I recently learned that cannabis can impact how you hear music, which shouldn’t be shocking to me since I understand how cannabis heightens experiences, but I was shocked in terms of the ways that it impacts hearing music. I recently watched a TikTok video from Tessa420 that broke down the science behind how cannabis affects how you hear and feel music. Don’t worry, this is still a high rec and not a story on cannabis science, but it is a science experiment high rec.
When was the last time you truly felt the music you were listening to? If your answer is something along the lines of “a while ago,” then this science experiment can help change that. You’re going to discover which strains and music combos work best for you to feel the music. So, here’s what you’re going to do…
1. Grab your favorite strains
Now I am not fully versed in the science of cannabis, so I don’t know if the method of consumption matters, but I would recommend smoking flower for the best results (based on my own experiments). Choose your favorite strains or truly get experimental and choose a strain based on the name that you think would vibe with the music you’re going to listen to.
2. Prep your music selections
Once you have your flower, head back home to select your music. You can do whatever media format works for you (streaming, CD, vinyl, or even live). If you are struggling to choose music, I recommend exploring genres with more to them—think jazz, rock, or even Spanish guitar. I personally love jazz because it changes so much that it truly is an experience, but depending on your relationship with cannabis, that might be overwhelming for some people.
3. Consume your flower
Once you have the music selected and queued up, go ahead and enjoy your strain. I personally enjoy a good bong rip, but I have also had great experiences with joints and pipes. I recommend consuming your cannabis, and then, when you are done, turning on the music. Doing them simultaneously can create a distraction, which can dampen your experience of feeling the music.
4. Get comfy and enjoy
With your music playing and the high hitting, just relax and enjoy. Notice what new things you are hearing in the music and the way the music feels in your body. You can extend the session as needed by smoking more and switching up the music.
While running science experiments might not be the first thing you think of doing while high, I think it can be a fun way to really be intentional with enjoying art and not just being a passive consumer of music. This is also just a fun way to have a more embodied high. Connecting with the art of music can help you rediscover your love for a particular artist or genre, or even push you to explore new music, because you’ll be hearing it in a completely different way.
