are also users who can only join social life because of their joint, instead of being knocked out by medication or pinned to the sofa or the bed by pain.

Tolerance

The last one’s obvious. If you use a lot of cannabis, you respond to it differently than someone who doesn’t. The more you use, the higher your tolerance. Your body adapts and becomes less sensitive to the green lady’s effects. Someone who’s never used will respond very differently to the same dose than someone who uses regularly.

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That’s it. Genes, sex, biochemistry, health and tolerance — they all shape how the herb lands. Nobody reacts the same way.