For some, the cannabis experience can be one of chilled relaxation or expansion. Others, however, report anxiety and paranoia. It’s definitely not a one-size-fits-all experience.
Now, of course, there are numerous factors that come into play when experimenting with cannabis. Dosage and type of strain are primary considerations. But your state of mind and the simple where you choose to partake can also make a marked difference.
So whether you’re a marijuana newbie or a seasoned vet, there’s something to be said for set and setting with cannabis.
The Various Responses to Cannabis
While the desired response to cannabis is a chilled and relaxed vibe, it doesn’t affect everyone that way. So what makes one person feel mellow on 10 or 15 mg of THC while another may start feeling anxious or paranoid?
Scientists who study psychedelics have long pondered this question. Of course, prohibition of such drugs hasn’t allowed for a lot of scientific research into this query. So what they started to look at was how both one’s unique mindset and the physical environment impacted the effects of the drug.
Harvard psychologist Timothy Leary postulated that psychedelic drugs worked to magnify the consciousness of the person consuming them. He speculated that the level of intention and expectation would impact the experience. In addition, one’s physical surroundings were also an influence.
From this, the term “set and setting” was born. Set and setting points to the possibility that non-pharmacological factors can have a considerable influence on the effects of a drug. But to what extent? And can the effects of the substance be somehow distilled from the set and setting in which it’s experienced?
These are among the questions cannabis scientists are posing.
Set and Setting With Cannabis
Of course, cannabis isn’t considered a psychedelic. Yet, even though the set and setting concept originally applied to such drugs, cannabis experts and consumers alike believe they are relevant to cannabis as well.
An individual’s mindset correlates with biochemical responses in the body. This can lead to emotional AND physical reactions to one’s surroundings. So while many have found that cannabis can provide relief from a certain level of anxiety and depression, when a consumer enters the experience with a heavy dose of negativity, cannabis actually has the potential to amplify this ill-feeling.
On the flip side, going into the experience with a positive mindset can also magnify those good feelings. Simply put, enjoying cannabis alone or with friends in a positive environment is going to be more enjoyable than entering into it with high levels of anxiety, worry, and fear.
As such, cannabis newbies are increasingly encouraged to get the set and setting correct.
Speaking of newbies, baby boomers are one of the fastest growing segments of cannabis users. So researchers decided to conduct a study of 97 baby boomer cannabis consumers utilizing the concept of set and setting. They had some avoid smoking or using cannabis when feeling depressed. This was to improve mindset. To improve setting, they had others refrain from cannabis use in public to avoid feeling paranoid or fearful of apprehension by the authorities.
Getting ‘Set and Setting’ Right
It wasn’t surprising that the study revealed that consuming cannabis is, at its core, a pleasant and even euphoric (though not psychedelic) experience when approached with positivity and in a welcoming environment. But it is by no means a powerful pharmaceutical that puts the kibosh on a strongly negative mindset.
Nor was it ever intended to be.
There’s no specific recipe for “cooking up” the perfect set and setting scenario. What works for one person may not work for another. One fairly constant element though is music. Again, the type of music will depend on the user’s preferences. But cannabis users frequently say that music offers both guidance into unfamiliar territories, as well as grounding.
Of course, cannabis consumers want to enjoy their experience. And that may be reason enough to get set and setting right. But doing so will also increase the likelihood of enhanced therapeutic benefits. So having intentional awareness of set and setting make the experience both positive AND powerful.
In fact, researchers have found that when users have a transformative experience where they experience awe, wonder, or euphoria, there are improvements in psychological well-being for two weeks following the experience. Especially when they take the time to process personal insights and emotions that happen during this time.
Putting All of the Elements Into Play
To get the optimal experience, consider the benefits of applying set and setting with cannabis. It could have a profound effect on how you experience the magic of cannabis.
And be sure to source only the finest cannabis from top-of-the-line growers. Because even if you have the perfect set and setting, subpar cannabis isn’t going to cut it.
So click here to find out where you can get the best cannabis near you. And prepare to take your cannabis experience to a whole new level.