Can Cannabis Help You Survive the Summer Heat?

It feels like the world has never been hotter. Weather patterns have changed due to global warming. In fact, we are living through a next level of summer heat. It’s global heating to be honest. At least that's what it feels like these days if you live in a place like California. As if you are in a frying pan. 

Palm Springs, California hit a savage 124 degrees Friday, July 5, the hottest temperature ever recorded in town, Fox Weather reported. 

In other news, June was the 13th straight month when global temperature got record warm, and the 12th month in a row that the world temperature was 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit or warmer than pre-industrial times, according to a recent statement from the European climate service Copernicus. 

So, if you still don’t believe in climate change, you are probably smoking the wrong kind of weed. 

Normally, with such blistering temperatures in place, everyone is looking for a way to cool off and literally survive the boiling. One of the remedies that can help cope with the summer heat is of course cannabis. 

Using cannabis is great to chill out when you feel moody and jumpy, but it can also help you beat the heat. Weed may lower body temperature and help you feel at least a little bit cooler. Isn’t that magic? 

Anecdotal evidence shows that many island people use cannabis to help them stay cooler when the tropical heat settles in where they live. But there’s also a scientific explanation to what happens to the body when you use cannabis in the summer or during high temperatures.

Can Cannabis Help You Cope with the Summer Heat?

Here’s what science has to say. Some of the compounds found in cannabis help balance your body temperature by acting as homeostatic agents. Which means if your body temperature is slightly up, cannabis can lower it down a little bit. If you are a regular user, you may have already noticed or experienced this effect from marijuana on your own skin. Some users even report shivering after indulging too much in weed, though it’s in very rare circumstances.

Shivering can happen due to various factors, including sudden drop of body temperature or hypothermia. With cannabis, this side effect is temporary and harmless, and it usually owes to extra high levels of THC in the body. But it’s a genuine proof that cannabis does affect body temperature, and perhaps you can use that to your advantage. 

Cannabis engages with different receptors in the human body, including receptors that play an important role in whether you feel hot or cold. They’re called vanilloid protein receptors. Marijuana can stun these receptors and stimulate the body’s natural cooling response. 

Still, a significant part of the effect from using cannabis would depend on how and where you consume it. Weed is unlikely to make your body feel cooler if you smoke in a warm room with no air conditioning. Smoking inside an unventilated space may actually make you feel more hot and uncomfortable. But if you smoke somewhere outside, it might be an entirely different experience. 

How Can You Use Cannabis to Feel Cooler During Extreme Heat? 

There are various ways you can indulge in weed and survive scorching summer temperatures. Scroll through below to get some ideas on how to freshen up. 

Smoke Weed Outside or in Nature

Summer evenings can be perfect to release that excess heat you accumulate in the body after a hot day, that is if you know where to go and use some of your cannabis stash. Don’t close yourself in a small smoking room. Imagine a different setting where you smoke weed: you are somewhere by water, a lake or a river, the ocean, or in a park, anywhere outside. Wear thin clothes and watch the magic happens. 

Prepare Cannabis Beverages

Staying hydrated is essential in summer. When you sweat like a pig it’s important to compensate for those lost bodily fluids. Water is always welcome, and then there are other ways to hydrate, such as eating fresh fruits and vegetables, or perhaps preparing an infused smoothie. If you need ideas for cool and refreshing cannabis beverages, look no further. Here are five THC-infused beverage recipes that you can check out.

Try CBD Water 

If you don’t like to get high but still want to use cannabis to cool your body and make life easier during the summer, the go-to option is CBD. The most hydrating way to use CBD is to drink CBD-infused water. This type of product arrived on the market relatively recently. You can drink it like that or use it with lemonade or other juices. A downside could be the lower levels of CBD in CBD water compared to other products, but you can always drink more. 

What Else You Should Know About Using Weed in the Summer? 

Extreme hot weather can leave you thirsty, dizzy, and feeling weak. Therefore, it’s worth being mindful of how you use cannabis when it’s the peak of the heat wave. Here’s what else you should know. 

Caution with edibles

Treating yourself with edibles when outdoors can be fairly different than taking them at home, especially if the sun is burning hot outside. If you plan on taking gummies before hitting the beach, it’s recommended to use less than what you would normally have. When the temperatures are up outside, your body is more sensitive and it will react quicker even when you take smaller amounts of cannabis. You don’t need more in summer, you need less. The good thing about this is that you are saving on your stash. 

Always have a bottle of water with you

This is just another reminder that when the temperatures are up and you sweat, you need to take more fluids than usual. If you smoke a joint and then go outside, bring a bottle of cold water with you. It can save you in case you start to feel a bit uncomfy as the THC hits in. 

Treating insect bites 

The summer season is also inviting for all sorts of annoying and biting insects, including mosquitos and spiders. If the bugs are after you and bite you, one way you can treat the itchy red bumps that appear on your skin is with cannabis-infused topicals instead of other creams. Cannabinoid-infused topicals can help stop the itch and they will also facilitate a faster healing of the skin. 

Treating sunburns 

Sunburns are inevitable in the summer and that’s a reason more to use cannabis and find it helpful. There are various plant-based cooling gels that can heal sunburns. Using cannabis gels will aid your skin and they are also great to keep you cooler during the summer heat.

Also read on Soft Secrets:

- What’s the Best Time of the Year to Grow Cannabis?

- Top Tips for Growing Outdoors During Summer

- Daylight Saving Time and Cannabis