When a person uses cannabis, once or a million times, they are not expecting to hallucinate. Other drugs do that, not weed, right? Is it possible to hallucinate with cannabis? Let’s set the record straight by exploring some experiences of members of the cannabis community, discussing possible causes, and reviewing smart ways to consume cannabis.

A user on one cannabis forum writes,

I’ve been smoking every day for four years and have neither; hallucinated or met someone that has hallucinated from weed. I suppose it’s possible but I’d love an explanation.

Perhaps you’re this person. You have been smoking weed for years and have never felt anything other than high. This is a common experience – one that we all seem to agreed is wonderful.

A different user describes a very different experience, saying he “tripped” on weed:,

Other times, I have traveled time, or left time, or entered the second dimension (my favorite). I’ve also hallucinated with things I’m looking at as well. Mac and cheese became a bunch of skeletons and skulls. The woods became filled with little people and dinosaurs…Anyways, I’m just wondering if anyone else has ever hallucinated or tripped on weed.

Let’s be clear. You SHOULD NOT see things that aren’t present when using cannabis. Dinosaurs in the woods sounds quite terrifying, and when a person chooses to use weed, they are NOT choosing to see things. Again, this should not happen.

A third users experience falls somewhere in this spectrum,

I’ve had very small closed eye visuals (if you want to call them that) with some dank I got a couple years ago when I was new to tokin.

This users experience is completely valid. When cannabis is strong, it can have some of these effects on the human body. Regardless, they happen for a number of reasons which must be discussed.

There are a number of reasons why a person might hallucinate. Like, actually hallucinate (seeing things that are not there). A major cause of hallucinations when using cannabis are additives to cannabis. One might say, “your weed was laced.”

In states where you can purchase your cannabis from a dispensary, your weed should NEVER be laced. This happens more often in places where weed is harder to find and still considered illegal. Laced weed cannot only give a person hallucinations but can have a number of detrimental health effects.

Contrary to popular belief, cannabis has a number of interactions with pharmaceutical prescriptions. If a person takes SSRI’s, blood thinners, seizure medications, or even viagra, using cannabis can cause drowsiness, blurred vision, internal bleeding, low blood pressure, and other serious side effects.

Honestly, if you think cannabis is making you feel out of the ordinary, talk to your doctor. Trust us, you’ll be thankful you did!

Rather than reporting hallucinations, some have reported slowed or blurred vision when smoking various forms of cannabis. In all of these instances, users report smoking very strong strains and that they were “too high.”

The human endocannabinoid system is located in the brain and throughout the nervous system. When cannabis interacts with these receptors, at times a physical response will happen.

Just as cannabis users report feeling more relaxed, some also report sweating, ability or inability to focus, fatigue, or slowed heart rate. It’s essential to remember that each person’s response to varying amounts of cannabis is unique. Listen to your body.

If you are one of the few people experiencing hallucinations, get to the bottom of it. Talk to your doctor, dispensary, and your dealer. Again, one of the smartest things to do when using cannabis is to listen to your body.