Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with marijuana

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Anonymous — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 13:13:21 -0800

Back in college, I smoked weed intermittently (maybe every month if that - so not that big a smoker), but had a consistent dealer on campus. Now I am many years out of college, and my dealer connection moved to Portland but I would still would like to smoke now and again, and yet, I have no freaking clue how to find a source.

Demographic info: I'm 28, female, and single, live in a smallish city in the Hudson Valley about 1 hour north of NYC with a significant college stupid population + a number of Jamaican and Haitian immigrants, with a nice cross section of folks living around me. There are a few smoke shops in the area, but they are scattered around everywhere. I can smell weed when I walk down the street so I know that people around me who have it, but I don't know how to take the next step here and find someone who will sell to me.

I know weed is not legal in this country - please no lectures on that. I also know the likelihood of the cops in my hood caring about me and my pathetic display of sometimes smoking one joint a month is slim to none. I just want to know how I, as someone who lives in a small city full of pot-smokers and no longer has a dealer, gets pot. If anyone can help, that will be great. Thanks.

I'm looking for a good pain-relief strain of marijuana.

Evilspork — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 14:27:50 -0800

I'm looking for a good pain-relief strain of marijuana. After a bunch of trials with prescription drugs (this is ongoing), I've tried your basic cheap type of marijuana. I found that while it helps with my back pain and lets me be more productive, it's more of a head high vs. the body high I'm after. Looking into it more, I'm pretty sure what I'm looking for is an indica strain instead of a sativa. While I've found lists of indica strains, I'm not sure what's popular or that I could get my hands on in a non-dispensary state. What should I be asking for that I have a good chance of finding?

Ex-Pothead Starts Smoking A Little Pot Again

Anonymous — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 15:12:54 -0800

I'm a 21 year old ex-pothead (read: addict) who recently embarked on an adventure across the world--and after 2 years of quitting, smoked a few times this month. It's helped with my anxiety and stress (which I suffer from greatly), but is also making me incredibly guilty. Is this okay? When it comes to pot, is it still "once an addict, always an addict"? Do you have any anecdotal experience on this? Two years ago, I was a different person--incredibly depressed, with absolutely no self esteem, and complete lack of confidence and discipline--I was also addicted to pot.

I became a potsmoker at 16, and only quit when I was 18 after I graduated high school, started university and realized that I couldn't go on like this. I was smoking pot every single day in my university semester to deal with a lot of depression and anxiety from various issues. Self-medicating, I guess.

I quit after my first semester at university. For 2 years, I didn't touch the stuff.

Since then, I've grown and matured, am happier and more confident, have improved my grades/relationships/perspectives/LIFE tremendously. I have changed my life around 180 degrees.

However, I'm currently on a trip abroad where people party party party all the freakin' time. Although in general I've been balanced and healthy about it, I smoked a bit of pot here a few weeks ago. And then, a week later, I had a pot brownie. And then a few days ago, I smoked some weed at a party.

I feel extremely, extremely guilty about this and I wonder if I should. I enjoy the way pot makes me less anxious for days after the use. I feel it calms my crazy extroverted energy. I think moderation is key, and should be key.

But I can't tell my emotions and feelings on this subject very well--they swing like pendulums from POT IS WRONG AND I'M EVIL FOR SMOKING to WTF WHY SO JUDGEMENTAL OF MYSELF and HOLY FUCK, MY PARENTS WILL SKIN MY ALIVE (explains why i'm anony)

What do you think? Have you been through this? I'm smart, mature, and adult enough (I think) to stop myself from having pot interfere in the important things in my life. I'd like to hear some experience from cannabis users who have smoked weed in the past to excess, and then introduce it in moderation to their lives.

Thank you so much. Living away from Mom and Dad and their incredible advice and support (as well as crazy harsh criticism) has been hard for me. It's my first time living and being completely alone. I'd just like your input.

Retail marijuana in Washington state

Ardiril — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 08:57:20 -0800

In what month can the state of Washington realistically expect to see a commercial storefront retailing marijuana to the general public (with proof of age)? [citations appreciated]

Hip to be square. Except not.

Anonymous — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 14:30:52 -0800

How do I deal with my boyfriend's love of marijuana? My boyfriend is great. He's funny, smart, musically talented, a total dreamboat, good in bed, blah blah blah. But he smokes pot.

Not like, all the time. At least, not now. He used to be a daily smoker, and has been arrested for possession multiple times. His therapist urged him to quit, and so he cut back a bit - he only smokes maybe once a month. He's like Gollum when he buys weed for himself, though - he will just constantly smoke it until it's gone. It's all he can think about doing.

Also, when he smokes pot, he's worthless. I know that some people are go-go-go when they smoke weed, and it makes them creative and engaging, but my boyfriend is like a log. He gets high, wants to have sex, falls asleep for 3-4 hours, wakes up, repeat process, maybe with some pie. It's annoying to me, because he'll do it on a weekend, and instead of us doing something fun together, he's laid up in bed sleeping all day.

