[The Joker1]

I am a meditator. Meditation is quite simply a progressive series of transmitted practices for calming the mind until it is stable, looking at the mind from this calmness, resting in it's nature , recognizing it's unborn qualities of loving , kindness, selflessness and compassion. One is looking inward and recognizing what was formerly thought to be outer experiences are actually experiences of mind and this experience is peaceful, luminous , clear and fascinating.

In the second part, after one learns to calm the mind, meaning one doesn't follow every thought that arises, a deep peace arises. The mind from it's stability, is not projecting concepts onto everything it experiences and then creating a constant state of dissatisfaction by judging whether it likes or dislikes the projections. This constant state of being distracted by projecting concepts onto mental experiences then trying to grasp them by liking or disliking mind is an ordinary state of mind, a state of unease, or dissatisfaction. In this state, one is deluded into thinking that states of mind have outer causes and is looking outward , seeing the transitory experiences, but completely unaware of the experience.



When I smoke, I experience a state of dullness, meaning that every single thought is a distraction away from the mind that is experiencing the thought. The ability to stabilize the mind for prolonged periods is completely lost. I go through periods where I smoke every evening for a few weeks and lose the ability to meditate deeply.

It takes 4-7 days of not smoking for the ability to calm the mind and rest in the present moment of mind naturally to return. After 3-4 weeks, the stability and the peace and the calm are able to be comfortably and naturally maintained for hours or until my body hurts.

The explanation is that weed does something to clog the energy channels. I don't know about the channels, inner winds and drops that the the Tibetan Buddhists use to explain the why's. I do know that the ability to stabilize the mind, rest in it's innate peace and have that peace and stability remain post meditation is profoundly enhanced after weeks and months of non smoking.

That's my experience.

I smoke when I am so exhausted I can't sleep. I have a crazy demanding job and often work 60 hours a week. Exhaustion is a greater cause of mental dullness/ distraction than weed.

[The Joker1]

No ability to edit: I meant , one is not aware of the experiencer, only the distractions. One sees the waves, but not the ocean. When one recognizes minds natural state, peace arises. Thoughts come and go, play and disappear back into the mind that they arose from. There is no judgement, no like and dislike, just a calm, a peace and a luminosity that is not dependent on any cause, because it is minds natural state. When one recognizes it, one realizes that you have been experiencing it your entire life in moments of contentment and peace.

It is a state of relaxed concentration on awareness itself and according to tradition is entirely connected to open energy channels. We are warned that marijuana and tobacco clog these channels.

Whether that is true or not, I can state my experience of refrain. If I do a meditation retreat, I don't smoke for at least 30 days prior. Radical difference in experiencing directly what one had formerly known only in an academic or conceptual way. Quite joyful.

[coldcanna]

The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is a biological system composed of endocannabinoids, which are endogenous lipid-based retrograde neurotransmitters that bind to cannabinoid receptors, and cannabinoid receptor proteins that are expressed throughout the mammalian central nervous system (including the brain) and peripheral nervous system. The endocannabinoid system is involved in regulating a variety of physiological and cognitive processes including fertility,[1] pregnancy,[2] during pre- and postnatal development,[3] appetite, pain-sensation, mood, and memory, and in mediating the pharmacological effects of cannabis.[4][5] The ECS is also involved in mediating some of the physiological and cognitive effects of voluntary physical exercise in humans and other animals, such as contributing to exercise-induced euphoria as well as modulating locomotor activity and motivational salience for rewards.[6][7][8][9] In humans, the plasma concentration of certain endocannabinoids (i.e., anandamide) have been found to rise during physical activity;[6][7] since endocannabinoids can effectively penetrate the blood–brain barrier, it has been suggested that anandamide, along with other euphoriant neurochemicals, contributes to the development of exercise-induced euphoria in humans, a state colloquially referred to as a runner's high.[6][7]

