Once, a friend told me as we were smoking a joint, “Did you know that eating mango will make your high last longer?”
I said, “What? That’s interesting… should we get a mango?”
Without even bothering to check, at a time when we did both have iPhones, we decided it would be more fun to get some mango and try it. We did, and we were pleasantly surprised to find that this wasn’t a made-up high idea spread amongst stoners.
Mangoes contain the terpene, myrcene. Terpenes are the component of cannabis that influences the type of high experienced. Anecdotally, eating mango in tandem with cannabis consumption intensifies the high. I can say from experience that some fresh mango will make any joint of dirt weed hit you much heavier than the joint alone. Alternatively, eating an edible baked with mango in it proved to be too intense for an ex of mine. One of these strong edibles combined with mango had him vomiting over the side of my oldsmobile. Knowing better now, I would have made sure he only ate half a brownie, and stopped him from eating any of the fruit. I do think for certain treats, a mango filling may be a divine idea.
Nuts make an excellent munchie, and although don’t contain a terpene, are easy to snack and high in omega 3 fatty acids that bind with cannabinoids, which should increase the time to feel the high. Mastering edibles artistry-level cooking could include a recipe with cannabutter and salmon to experiment further. A salad with avocado could yield the same results.
Of course, there isn’t scientific evidence to support any of these theories yet, and as always, more research is always needed! Sometimes, optimizing a high means reeling it back a little bit. I love to drink coffee with a little bowl on morning weekends, not just because I love coffee, but I love the complementary energy and elation… as long as they don’t fight each other. Remedies that can correct a high that has become too paranoid or groggy are valuable to know.
What may have helped my ex at the time could have been black pepper. It contains the terpene beta-caryophyllene, studied for pain-relief effects. Broccoli’s terpenes have been observed for the same pain relief. I’ve thought that one of the “natural flavorings” of Coke is pepper, and along with the caffeine, is my number one suggestion for getting too high. Instead of black peppercorns, if the spice feels a little too strong, pine nuts have been said to have a similar effect. The terpene pinene that makes pine smell so distinct and fresh may be freshening to a mind that’s a little too high. Lemon was observed in the 18th century by Scottish toxicologist Robert Christison believed it was a good cure for feeling too high, thanks to limonene.
No matter what kind of cannabis you prefer, keeping these foods in your kitchen would at least benefit your health… but why not your high too?