Welcome to another installation of Kush Koalafications where research meets creative writing to answer all of those slow burning cannabis questions. This episode Kush is focused on explaining the wonderful experience of cannabis and gaming!
Kush will be joined by the avid video gamer himself Stingo Da Dingo. Stingo has noticed not only does he enjoy video games more after consuming cannabis but he is in fact a better gamer in terms of skill level. Stingo surely has some questions he wants his good pal Kush to answer.
Enjoy Them More?
Stingo: Kush can you please explain to me why I enjoy video games more when I’m baked?
Kush: Of course I can help you there. Remember when we did a segment on Cannabis and Music where we explained that cannabis has a unique effect on our sensory inputs such as sound and sight? Since cannabis decreased the time these sensory inputs had on our experience the feeling on video games is enhanced by all the little things that the game programmer does.
For example, when you are playing a first person shooting game such as Call of Duty ,the sound effects and colours and so forth on display, are enhanced which leads to a more sensory rich experience. This experience is felt as an enjoyable one. Another reason games become more enjoyable is the reward system in our brain.
You see our brain is trained to enjoy rewards in the form of a neurotransmitter named Dopamine. Game programmers understand this and give you rewards in the game such as upgrades which releases dopamine into the brain. We will naturally enjoy or move towards something that does this because as humans, we believe anything more rewarding for us is better for our survival.
Cannabis also increases your dopamine levels, thus, when you play video games and get rewarded the increased dopamine from cannabis is enhanced again. It’s a double hit of dopamine which your brain and body just love!
So in simple terms cannabis makes video games more enjoyable because we get to experience the senses more and the rewards we get increase in value due to the added dopamine.
Better Video Game Player?
Stingo: Yep, hmm, okay I get you. So cannabis and video games go together like cannabis and music does! But it doesn’t explain why I seem to increase in skill level when high?
Kush: This is an interesting questioning which will require an understanding of different things to explain this. Firstly, have you noticed that when you are stoned you are better at concentrating at just one thing? When high your brain zooms into focus, leaving out all the distracting aspects of the game is throwing at you.
Secondly, the creative side of our brain becomes more engaged when baked. The increase of creativity allows for you to use more creative thinking to find new solutions to old problems. When a new solutions presents itself we are more inclined to use them, since cannabis allows us to move pass typical patterns solutions.
Finally, most games are repetitive where you must do the same thing over and over again to get better and find new solutions in the game to finish it. This repetition is boring in nature which is a deterrent to continue playing the game over and over, however, cannabis increases the reward system as mentioned before which in theory means you are more inclined to continue this boring behavior leading to more practice.
So, in simple terms cannabis helps you become a better video game player because you are willing to practice more on boring activities, allows you to focus more on a single goal without distractions and finally it means you can be more creative in your solutions.
Stingo: Awesome thank you so much Kush for explaining why cannabis and video games are a match made by cupid himself. I guess dope puts the dope in dopamine?
Stingo & Kush 
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