Why do people think differently when high?

Achieving the perfect dose, where there’s no tension or anxiety, can take a few tries to attain, but once there, when the brain is really enjoying the high, that’s when a lot of interesting stuff starts happening. This is where high thoughts come to pass.

When people get high, something happens to their thinking processes. Take, for example, how cannabis influences creativity and humor, as described by several artists. So, what happens when cannabis is administered to the brain? And how does this affect the way we think? Though neuroscience is extremely complex, and most people are unfamiliar with the activities of various parts of the human brain, understanding what's going on with the brain when on THC is far from difficult.

Research

This 1997 double-blind study, a one-of-a-kind investigation of what happens in the human brain when THC is administered, is a valuable reference. The major goal of the study was to demonstrate how delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol affects blood flow in the brain.

The study had 32 volunteers who had previously used cannabis and were given either a placebo or two intravenous doses of THC. When THC was injected, MRI scans revealed increased cerebral blood flow in various areas of the brain, but the placebo group showed no change. The researchers concluded that "behavioral signs of marijuana intoxication may be related to the increased functional activity of the brain, particularly the frontal cortex, insula, and cingulate gyrus."

When THC was administered intravenously, more blood flowed into the Frontal cortex, Insular cortex, and Cingulate gyrus, according to a 1997 double-blind study. Cannabinoids move through the bloodstream until they reach and bind with endocannabinoid receptors, which are an important aspect of the body's endocannabinoid system, regardless of how they are consumed.

Different cell types in the brain express CB1 receptors, and when THC and other cannabinoids bind to the receptors, they cause these cells to respond in a certain way. The introduction of cannabinoids into a disease or ailment causes the affected cells to modify their behavior in order to restore homeostasis. As a result, cannabis has been used to treat a wide range of illnesses and conditions, including chronic pain, epilepsy, gastrointestinal problems, melancholy, anxiety, eating disorders, insomnia, PTSD, and many others.
When it comes to what happens to ideas once cannabis is introduced, though, things are a little different. Because cannabis is psychoactive (primarily due to THC), marijuana affects brain function, altering cognition, perception, emotion, consciousness, and behavior. This could explain why, when people are high, they prefer to think about unusual ideas and concepts, as well as why they become more creative.

Analyzing cannabis' psychoactivity is difficult since there is so much going on at once: bizarre ideas, strange sensations, and strange associations, to name a few.