Nothing in the world is better than cozying up with a good book. Well, almost nothing — reading while high might just edge out the vanilla reading experience, at least in our book.
More than just a BookTok trend, reading while high makes good sense. We read to relax, to imagine, and to enrich our lives, and a touch of hemp-derived THC can elevate all of those things, and more. Plus, it’s just a good vibe. Curious how to start reading while a little lofted? Chapter one starts here.
Why It Works
Look, you already know that reading is good for the brain. Studies show that reading regularly can literally affect the physiology of your brain for the better, improving everything from attention span to plasticity to memory. But is popping a gummy before cracking open a hardback beneficial to the reading experience?
While it all comes down to the individual, THC certainly has proven qualities that pair with a good novel at least as well as a nice cup of hot cocoa. For many of us, taking a gummy like Camino’s Wild Berry “Chill” can help both the mind and body unwind — and feeling nice and relaxed is key for really sinking into a good book.
THC gummies are also known to heighten sensory experiences. Because exercising your sensory imagination the way you do when you visualize a really juicy read triggers much of the same sensory response as using your own physical senses, pairing the newest novella with a Camino Watermelon Lemonade “Bliss” gummy can intensify the inner world you envision as your eyes scan the page- and maybe even help your imagination flow more freely.
Dosing for the Mood
For most, the imagination-enhancing effects of THC tend to strike just the right balance at a dosage of around 5mg, broadly speaking. And very conveniently, you’ll find that most of our Camino gummies fall right in that ballpark (for the 10mg gummies, try a quarter or a half first). As a general rule of thumb, gummies with indica-like terpenes, such as limonene, may help put you in a calm, centered place for reading and unwinding in your book nook. Those with sativa-like terpenes offer a more euphoric, creative high that might just expand your mind palace’s horizons.
Just remember, gummies hit everyone a little differently. How a gummy makes you feel can be affected by your tolerance level, height and weight, genetics, and even what you had to eat on any given day. It’s worth experimenting to find what works best for you and the way you like to read, as long as you write this mantra down in the margins: when it comes to dosage, always start low and go slow.
Curate Your Cozy
In a world full of smartphones, Roblox, and AI hallucinations, humanity’s ability to turn two-dimensional symbols on a page into a rich, expressive inner world feels like magic. And even better, we can further enhance that one-of-a-kind sensory experience by curating a little real-world space around the act of reading, which can also work in tandem with a mood-enhancing high to perfect your reading room vibe.
While your reading space should always be an expression of your style and how you like to get comfy with a book, these additions to a book nook can really help the reading-while-high experience pop off, even if you can’t afford a mahogany-clad library with one of those cool sliding ladders (sigh, a writer can dream):
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Mood lighting. Warm lighting to mimic the hearth of a cozy fantasy or sunset romance, pink LEDs for a seedy cyberpunk sci-fi, or an ocean or starscape lamp to make you feel like you’re deep under the sea, isolated from the world. Down with the big lights.
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Aromatherapy. Whether it’s a diffuser or just some cozy candles and incense, soothing scents make one of the coziest activities in the world that much more comfy. Theme the scents to the content for an even more immersive book night.
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Soothing soundscapes. Some of us have trouble concentrating on books with music (especially vocal tracks), but a bit of instrumental can elevate a classic novel, while soothing white noise — like rain sounds or a crackling fireplace — can set the mood for reading while high.
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A literary nest. If you’ve got the space, having a particular spot that you associate with reading, whether it be a chair, a chaise, a beanbag, or a window nook, can really help your brain transition into the “time to read” mindset by association. In any case, make sure your nest is decked out with pillows, blankets, and cushions that make you feel tucked in like a bookmark between pages.
Literary Pairings
We won’t tell you exactly which books to read high, because why limit your options? What works for you works for you. But we will say that certain gummies just feel right with certain types of books. Here are some of our own curated — authored, if you will — selections, just to get you started.
High Fantasy
Start with half of a Camino Sours Orchard Peach ‘Balance’ 10mg gummy, which blends hemp-derived THC and CBD for that even-keeled feel. Turn on those amber-hued lights, get those earthy candles burning, and grab a playlist of medieval tavern ambiance (yeah, that’s a thing) before pairing with your best swords-and-sorcery fantasy. You’ll sink into another world with a clear-eyed, but mellowed-out high.
Camino’s Picks: The Lord of the Rings trilogy by J. R. R. Tolkien, The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson, and Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb
Getting in Your Feelings
If it’s time to read under a pile of blankets in your softest clothes, reach deep into your heart, and let it all out after a hard day’s work, Camino Wild Berry ‘Chill’ gummies pair perfectly with romance and tear-jerking drama. This calming formula gently holds your hand and helps you get attuned with your feelings in the best way.
Camino’s Picks: Pachinko by Min Jin Lee, Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin, and The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
Comfort Classics
You know the books – the well-worn paperbacks you’ve read time and time again. The classic that transports you to a specific summer of your life. The short story collection you read every spring. The YA series that was so formative to your high school days.
Whatever your comfort classic, try it with a Camino Watermelon Lemonade ‘Bliss’ to amp up your joy. For reading on the beach, the porch, the poolside, or with sunbeams hitting your face in your favorite chair, Watermelon Lemonade Bliss + books = your happy place.
Camino’s Picks: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynee Jones, and anything by Agatha Christie
Enrichment Studies
If you read to learn or to practice self-improvement, try pairing your latest pickup with a Camino Freshly Squeezed ‘Recover’ gummy. Ideal for morning readers or getting a few chapters in at the coffee shop, park, or library, these CBG-infused gems keep you grounded, centered, and focused.
Camino’s Picks: Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert, How to Do Nothing by Amy Odell, and The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson
Steamy Romances
There’s no shame in loving a banter-filled romance that makes you giggle, kick your feet, and blush in equal parts. Dial up the tension (and the pleasure) by pairing your latest enemies-to-lovers romp with Camino Wild Cherry ‘Excite,’ which features 5 mg of hemp-derived THC and a blend of sativa-like terpenes to get the blood pumping.
Camino’s Picks: Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros, Beach Read by Emily Henry, and The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
Bedside Books
Reading in bed is not only way better for you than doomscrolling and beaming all that blue light straight into your brain, but it can also actually improve sleep quality. And you know what else can help send you to dreamland? Camino Midnight Blueberry ‘Sleep’ hemp-derived THC gummies with a kiss of calming CBN, chamomile, and lavender. You bring the book and the body pillows, we’ll bring the chill.
Camino’s Picks: Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris, Radical Acceptance by Tara Brach, and Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur
When you add Camino gummies to your reading experience, expect a more vivid inner vision and a more chilled-out book nook vibe. All that’s left now is to choose which books to read while high – and that one’s entirely up to you and your library card.
Dan is a freelance writer, small business owner, and full-time creative living in Dallas, TX. In 15 years of writing, he’s been fortunate to collaborate with companies and publishers like Cannabis and Tech Today, Healthfully, Salon.com, ArtBase, The Seattle Times, USA Today, SF Gate, and many more.
Sources
NIH National Library of Medicine - Brain Connectivity: Short- and Long-Term Effects of a Novel on Connectivity in the Brain
Psychology Today - How Cannabis Makes Everything So Interesting
University of Miami - The Structure of Sensory Imagination
NIH National Library of Medicine - Trials: Does Reading a Book in Bed Make a Difference to Sleep in Comparison to Not Reading a Book in Bed?