I am not a drug user in the slightest. He has used lots of drugs in his youth, and so I know a lot of what I feel about his smoking habits are my insecurities that I'm such a square and totally not cool enough. His ex-girlfriends would do drugs with him while they were dating, and I'm not into that, so it makes me feel like I'm not fulfilling him, although he says that he likes my squareness.

Despite my squareness, I have no problem with marijuana at all - I think it should be legal, I know plenty of people who smoke it regularly with no issues. I just don't really like my boyfriend when he's high.

Last night, he told me he was going to buy weed this evening. I made my concerns known, and he said he felt bad that I didn't like it, but that he really wanted to do it, so he was going to anyway. I respect that, but this is the second time this month that he will be doing it, which worries me. He has expressed concern that he would go back to smoking every day, that he's not sure if he can keep up the once-every-month-or-so thing.

He also suffers from depression, which is medicated and under control now, but he has said that smoking pot was the only thing that made him feel better when he was unmedicated, and so I kind of have a soft spot in my heart for that - I hate that I don't like this thing that made him feel like a normal person when he was in such a dark place in his life.

He has put up with me while I've drank to excess at parties and get-togethers, including any vomiting and/or injury, so I get that we're both not fun to be around under the influence. Thinking of the times where he's taken care of me while I've been drunk makes me more likely to not hate on him when he's smoking. Is this just something that I just have to learn to deal with? And if so, how do I do that?

As far as ages go, we're both in our late 20s. We've been together for a little over six months, but the relationship has progressed VERY quickly, which is unlike both of us - we both think that we are pretty much perfect for each other, we live together, we have talked about a future together... except for this issue that I can't get over.

How do I forgive myself for being a pothead?

Anonymous — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 07:21:26 -0800

I started smoking weed in my early twenties, when I moved away from my hometown to a larger city in a different country. It's enough to say that I wasn't adapted well to being on my own; that, combined with the stress of a new job, a language barrier, and a few health problems that chipped away at my self-esteem, led me to take comfort in marijuana, on and off, for ten years. How do I forgive myself for the feelings of shame I have? I've always found myself attracted to abusive partners, and I have been prone to low-mood/depression since my mid-teens. Pot gave me the escape I needed from the dead-end relationships I've been in, but unfortunately I feel like I didn't fully engage in life. When I look back, I can see that I did many things in the last decade, such as learn two new instruments, tour a few countries in bands, learn to cook, build a freelance career, and build a huge circle of loving friends who I enjoy spending time with very much. I've been "clean" for three months now (had enough one day and stopped) but I can't stop feeling like I pissed away my twenties on something I didn't enjoy. There is a string of disappointed friends mixed in there as well, and I often hear about how much more alive I seem now that I'm not smoking pot. For some reason, that stabs at me.

When I look at my bank account I think about how much more I'd have saved if I hadn't been chronic. When I hear of friends accomplishments, or their disdain for pot, I feel like I wasted so many years. When I think of the goals I sacrificed for.... what? I feel a little bereft. Has anyone grappled such feelings and moved on?

I've been seeing a therapist for a year and we touch on this from time to time. My work with her has focused more on early abuse issues from my childhood; treat the disease, not the symptoms: that's the motto we've adopted. At some point though, my dependence on that drug became part of the larger problem, not just a symptom of it.

Marijuana use and procreation

Anonymous — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 08:27:30 -0800

Should I stop smoking weed while trying to conceive? Hi. 35 year old male in reasonably good health. History of migraines, ADHD, and anxiety. Take Wellbutrin xl daily. Ibuprofen, fioricet and maxalt as needed for migraines. My wife and I are starting to think about baby number 2. I've been smoking or vaporizing marijuana daily for the last couple if months and prior to that I had been using once to twice a week for a few years. How concerned should I be about the effect of pot on my gametes? I've read that it can degrade DNA as well as lead to infertility. I guess my real question is, should I stop smoking/vaping while we are trying to conceive? If so, how long until my sperms are healthy again? Thanks in advance!

Why does weed make it all so easy?

Anonymous — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 07:49:25 -0800

Only marijuana lets me be the person I want to be. But I don't want to be dependent on drugs just to function. I've struggled for years with so much anger, negativity, suspicion of others, and general difficulty enjoying life. I've been in therapy (CBT) several times trying to counteract these habits. According to the assessments I took for therapy, I am suffering from depression, anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder. I don't take any prescription drugs and I don't drink because of a history of alcoholism.

A few times a year, I smoke pot. When I do, it's like all the self-destructive aspects of my mind shut up for a little while. I suddenly realize that I can be kind to myself and others. I clean my room instead of letting all the shit pile up, because I'm not paralyzed by thinking, "What's the point?" I don't assume all the people around me are idiots or jerks or trying to hurt me. I am able to enjoy basic things like food, watching a movie, cuddling with my significant other, or taking a walk.

