Can Cannabis Make You Hallucinate?

Cannabis can lead to hallucinations, but the degree to which it can do so relies on multiple factors, including the dosage, a person’s tolerance, and the strain of cannabis.

Users describe visual distortions such as colors becoming more vivid, normal shapes and objects becoming more distorted than usual (e.g., patterns appearing to “move” or “breathe”), or the distortion of the depth of perception when assessing the distances between objects.

Another common visual distortion is time distortion; minutes can feel like hours, and this can certainly be disruptive. In a true sense, this is not a hallucination since it refers to the way the brain perceives time, but it is still very much altered.

There are some risk factors for hallucinations

High-potency products are descriptions that qualify for cannabis that contains THC content greater than 20%. In our day and age, strains of cannabis can be found with THC levels that can exceed 30% and no doubt lead to more intense psychological effects than cannabis had 20 to 30 years ago.

Edibles seem to have an even greater risk of causing hallucinations because they can be overconsumed as they do not take effect for at least 30 minutes and up to two hours. As such, the delayed onset often leads users to consume additional doses before the first one takes effect, resulting in a heavy and unexpected experience. These experiences can also last from 6 hours to 12 hours.

The method of consumption matters: vaping or smoking has more immediate effects that can be controlled by the user. Open or concentrate forms of cannabis like dabs or hash oils provide a very high amount of THC immediately. New users, and users with low tolerances, are even more susceptible because their endocannabinoid systems have not learned how to process the large amounts of THC that are involved with concentrates.

Using cannabis in an unfamiliar and/or stressful setting, using alcohol, or using other drugs increases the chances for potential adverse psychological effects, including hallucinations.

The Role of THC vs CBD

THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) is the primary psychoactive component that induces the hallucinations associated with cannabis. THC selectively binds to CB1 receptors in the brain, especially in brain areas critical for perception, memory, and cognition. Products with high THC-to-CBD ratios are more likely to produce perceptual distortions.

CBD (cannabidiol) may actually in some ways counteract some of THC’s more intense psychological effects. CBD functions differently than THC when it binds to cannabinoid receptors, producing a tempering effect on the endocannabinoid system, and therefore, the brain.

The terpene profile of cannabis could also have implications for the type of effects and intensity. Some terpenes such as limonene and myrcene may enhance or alter the psychoactive properties of THC. This is very early stage research, but looking at the contents of the strain with regards to the terpenes could yield some insight.

Duration and Recovery

Cannabis-induced hallucinations usually last 1-3 hours from smoking or vaping, but they can last significantly longer with edibles. Most of the effects will leave you completely within 24 hours, but some users say they feel “foggy”, and have subtle visual distortions for multiple days afterward from stronger experiences.

Please remember that it is always best to start with small amounts until you know exactly how it will contribute to your experience.

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