We are still only scratching the surface when it comes to understanding the therapeutic potential of cannabis, but one thing is certain: it can help induce laughter. 

A recent article from Mic delved into this topic and why cannabis makes you giggly. Here’s what two sciencists had to say. 

“Laughing is really a reflex,” like coughing or sneezing, Timothy Fong, a professor of psychiatry at UCLA told Mic. “It’s something that can be triggered spontaneously, by things we see and feel.”

Cannabis also boosts serotonin and dopamine levels, which, Fong says, makes “things that aren’t funny become funny,” as well as lowering our inhibitions. And if you’re consuming in a group setting, laughter can quickly become contagious. 

“That altered state makes the reflex [to laugh] more likely to be triggered,” he says. 

Lewis Nelson, chair of the department of emergency medicine and chief of the division of medical toxicology at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, agrees. He said that the THC releases “the happy neurotransmitters,” dopamine and serotonin, as it binds to endocannabinoid receptors throughout the body. 

Of course, everyone experiences cannabis differently, and there is no strain that guarantees laughter, but according to Fong, the more potent the cannabis, the more likely the laughter. He compares strains that pack a punch of THC to turning up your stereo louder. “You’re going to get more intense responses,” he said.