Then, when the drug wears off, I'm back to being a nervous wreck. If I could take a little bit of marijuana every day as a real prescription, I guess I would do it -- but that doesn't seem practical or wise. I just want to be able to LISTEN to the positive impulses inside ("Take care of yourself and others,"), and NOT LISTEN to the negative ones ("Everyone and everything sucks, everyone is a jerk.").

Can you guys give me some insight as to why marijuana makes this huge difference, and what I should do? I don't want to be dependent on any drugs, but should I just get over it and use what I know works for me? I'm miserable and at a loss.

You can e-mail me if you want at M8R-a7rt8j@mailinator.com

Just say yes?

Anonymous — Sat, 29 Dec 2012 06:40:32 -0800

Has anyone used marijuana and experienced its more pleasant effects after many years of staying away from the stuff due to the more unpleasant stuff? [Just to preface, I have checked out many other forums, including erowid, however my friends in the green (no pun intended), have never steered me wrong!]

From the ages of 16-21, I was a very heavy pot smoker. Every day, in every way. For the first 3-4 years, I absolutely loved it. I felt more creative, got different perspectives on art, food, music, sex, everything. As my use and tolerance increased, it set off a series of panic and anxiety attacks which eventually required medication to keep these from interfering with my daily life.

Like most 21 year olds, my life was a mess at the time for a variety of reasons, but apart from weed, I had no other vices. I never drank (didn't like the taste) or even experiment with any other drugs. I think the anxiety disorder emerged from a perfect storm of factors, and definitely understand the contribution that marijuana has to these tendencies.

Fast forward ten years or so. I'm 32 (male), and in a much better place in life. I am still on medication (effexor, as I was never able to get off it because of withdrawal effects), but by all standard definitions, I have a pretty great thing going in life.

For some reason however, I have always missed being able to get high though. Call it nostalgia, but more and more, I have been increasingly craving some sort of release, especially as I get no pleasure from alcohol.

I feel that my life is in a stable enough place where I could begin to experiment slowly again with marijuana in more controlled environments, and reading some of the other threads here about people who have had bad experiences, have taken on board some of the advice offered there.

What I am essentially asking and looking for here is any stories of people who may have gone through a similar experience – Returning to recreational weed smoking after many years away due to bad experiences, and enjoying their newfound experiences. I would love to hear of any personal stories or anecdotal evidence that could support my decision, as well as any other tips or things to consider that could make things easier, or how to best prepare in case things go wrong.

LARGE DISCLAIMER! - I am more than well aware that many people here will think this is a bad idea, and I am not looking for advice on whether or not to indulge myself. I know that if I have another bad experience, that I'll be retiring it forever. I am also aware of other things I can do to achieve similar effects in my life such as meditation and exercise and sex, three things that are all very much in my life already. I'd like to stick to the above question as much as possible :) Thank you in advance!

Well, that was stupid.

biochemist — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 13:28:47 -0800

I smoked weed on Saturday. Drug test on Wednesday. Will I fail? I've seen the other questions about this but they all involved regular users. I've smoked four times in my life with over a year in between each time. This weekend I was stupid and decided smoking 1/2 of a joint the same day I put in some job applications was a good idea. Now I have an interview for my dream job. I know if I'm offered the job I'll have to do the test the same day. Did I screw up here or is there a chance it won't show up?

I regularly drink a lot of coffee and water. I'm pretty sure it's a pee test. Does this matter at all?

Thank you.

What happens to prisoners after the end of the war on weed?

Anonymous — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 17:52:39 -0800

What happens to people locked up for weed in a post legalization state? Amendment 64 in Colorado and Initiative 502 in Washington state both seem to have a decent possibility of passing, and would make the posession and consumption of marijuana legal for adults. What would happent to people jailed in either state for possession or distribution of marijuana if either of these pass? Seems even more pointless to keep these people locked up when it's officially legal, is there any provisions or guidelines about what will happen to them?

Help Kief-er get his smoke on

porn in the woods — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 09:01:45 -0800

I'm a moderate pot smoker to help with my insomnia and back pains. My local medical marijuana dispensary is selling stellar kief at great prices (less costly than pot, even.) I love to 'snowcap' my bowl of herb with kief, but lately I'm thinking maybe I should skip the herb and just burn the trichomes. My current glass pot pipe isn't going to do the trick - what's the best pipe these days for kief? Anyone switched from herb to just kief? Experiences? Drawbacks?

Is there a way I channel my Marijuana use positively?

Anonymous — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 13:04:27 -0800

Is there a way I channel my Marijuana use positively? mefiverse,

I was thinking long and hard about how to present this question, so I'm going to try to make it as straightforward as possible, and present all factors that contribute to my dilemma.

