Staff Reporter
Cannabis makes any activity more exciting, be it a simple home party with friends or binge-watching your favorite TV shows. There is even a whole new cannabis culture among gamers, who found that playing video games while high elevates the experience. This diverse population, also called CannaGamers, is an interesting cultural phenomenon that deserves your attention. In this article, we try to discover who these people are and how they may change the cannabis industry.
Who Are CannaGamers?
Many people picture a young man playing games in a smoke-filled room when they think about a typical CannaGamer. However, this population is actually far more diverse and includes people of different ages, genders, marital statuses, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Simply speaking, CannaGamers is a term defining anyone who combines cannabis consumption and gaming.
Why Play While High?
Approximately half of all people consuming cannabis play computer games. Why do people pair these two activities? It turns out that playing games while high may have many advantages:
- Higher focus and motivation;
- Improved performance;
- Reduced stress and anxiety;
- Improved brain capacity;
- Relieved muscle pain.
In other words, cannabis makes gamers more physically, cognitively, and mentally prepared.
Gaming can be a stressful activity, which causes a lot of tension in the neck, back, and arms. By smoking marijuana or using CBD-rich topical creams applied directly on the sore muscles, CannaGamers relieve this pain, which allows them to enjoy their hobby longer.
Some gamers turn to pharmaceuticals such as Adderall to boost their performance. These drugs are believed to improve response time and reflexes and make gamers more competitive. Unfortunately, these are highly addictive drugs with severe side effects, so their widespread use in gaming is a serious problem. Cannabis is a much more appealing alternative, as it acts mildly and has fewer side effects.
However, it should be noted that the positive effects of cannabis mostly come from anecdotal reports from gamers and have not been confirmed by scientists. If cannabis helps someone you know play more efficiently, it does not mean you will experience the same effects. Cannabis can affect bodies differently, so there is no better way to understand whether it works for you than to try it.
Effect of CannaGamers on the Cannabis Industry
Cannabis consumption is occasion-based. Some people take cannabis to relieve stress and promote sleep in the evening. Others benefit from cannabis edibles in the morning to boost energy and mood. There are party-only marijuana lovers who only use this plant to relax with friends. Now, gaming is becoming another great occasion for cannabis consumption.
The cannabis industry may benefit greatly from this trend. It can adjust the marketing techniques to attract CannaGamers. Certain weed strains, such as White Runtz weed, may be marketed as particularly suitable for this target population. Cannabis dispensaries hopping on this trend may increase their sales significantly. When it comes to cannabis producers, they may try to create strains with properties most appealing to gamers. Given the significant number of CannaGamers, this endeavor may bring impressive profits in the long-term perspective.
Another promising business idea is to use CannaGaming influencers to promote cannabis products. These people have an immense effect on their followers, affecting their habits and purchasing decisions. Many non-gaming brands have been successfully working with gaming influencers, and it appears that this trend shows no sign of decline because the gaming industry continues to grow.
Cannabis Strain Matters
It should be noted, though, that only specific cannabis strains should be marketed to CannaGamers as an optimal fit. These may include CBD-dominated strains and balanced hybrids with a low concentration of psychedelic chemicals. Such strains usually make users euphoric, happy, and relaxed, but they do not significantly limit their capabilities.
Delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)-rich strains that cause disorientation and have potent psychedelic properties are hardly what gamers need. They can help relax and drift away, but they can also impair cognitive function and negatively affect problem-solving, decision-making, emotion control, and memory.
Cannabis and Professional Gaming
Pro gamers participating in contests should be cautious when consuming marijuana. New anti-doping policies prohibit cannabis use among gamers and require disqualifying those who break the rules. In this way, it is possible to conclude that the CannaGaming trend remains limited to amateur gamers. It is unlikely that major changes will be observed in the industry soon, given zero tolerance for drugs.
Summing Up
CannaGaming is not a new phenomenon. Since the emergence of computer games, cannabis fans have enjoyed playing high because it’s fun and relaxing. Contemporary CannaGamers bring this habit to a new level by using cannabis to improve gaming performance. The cannabis industry may capitalize on the immense popularity of cannabis in this population. For example, it can develop new strains or market existing ones as a perfect fit for gamers. Whatever the strategies are used, one thing is clear – gamers will remain loyal marijuana fans.
