Video games and cannabis have always gone hand in hand. From the early days of playing Super Mario Bros. while smoking a joint to the more recent trend of cannabis-themed video games, the two seem to be a perfect match. But why do gamers combine cannabis and video games? And what are the benefits?
Anyone who’s been a part of the cannabis culture for any length of time knows that there are countless ways to consume marijuana. And for gamers, some methods are better than others. Some stick to the traditional joint, while others might want to use more advanced methods like a high quality bong from Dankstop or a simple and portable vaporizer. Regardless of what your preference is, If you are someone who enjoys marijuana, and plays the odd game or two, you might be interested in finding out why gamers combine video games and cannabis. Here we explore a few reasons why gamers like to combine cannabis and video games and offer some advice on how to get the most out of this pairing. Enjoy!
Mental Engagement
The very first reason why gamers tend to combine cannabis and video games is because of mental engagement. It’s important to understand that marijuana and video games both affect your brain on various levels. For example, when you smoke marijuana, your perception of time is enhanced, as well as your imagination, and sensations.
When you pair that with the fact that video games cause a release of dopamine when you do something well, and marijuana changes the way your brain interacts with dopamine, the result is increased engagement across the board. Not only is the game that you thought was fun to begin with, now extremely fun, you also feel like you have accomplished way more when doing something successfully.
Ability to Focus
Before the legalization of marijuana, many scientists and researchers were under the opinion that if you were smoking marijuana, your ability to focus was reduced. As it turns out, if you are high, your ability to focus increases if you are focusing on one thing. This means that whilst playing a video game you are hyper-focused on that specific video game.
Many people play video games to relax after a very stressful day and a great way to do that would be to consume marijuana since it helps you to focus on the game that you are playing and forget all of your worries for one or two hours.
Enjoy the Little Things
Perhaps one of the main reasons why gamers combine cannabis and video games is the fact that when you are under the influence of marijuana, you can enjoy the little things. As mentioned above, marijuana affects your perception of time as well as your imagination and your sensations.
This is one of the reasons why many people who smoke marijuana often feel like everything is philosophical because they are experiencing things with more senses than usual. When it comes to video games, this means that gamers can now enjoy the tedious small things in the game, or just the art sound, map design, and more.
The Social Aspect
Finally, another important reason why gamers consume cannabis and play video games is the social aspect of it all. When you smoke marijuana, you tend to be happier, more carefree, social, and find everything to be more enjoyable and funnier.
In a social setting, such as sitting on a couch with a bunch of friends, the entire atmosphere is enhanced, and the experience of spending time together whilst gaming is even better. In addition to this, those that play online can socialize with other players without meeting face to face, which is great for those who suffer from social anxiety, since it makes these exchanges much easier to deal with.
What to Consume and How
Finally, the biggest question that many people have who are looking to get into gaming, and smoke the occasional joint while doing so is “what marijuana should I consume, and how should I do it?”. This entirely depends on what you are wanting to get out of the experience.
If you are looking to be glued to the couch and feel utter relaxation after a long day of work, then Indica would be your best bet. If on the other hand, you are looking to increase creativity, maintain focus, feel slightly more euphoric and energized, then Sativa would be what you want. In terms of how to consume, that is up to you. Dry herb vaporizers allow you to control the effects that you experience, edibles are for feeling the effects for up to 8 hours, smoking a bong is great for a 2-hour gaming session, and so are dab rigs.