Until I was 21, I stayed away from alcohol or drugs of any kind because I just didn't see them as contributing to anything -- to my social life, or just personally. I like to think I survived my angsty teenage life by just channeling my frustrations into reading, studying, music, and just trying to be as "clean-cut" as possible, holding onto some vague notion I had of integrity. Oh, as you can see, I wasn't very popular. I had some close friends, but others usually agreed that I was sort of a bore to hang out with.

Alcohol entered my life in senior year of college, my closest friends pressured me once, I gave in, thought it wasn't too bad, and I've always stuck to keeping it a very 'optional' thing in my life. It's not a big deal to me at all, I never feel like I "need" a drink, I'll have one if the social situation demands it, but that's it. Though I would lie if I said I didn't like a scotch on the rocks when it's super chilly. So basically, I personally think it's never been a problem.

Come grad school, I'm 24, and one night I was feeling especially adventurous, hanging out with my very close super-hippy friend listening to some Pink Floyd (you know where this extremely cliched anecdote is going), and he asked me if why I'd never smoked weed. I remember this all very vividly because that night changed me in some ways. He said my actual personality, the one I have with my closest friends, was sort of at odds with the way I present myself to strangers. Apparently I always struck him as the type that would be "cool" with the drug use. We talked about the entire Floyd catalog, obsessed about acid folk, 60s culture, all the hippy super drug haziest things you can think of. He was right. I was "cool" with the drug use, and I LOVE counter culture and psychedelic music, but I just never thought about smoking anything. It seemed 'off' to me in some ways, I'd never even considered it because I grew up believing it to be unnecessary.

But you see, as I said above, I was feeling super adventurous that night, and said what the heck. It was a big blunt. Definitely big for a first time user. I coughed a lot, but settled into it, and chugged along, waiting for something to happen. You've probably seen this moment with countless friends, or in pop culture with any teenager experiencing their first high, it was exactly as cliched as that, only replace that person with a 24 year old. My exact thoughts at that moment were: "This feels right."

It did, it felt SO right. When the high wore off, I felt like something inside was re-arranged. It made me feel amazing, more empathetic in discussions, made me feel super clever for saying stupid shit, and all the other common tropes you can think of when you get high. It made me -- happy.

And further use through grad school only confirmed it more. It made me feel I should've rebelled more as a teenager. I felt I should relive all those years, I couldn't believe how stuck up and humorless I was. It changed me as a person. I got along so much better with people. Contrary to what I expected, it made me feel well-rounded, and motivated to do my work. I actually did better at classes and my thesis, because in some ways, I felt just way more comfortable with myself. I felt like I finally got who I was, what I wanted from life, my relationships made sense, I was more empathetic to everything and way more grounded. I wanted everything life can throw in my face and embrace it.

...and I wanted another high.

I certainly didn't think it was a first sign of dependency at the moment, because it wasn't interfering with anything. It's been just about 3 years since that first happened. I can firmly say I now have a moderate Marijuana habit. I say moderate because I go a month or two without any successfully once in a while. Anyway, but when I do stick to it, my use is limited to a joint a couple of hours before I go to sleep a few days during the week, and about 2 or 3 a day during the weekend. I've pretty much stopped drinking alcohol, I just don't need it anymore. Again, except for the rare scotch on the rocks.

So, well, I'm about 26 years old now, with a very good job in the software industry. I've never had to worry about drug tests at work. I feel like that makes me a little complacent sometimes. BUT also, I have NEVER been high at work, and I would never even consider that. My finances haven't been affected by this habit very much, though, as I keep telling myself once in a while, it's greater than zero dollars, so I am committing a portion of my life to this.

I don't want to be an addict, I've never thought about harder drugs because I know I don't need them, the sort of high I get from this feels good enough. It does remind me of the times when I wasn't into anything though, and how I ended up here; so I keep reminding myself not to go down that path. I know it's very minutely eating away at my lungs, but I tell myself I'm at least not a cigarette smoker with packs a day habit. I'm in Massachusetts where less than an ounce is decriminalized, and I never find myself in possession of more so I'm OK. In a way, I know I'm violating some law, and I haven't felt the need to explain that away to myself yet.

Girlfriend doesn't object to my drug use, my family doesn't know about it, and my friends don't care about it.

I want to place a very high priority on being a good employee, friend, and family member and it would hurt me very deeply to let this come in the way of any of that. It doesn't happen now, but I don't want it to in the future.

tl,dr: Please tell me if any of you use marijuana regularly and find that it doesn't interfere with your life. Tips to avoid your life being affected adversely because of the habit? Everyone I talk to just says "Come on man, just chill out and take it as it comes" or "You need to straighten up and be an adult". I am looking for something a little more meaningful.

Are the 420 delivery services advertised on craigslist safe?

Anonymous — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 09:06:28 -0800

How safe are the "420 delivery" services advertised on craigslist in NYC? I'm traveling to NYC to see a show (Joshua Light Show) that would be greatly enhanced by a nice sativa. As I don't have any local options, I contacted someone advertising a delivery service on craigslist. He promptly replied, asking for my phone number so we can touch base when I get there.

