First, it’s important to understand the role caffeine plays in your body. While most people assume it gives you energy, that’s not what is actually happening. Caffeine blocks receptors in your brain from receiving a chemical compound called adenosine. Adenosine is responsible for drowsiness. So rather than give you energy, your morning cup of coffee just blocks this drowsy compound – that is, until your coffee wears off.

Now, cannabis, on the other hand, contains something called phytocannabinoids. These are similar to the endocannabinoids produced by your brain. These phytocannabinoids bind to cannabinoid receptors in the brain. These receptors are part of your endocannabinoid system. This system is responsible for maintaining homeostasis within the body including functions such as appetite, pain, sleep, stress, gastric function, cardiovascular function, and even reproduction. As a result, when these phytocannabinoids bind to the receptors, they can have a variety of beneficial effects on the body.

In addition, THC very closely resembles the chemical anandamide which is also called the bliss molecule. Anandamide is also naturally occurring in the brain and is connected to things such as emotions, intellectual thought, and more. This is why so many people enjoy a euphoric feeling when using cannabis products.

Cannabis and Caffeine Together

While there isn’t an abundance of scientific studies about the relationship between coffee and cannabis, there was one notable study involving squirrel monkeys. These monkeys were given different doses of a drug mimicking the receptor-blocking properties of caffeine. They were then allowed to intake as much THC as they desired.

Since caffeine impedes receptors in your brain from receiving adenosine, and THC resembles anandamide, the two together work quite well.  Essentially, you’re combining the alertness of coffee with the euphoria of cannabis in a way that creates a non-drowsy state of inspiration and happiness.