Weed doesn’t just make stuff funny. It enhances sensory experiences. THC affects the part of your brain that handles sensory input and reward. It changes the way the neural signals get processed. So you’re literally able to perceive things in new ways. Basically, bud is a great buddy for trying new things you thought were boring but that other people swear are awesome. 

Not a symphony person? You sure? Look, maybe this is the kind of stuff you think is for old people or younger people who wear turtle necks. But we’re telling you, DC’s High Culture scene hits differently when you’re high. Here’s a list of “high” culture things to do in the DMV that will have you feeling like you’re not just wearing a turtle neck, but you were born in one. 

The Symphony: National Symphony Orchestra at the Strathmore 

There’s something profoundly moving about experiencing a live orchestra in a venue that feels like it was built to make your goosebumps feel fancy — all while in the gentle hold of a balanced hybrid. Chill enough to appreciate the complex arrangements, inspired enough to realize the dude waving the stick around is actually doing something. And no, it’s not super expensive. Tickets start at $22. We recommend the Songs of Destiny & Fate concerts happening January 22–24 because the Washington Chorus will join the symphony. Double high, double culture, double cool points.

Contemporary Art: Hirshhorn Museum or Rubell Museum DC

Contemporary art and cannabis are natural companions. Both get you questioning your assumptions, seeing differently, feeling deeply, and sometimes wonder what the hell you’re looking at.

The Hirshhorn (which is free, because Smithsonian) is the national museum of modern and contemporary art. It’s in a distinctive bagel-shaped building on the National Mall. The Rubell Museum has free admission for DC residents. It shows cutting-edge contemporary artists in an old school building in Southwest DC. Pair with a creative sativa like Lemon Fresh, so you don’t get couch-locked staring at a black toilet seat mounted to a brick pony you once rolled your eyes at. 

The Ballet: The Washington Ballet

Ballet is already trippy. The human body does things that seem to defy physics. Dancers float across the stage like gravity’s more of a suggestion than a law. With the right mindset, the whole thing can feel like a beautiful fever dream. Ballets tend to be a little long—2–3 hours—so you’ll want something that helps you settle in and stay curious.Try  Cherry Chem, often described as couch-friendly, generally thought-flexible, and surprisingly tutu-tolerant. 

Jazz: Blues Alley

Founded in 1965, Blues Alley is the nation’s oldest continuing jazz supper club, tucked into a cute as hell 18th-century carriage house in Georgetown. It’s a legendary spot. Heavy hitters Dizzy Gillespie, Ella Fitzgerald, and Sarah Vaughan all played (and possibly smoked) there. It’s perfect for a properly elevated evening for listening to music that is decidedly not for elevators. Jazz and cannabis have a historic relationship. Louis Armstrong himself became the first celebrity musician to be busted for possession. Opt for a sativa-leaning hybrid like Spritzer popular for helping folks feel the rhythm while staying tuned in enough to follow the flow.

The DC High Culture Lowdown

DC is not just the nation’s political playground. It’s also a city dense with all sorts of world-class arts and music and dance and food and everything the most cultured among us could ever want. So next time you pick up a DC gram, get DC high,, and get DC high cultured. There’s so much to do, and so much that’s more fun high. 

WEED THE PEOPLE