I'm not getting a sketchy vibe from this guy, but I find myself getting cold feet now... I'm not worried about the police being interested in the tiny amount I'd be purchasing, and if I end up getting scammed I wouldn't be out that much money. But is this a really bad idea for some reason I'm not considering?

Throwaway e-mail: disposable830@hushmail.com

Will it be 420 again

Anonymous — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 18:26:15 -0800

How does an old fart in the suburbs find a marijuana dealer? I know there are no guarantees, but I am trying to minimize risk due to having a professional license. Are there ways to do this? I live about an hour from Boston. None of my friends are currently using, admitting to using, or know a connect.

Also, there is a marijuana reform rally coming up. Would that be a place to score at least once?

how much does marijuana cost these days?

freakazoid — Tue, 24 Jul 2012 13:00:15 -0800

how much does marijuana cost these days? I haven't bought it since 1983 or so. I'm not planning on buying it now, I was just curious since I know the price has gone up a bit since then. I'd like to know how much it would cost, roughly, from a local dealer in the NYC area. Thanks.

Will inhaling vaporized marijuana/cannabis hurt my liver?

Anonymous — Sun, 15 Jul 2012 07:42:52 -0800

I need my liver to recover after years of alcohol abuse. Will vaporizing marijuana have a detrimental effect? I'm alcoholic, and have finally realised I have to completely abstain. I am seeing a psychiatrist (specliasing in addiction), and he had me do a Liver Function Test. He told me lots of gibberish about the results, which I didn't understand, but then summarised it by saying that on the mild/medium/extreme level, my liver damage is mild, and reversible, if I completely abstain from the booze.

I've done a bit of research since, and I guess I definitely have Alcoholic Liver Disorder, but it hasn't yet progressed to Hepatitis, or Chirrosis. I am determined not to let it escalate any further.

I believe that I've been using alcohol to self-medicate away my anxiety and mild depression issues, with which my doctor agrees, but he refuses to look further into that until I have been sober for a few months, so he can see the "real me".

But above all that, I want to make sure I do whatever I can to get my liver back to a healthy state. I am taking multi-vitamins, milk thistle, and improving my diet (along with Campral and Naltroxene which are supposed to reduce alcohol cravings).

He's given me Valium to help over the first week or two of sobriety, which is helping well.

My question is, if I vaporize a bit of marijuana from time to time rather than having a drink, will that have a detrimental effect on my poor liver's recovery? I'm not talking about a lot - just to get over those "I need something more" moments.

I used to smoke cannabis with tobacco in excess up to about 10 years ago, but then quit, and concentrated on the drinking (aside from the occasional toke at a party from time to time). I still smoke cigarettes, and know I need to kick them too, for the liver at least, but... one step at a time.

Even though I still smoke cigarettes heavily, I can't smoke marijuana - it just makes me cough. But I've recently discovered vaporizing and it seems to do the job without making me cough for half an hour.

I know you guys are not my doctors, but I've tried looking this up on more specific websites, and they're either one extreme or the other: Medical sites - "complete abstinence from everything is the only solution!". Pro-marijuana sites - "Dope is completely harmless".

Please don't suggest AA.

And I know some may think I'm just replacing one crutch with the other. But it's a case of harm minimisation. Like I said, I won't be vaping daily, and even when I do it will be very small quantities.

Anecdata: 40 yo, single male.

Summary: Will inhaling vaporized marijuana/cannabis hurt my liver?

Do marijuana lollipops from legal dispensaries work/help?

Anonymous — Fri, 06 Jul 2012 09:40:55 -0800

Do medicinal marijuana lollipops work? (Everything is legal and on the up-and-up). I have a prescription and can go to my dispensary, where they carry something called Jolly Lolly's. This is Sparc in SF, if that matters. Anyways, I was told by a woman who works there that there are three "doses" in a single lollipop - the general consensus between everyone else hanging around was that they are a novelty and don't hardly work at all. What I'm needing to achieve is the same level and style of pain relief (all over body numbing kind of that last for hours and hours and always lets me eat that day and sleep that night) I would get from eating medicinal baked goods (I have medical problems which make it impossible for me to both eat and hold down those baked goods - hence the medicinal marijuana in the first place). Does anyone have any experience with this? Will these pops work? Are they a total waste of money? If you use them, how many does it take 'til they "work" and what are the effects like? Are they similar in strength or nature to eating marijuana in food? Or more similar to smoking? Or no benefit at all? If the latter, is there an alternative to these that I could use to get the effect of eating without having to actually eat very much, particularly from Sparc? Probably irrelevant caveat: no dairy or gluten. I'm honestly hoping really hard for some people to answer saying it worked great for them, that's what I need or else I need to know that's not gonna happen. Thanks.

Also, I know it seems obvious, but before anyone says it, I can't just try one. I only have the opportunity to either pay for kind of a lot, or none.

