Cannabis is known for its calming effects, but it can also make everything seem hilarious. If you’ve ever used weed, you might have experienced this — that uncontrollable urge to laugh, even when nothing particularly funny is happening. But why does this happen?
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To understand why cannabis makes you laugh, we first need to look at what laughter is. According to Dr. Timothy Fong, a professor of psychiatry and co-director of the UCLA Cannabis Research Initiative, laughing is a reflex, similar to coughing or sneezing. It’s something that happens automatically in response to certain stimuli.
When you consume cannabis, it alters your perception of the world around you. Things like time, colours, and even your general awareness may feel different. This change in perception makes it easier for your brain to trigger the laugh reflex. Fong explains that it’s like when you have a cold — your coughing reflex becomes more sensitive.
One of the reasons for this change is the effect cannabis has on the brain’s chemical balance. When you use cannabis, the active compound THC binds to receptors in your brain and body, including the ones responsible for controlling emotions. THC boosts the production of chemicals like dopamine, which is often called the “feel-good” chemical. Higher levels of dopamine make you feel happy, and that happiness can trigger laughter.
Cannabis also lowers your inhibitions, meaning you might find yourself laughing in situations where you normally wouldn’t. This happens because THC interacts with the frontal lobe of your brain, which is responsible for managing impulse control and behaviour. When this part of the brain is affected, your ability to hold back laughter is reduced. As a result, you might laugh in situations that your sober self would find inappropriate or unfunny.
Dr. Lewis Nelson, chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, adds that cannabis causes the release of both dopamine and serotonin, the chemicals linked to happiness. This release can further lower your impulse control, making it even easier to burst into laughter.
The amount of THC in your cannabis also plays a role. The higher the THC content, the stronger the effect on your brain, which can lead to more laughter. Fong compares it to turning up the volume on a stereo — more THC means more intense reactions, including giggles.
In the end, everyone’s experience with cannabis is unique. Factors like how you consume it, whether you’ve eaten beforehand, and your body chemistry can all influence how you react. While one person might laugh uncontrollably, another might not feel the same effects.
The key takeaway is that cannabis makes your laugh reflex easier to trigger, and it’s a normal part of the experience — not a sign of losing control. So, the next time you find yourself cracking up while watching a simple TV show after using cannabis, you’ll understand why everything seems so hilarious.
