If anyone has been anywhere on the internet, the term “420 blaze it” while video gaming has likely been heard. Now more of a meme, the cannabis term has often been seen during first-person shooter video game compilations, accompanied by air horns and several images of Doritos and Mountain Dew.
However, whether the mention of cannabis during gaming is used as a joke or not, the relevance of cannabis use when gaming is undeniable. But, is it safe?
Research into Cannabis and Video Gaming
Several scholarly websites claim cannabis and gaming are not a good mix. Research into scholarly articles, such as “Co-Occurrence of Addictive Behaviours: Personality Factors…” leads to a rabbit hole of gaming addiction, drug addiction, and mental health issues. Cannabis use and psychosis (a symptom where a person loses understanding of reality) are a few of the scariest to stand out. And, although getting “high” for gaming might sound like a great idea in theory, realistically all a person is doing is confusing their senses of reality.
The above-mentioned articles are often related to cannabis use and abuse. Not nearly as many articles exist comparing CBD to gaming performance. CBD is quite different, as it often has little to no THC (the psychoactive part of cannabis). That means no psychosis, no getting high, but maintaining the same calmness that cannabis seems to offer some people. Cannabis is hit-or-miss, while CBD has a similar effect every single time–something essential for maintaining consistency while gaming.
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So, what does CBD do? Well, CBD is believed to calm down the mind and body by modifying serotonin levels. Serotonin is essential for sleep, mood, digestion, and many more bodily necessities. And, given that all, the next logical step is that CBD can assist video gamers in staying calm during stressful moments in video gaming.
CBD may even help with preventing a build-up of rage. The act of yelling and becoming angry is rewarded by the body in the form of dopamine, the “rush” most people get from addictive drugs. CBD is, in the simplest terms, safer, easier to maintain, and offers very similar effects of “de-stressing” as cannabis does.
CBD’s Ongoing Research
Written in a “Hypothesis and Theory” article on Frontiers (a research journal hub), “Whereas THC impairs performance on motor and response inhibition tasks, cannabidiol (CBD) does not impair motor or cognitive performance.” And, although CBD is still being studied, a consensus seems to be forming.
More research is, of course, necessary. A quick Google Scholar research leads to an infinite pool of suggestions. Most “CBD and gaming” related articles have to do with Compulsive Buying Disorder (CBD), THC, and gaming addiction.
What Does This Mean For Video Gaming?
The reason why this article has a rather diluted conclusion is that that’s simply where this day and age has CBD at. Even though CBD has existed for over half a century, only now is the THC alternative becoming popular and more widely accepted. It cannot be repeated enough that more research must be done.
However, CBD can, for some people, lead to a calmer, perhaps even more focused, gaming session. And, although no results are guaranteed, the final decider is, and always should be, you. So, ask yourself… What do you want? In the end, you must decide what experience you want to have.