Should I be honest with my doctor about my pot use?

Anonymous — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 08:33:52 -0800

Should I be honest with my doctor about my pot use? On Monday, I have an appointment for a physical for the first time in my adult life (I'm 29). I have never met this doctor before. In the interest of getting the best care possible, I'd like to be honest with him about my regular marijuana use, but before doing so I wanted to get a sense of what the implications are of this.

Is he obligated to report this to my insurance company? Is he allowed to, even if not obligated? Are there other consequences I'm not considering? Is it just a bad idea, or is pot commonplace enough now that I shouldn't worry so much about it?

I live in a state where pot is decriminalized but not yet legal.

Life Insurance for Stoners?

trbrts — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 14:01:26 -0800

I want to get some life insurance. But, I like to smoke the marijuana from time to time. What can I do? So, I like to smoke the occasional pot stick, I don't think there's anything wrong with that. I'm in a situation though where I would like to get some life insurance and I'm currently abstaining from my drug of choice because I know there will be a blood test involved. My questions are:

1) Are they testing for marijuana?

2) How often will I have additional tests?

3) As a occasional pot smoker what are my options for hassle free affordable health insurance?

Question about motion sickness and weed

dean_deen — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 10:54:38 -0800

Is it normal that I feel the same unpleasant effects after smoking weed for the first time as I do when I get motion sick? I tend to get motion-sickness from air travel, and occasionally from car travel as well. I got car-sick during a trip to the airport last week, and though I took some non-drowsy Dramamine in hopes that I would prevent further motion sickness during my flight, it was no use--motion sickness still got to me. Motion sickness is such a strange feeling for me, but I'll try to describe it: I feel a bit shaky and weak, as if my blood sugar is low, even though I know I've eaten enough, and it persists even after I've eaten a big meal. This sensation is really disorienting, and I don't feel like doing anything because of it--I went to bed when I arrived at my destination, and when I woke up the next morning it wasn't completely gone, so I ended up sleeping more that afternoon.

Fast forward to two days ago, when I smoked weed for the first time. I only took one small hit and then a bigger hit. It didn't feel like it affected me that much, minus some lightheadedness, but the next day I experienced the same low blood sugar feeling, and I forced myself eat although I didn't have much of an appetite. I took a return flight home yesterday, made sure that I took two of that non-drowsy Dramamine as a preventive measure, and it still made me very drowsy--I lay in bed/slept on and off for five hours once I got home.

Today, I am still experiencing that unnerving shakey/weak/low-blood-sugar sort of feeling, and again, I don't feel like doing anything because of it. I know pot makes you feel lazy, but I don't know if I'm experiencing the regular pot-induced laziness, or if it's because of feeling ill from air travel. My mind also feels hazy, as if I haven't slept really well (which, considering my drowsiness yesterday, I don't believe is the actual case). So I have several questions: Is it normal for me to feel this way after smoking for the first time? Is it possible that the weed and Dramamine/effect of air travel are working together to make me feel the way I do? This feeling will eventually go away, won't it?

Finally, why do weed and motion sickness both have this effect on me, and what can I do to mitigate it?

i'm on drugs and i'm tired

Anonymous — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 08:28:35 -0800

I start grad school in four months, and I’m worried about my apathy and extreme fatigue that are possibly a result of my marijuana dependency and/or my SSRIs. What are some steps I can take to get these issues sorted out in light of my anxieties about changing meds and my reluctance to give up marijuana? I’ve organized my question into paragraphs outlining the main issues. I put a TL/DR at the end of each paragraph.

My Situation
I’m a healthy female in my late twenties, about to complete my second undergrad degree and start a prestigious doctoral program in September. I’m really excited about grad school, but I’m worried about my long-standing problems with fatigue and depression, and my recent problem of a marijuana dependency. I really want to get a handle on these issues before I start grad school, and feel like I have four months of relatively low stress to maybe try adjusting my meds and working on the pot thing. I just don’t quite know where to begin!
TL/DR: Late twenties woman wants to cure fatigue and drug issues within the next four months.

Fatigue
Girl loves to sleep. For pretty much as long as I can remember I have cherished sleep and engaged in wayyyy too much of it. Especially in times of stress, my time in bed can go up to 16-20 hours a day. Much of this time is spent in a strange sleep state where I have disturbing dreams or nightmares, and some waking time is spent scrolling on my iphone or watching internet tv. Lately it’s felt really bad, where I want to get out of bed but just…can’t. I have even called my mom near-tears, asking if she was coming home soon so that she could try to pull me out of bed. I lie there with just absolutely no motivation or…ability…to get up. Obviously my muscles still work and I could if I forced myself, but even if I somehow propel myself heavily into the kitchen to try to make a sandwich, I quickly retreat back to bed before even getting the bread out of the bag. At school I spent hours napping on one of the lounge couches when I should be doing homework. My sleep schedule has been messed up lately – where I stay up until 5am and sleep until 6 or 7pm, but I can’t seem to break it. In the day all I want to do is sleep, but sometimes at night I feel almost afraid of going to sleep….I have to watch tv until I drift off. On my long days in bed I will often not eat well, and if I do eat it has to be something warm and mushy that doesn’t take more than 5 minutes to prepare (microwavable kraft dinner). I am so tired of this fatigue – I never get anything done, I miss out on social opportunities, and I feel almost paralyzed by my lack of ability to get out of bed.
TL/DR: I can spend up to 16-20 hours a day in bed sleeping, and even getting up to get a glass of water feels like too much effort/energy. I can’t get a handle on my extreme fatigue.