Two primary endocannabinoid receptors have been identified: CB1, first cloned in 1990; and CB2, cloned in 1993. CB1 receptors are found predominantly in the brain and nervous system, as well as in peripheral organs and tissues, and are the main molecular target of the endocannabinoid ligand (binding molecule), anandamide, as well as its mimetic phytocannabinoid, THC. One other main endocannabinoid is 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) which is active at both cannabinoid receptors, along with its own mimetic phytocannabinoid, CBD. 2-AG and CBD are involved in the regulation of appetite, immune system functions and pain management.[10][11][12]
Energy balance and metabolism
The endocannabinoid system has been shown to have a homeostatic role by controlling several metabolic functions, such as energy storage and nutrient transport. It acts on peripheral tissues such as adipocytes, hepatocytes, the gastrointestinal tract, the skeletal muscles and the endocrine pancreas. It has also been implied in modulating insulin sensitivity. Through all of this, the endocannabinoid system may play a role in clinical conditions, such as obesity, diabetes, and atherosclerosis, which may also give it a cardiovascular role.[52]

Stress response
While the secretion of glucocorticoids in response to stressful stimuli is an adaptive response necessary for an organism to respond appropriately to a stressor, persistent secretion may be harmful. The endocannabinoid system has been implicated in the habituation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA axis) to repeated exposure to restraint stress. Studies have demonstrated differential synthesis of anandamide and 2-AG during tonic stress. A decrease of anandamide was found along the axis that contributed to basal hypersecretion of corticosterone; in contrast, an increase of 2-AG was found in the amygdala after repeated stress, which was negatively correlated to magnitude of the corticosterone response. All effects were abolished by the CB1 antagonist AM251, supporting the conclusion that these effects were cannabinoid-receptor dependent.[53] These findings show that anandamide and 2-AG divergently regulate the HPA axis response to stress: while habituation of the stress-induced HPA axis via 2-AG prevents excessive secretion of glucocorticoids to non-threatening stimuli, the increase of basal corticosterone secretion resulting from decreased anandamide allows for a facilitated response of the HPA axis to novel stimuli.

Exploration, social behavior, and anxiety
.[54] These contrasting effects reveal the importance of the endocannabinoid system in regulating anxiety-dependent behavior. Results suggest that glutamatergic cannabinoid receptors are not only responsible for mediating aggression, but produce an anxiolytic-like function by inhibiting excessive arousal: excessive excitation produces anxiety that limited the mice from exploring both animate and inanimate objects. In contrast, GABAergic neurons appear to control an anxiogenic-like function by limiting inhibitory transmitter release. Taken together, these two sets of neurons appear to help regulate the organism's overall sense of arousal during novel situations.

Immune function
Evidence suggests that endocannabinoids may function as both neuromodulators and immunomodulators in the immune system. Here, they seem to serve an autoprotective role to ameliorate muscle spasms, inflammation, and other symptoms of multiple sclerosis and skeletal muscle spasms.[13] Functionally, the activation of cannabinoid receptors has been demonstrated to play a role in the activation of GTPases in macrophages, neutrophils, and BM cells. These receptors have also been implicated in the proper migration of B cells into the marginal zone (MZ) and the regulation of healthy IgM levels.[55] Interestingly, some disorders seem to trigger an upregulation of cannabinoid receptors selectively in cells or tissues related to symptom relief and inhibition of disease progression, such as in that rodent neuropathic pain model, where receptors are increased in the spinal cord microglia, dorsal root ganglion, and thalamic neurons.[24]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endocannabinoid_system

[coldcanna]

The endo-cannabinoid system plays a large role in the function of our body. So like anything else, the effect of external cannabinoids on this system would be slightly different for everyone depending if your endo system is low, high, or balanced with cannabinoids. This has not been studied that I know of.

I don't have an opinion on the debate of chakras going on here. But it seems clear to me that if you are naturally lacking in cannabinoids then supplementing with phytocannabinoids (plant based) would have a positive effect on your overall well being.