Marijuana
It is highly probably that my marijuana use contributes in some way to my sleeping problems, but on a day to day basis it is the only thing that seems to help. When I’m lying in bed comatose, I know that the one thing that can get me going is to have a little puff. Often I will lie in bed for hours just trying to get the energy to get up and put a pinch in my pipe. The effect of smoking marijuana is almost instant: suddenly I am up, fixing myself healthy food, cleaning things, wanting to socialize or exercise, and getting excited/motivated to do my homework. I don’t know why it has such a stimulating effect on me – I mean, I know it’s a stimulant, but it makes many people instantly lazy and munched-out. It makes me want to hike a local mountain trail eating fresh oranges and baked fish. It really just seems to perk me up completely, and so I’ve started using it a lot more often lately. I don’t smoke a large quantity, but I do smoke very often. I usually only take two puffs each time I smoke, and smoke between 1-4 times a day, so I probably end up smoking about a joint a day. A gram lasts me about a week. My pot-smoking friends often laugh at the teeny amounts I smoke – but I feel like it’s part of the secret to using marijuana effectively –too much makes me lazy, just a little makes me efficient.
I feel shame and worry about my pot dependency though. Recently I tried to quit for a week to show myself that I could, and I only lasted five days. I’ve been an occasional user for a long time, but I don’t really like the fact that I smoke by myself, or feel like I have to smoke to get through a day. I don’t like that I recently got pretty anxious when I was down to my last puff and couldn’t find any more anywhere. During the five days I did quit, thought, I did end up doing some things that I previously used to get high for (swimming, work) and was kind of surprised to see that I still enjoyed them without smoking it. The reason I gave in was because I had work to do and just couldn’t get myself to do it, and a lil puff did the trick.
TL/DR: I smoke modest quantities of marijuana a couple times a day, and it really helps with my energy/motivation/productivity, but I don’t like feeling dependent on it and it seems that’s where I’m at/headed.

Stimulants
I have tried stimulants to deal with this problem. I was once prescribed a low dose of Ritalin by a psychiatrist ( a few years ago) – but I didn’t like taking it and I can’t remember why (I have a really bad long term memory). Recently a friend gave me a handful of Adderall (20mgXR) – and I really liked it but didn’t like the side effects. The part I liked was feeling awake – for the whole day I would just go about my business like a normal person! I was awake and doing things! I would set an alarm for 7 am, wake up and take it, and get out of bed at 9 am with ease and anticipation for getting started with my day. On a normal day the only thing that can drag me out of bed is an unshakable commitment to be somewhere (and that doesn’t even always work). The part I didn’t like about Adderall was the personality and come down. I found my personality way too obnoxious/in your face (relative to my usual, easygoing, kinda quiet personality). I felt like I was annoying people with my happiness and excitement and inability to stop pacing/talking. So it brought me up to be a bit too energetic. I also get really bad cramping in my lower back and butt muscles in the evenings on days I’ve taken it. I’ve looked this up online and some people have this symptom but don’t know why. It’s REALLY uncomfortable and hurts a lot. (I don’t know if it has anything to do with the fact that I also get weird butt cramping during my period, which extends down the front of my thighs, and really hurts. Or with the fact that my whole childhood I had insane restless leg syndrome but didn’t know what to call it. My mom says I would just kick and kick my legs and say they were dizzy. Restless leg syndrome sounds flaky but I still sometimes get bouts of extremely uncomfortable antsy-legs). I try to stay hydrated while I’m on it, and maybe sit at a computer for a while more than normal, but this seems like an extreme reaction.
TL/DR: I’ve tried Ritalin and Adderall, and while they did help with my energy levels, I didn’t like Ritalin and Adderall gave me strange and painful cramping in my back and butt along with mild annoying hypomania.

SSRIs and Depression
I’m currently on 20mg on Lexapro to treat atypical (characterized by fatigue and increased appetite) depression. I’ve been on it for 3 years now, and although I had a lot of hesitations/resistance to feeling dependent on medication (just like on pot), I’ve accepted that it helps me immensely and that I want to stay on it. I’ve tried decreasing my dose a couple times (always gradually, usually with doc approval), and have had horrible experiences each time. The side effects I get from Lexapro are annoying, but the withdrawal is almost unbearable. I get brain shivers almost immediately after missing a dose (like, if I’m supposed to take it in the morning, by the evening I’ll know I forgot because I start getting brain zaps). This really freaks me out, especially because I can’t find a comprehensive scientific explanation as to what is happening in my brain during brain zaps. Is my serotonin being re-uptook, when the presynaptic neuron is not used to getting it or something? Are my synapses accustomed to having a certain amount of serotonin, and the gaps are the synapse reacting to a decrease? I just want to know because to be able to feel my brain giving off an electrical charge worries me.
Aside from the brain zaps, I get really emotional and depressed when I taper down my Lexapro, so I’ve always ended up going back to 20mg. For this reason I’m scared to tamper with my dose again or try another antidepressant. I also heard that tampering with good doses can screw them up, and I don’t want to lose a good thing by messing with it. That said, I don’t know if the Lex is working as well anymore, or if it is playing a role in my apathy/laziness, since that is a known side effect. My body just feels depressed, even if my mind mostly feels okay.
I tried Wellbutrin 100mg once for a couple months, but didn’t really notice a difference aside from some heart palpitations. It would be something I’d be willing to try again, but the anxieties about messing with my meds is making me hesitate. If I am going to tamper with this stuff, I want to do it in the next four months before I start grad school, because I know from experience that med-messing times are full of mini-mental breakdowns.
TL/DR: So Lexapro has worked for me, but may be contributing to my fatigue, and I don’t like the brain zaps. I’d be willing to change meds, but want to be stabilized on something by the time I start grad school in September.

The other stuff I know you’ll ask:
I don’t get nearly enough exercise, but plan to change that once I move to a town next month that offers dance lessons.
I see a therapist when I need to, but don’t feel that I need to right now.
I don’t eat that well, because I hate cooking, but I don’t eat awful, either.
I do really well in school, so somehow I manage to maintain an appearance of functionality despite my internal feelings that I am unable to get almost anything done.
I hardly drink alcohol, and don’t smoke cigarettes.
I have not had bloodwork done in a while, as I can’t get it together to get the bureaucratic stuff together enough to go see a doctor.
I don’t know if I have thyroid problems, but I am slim and have a low blood pressure.
Hope me!

Articles whose authors' opinions are thatit's ok to smoke marijuana while breastfeeding?

jitterbug perfume — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 15:09:34 -0800

I am looking for articles written by at least somewhat provably reputable that are advocating for the safety of occasional marijuana use during breastfeeding. This is hypothetical and I have all the info about why it's bad, so thanks but I already know so it's not necessary to inform me. I would like to hear the other side. I know I have seen studies and research advocate for the safety of it, but I can't seem to find them.

Will I pass a drug test?

Anonymous — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 17:23:20 -0800

Am I going to pass this damn drug test? Hey, folks. I've been working at a place for two months. When I was hired, I was told there would be drug tests. I assumed they meant urine tests. Now I'm finding out that there are actually hair follicle tests.

The last time I smoked weed was November 6. I haven't been able to find out exactly when the test is going to be. I also take (prescription) stimulants for ADD. I'm freaking out now, because I think that if I'm tested, I may lose this job. I can't stop worrying!

Here are my questions:

1. Will smoking once 72 days ago fail me? I smoked a few bowls that day. Prior to that time, I had smoked about once a week for a few months.

2. When they give follicle tests in the workplace, do they typically give people a few months notice? They don't _really_ want to fire people, you know?

3. Has anyone in similar circumstances been able to beat drug tests?

4. How do companies do it if you're absent the day of the test?

5. Does it really only test for 90 days? Do some places test for longer?

6. What if, say a woman smokes 6 months ago, and she has really long hair?

7. Will the fact that the period of my drug use was prior to employment affect things? They hired me...why would they go through the trouble of firing me so quickly? Do some places do a trial period?

8. What should I do?

My wrists hurt again, because I got high.

Two Stranger — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 10:28:01 -0800

I used to suffer from tendonitis, but I thought I had it licked. Now, after using marijuana, I'm not so sure. What happens when I smoke is that the soreness and stiffness in my wrists that I associate with inflamed tendons returns. I can think of two rudimentary explanations:

1. It's psychosomatic. I can't rule this out, though there is a conspicuous lack of evidence to support this theory: I don't think about having had tendonitis very often, and I usually forget in between my infrequent smoking sessions that this happens, which is all to say that the idea of wrist pain lacks the sort of recurring presence in my thoughts that I would expect in this case.

2. I am still suffering from an attenuated case of tendonitis, the pain from which I only experience in the more sensitive state of being high. Of course, this begs the question by assuming that being high does in fact make me more sensitive to stimuli like the ones I describe.

My question is which of the two you deem more likely, or whether there is a third explanation that I'm missing. If you can back up your answer with experience or, even better, some literature on the subject, I would be much obliged.