Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with weed

Relaxing alternatives to marijuana use

Anonymous — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:03:53 -0800

How can I unwind in the evening if I give up pot? And no, alcohol is not an option. I'd like advice for sober ways to unwind, as well as tips for making the transition. I'm an intense, hard-working person who often puts in 12 hour days at work, runs and lift weights, volunteers and has a robust social life, and most of it does not involve pot. I've also smoked weed in the evening probably 5 or 6 nights a week for the past decade.

It doesn't take much. I go through an eighth of an ounce every month or two. I also go without a few weeks a year while traveling, and have quit for months at a time during job searches. But when I have it on hand and I'm having a tough day, it's better than anything else. When I'm having a normal day, it's still pretty nice.

I'd like to stop smoking except when offered by others (a rare event in my life), and I don't want to replace this drug with something else. But I have a constantly-whirring brain that sometimes goes off the anxiety rails, and I'm worried about controlling my worry. I know that pot increases anxiety in some people, but before I started smoking I was WAY more stressed than I am now. Nights when I don't smoke, I often wake up in the morning with a sore jaw from grinding my teeth in my sleep, which is something I've been doing since I was three years old.

Can anyone suggest new, intoxicant-free rituals that might help satisfy the role that marijuana has played in my life? I'm already exercising regularly after work, which helps me relieve tension, but it doesn't shut off the brain churn. I'm thinking meditation might be a good thing to try. What else? I don't want to take on activities that will make me MORE productive. I think I'm inclined to be too productive as it is, which is what leaves me seeking shortcuts to relaxation.

I'd also appreciate tips for sticking with this plan. Pot has become an important part of my life, and I know that it will be psychologically hard to give up. Will I still be able to smoke once every month or two when I get together with my brother or visit my pothead friend? Or should I worry about "falling off the wagon"? Can you share your experiences with giving up or cutting back on pot?

(Nod to this thread.)

Concrete mulch.

boby — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 13:54:06 -0800

Is using a concrete slab with holes for plantings the best weed prevention in my backyard garden? My backyard has turned into a jungle of weeds and tree saplings and I want to make it civilized again. An area about 10'x30' needs to be tamed. I garden in Boston. I want to plant butterfly bushes in that space. Mulch, weed barrier fabric and constant weeding don't really work. I thought a concrete patio with round openings formed into it would minimize weeding. Any suggestion for other material that would be as effective?

Hayfield to vegetable garden - how?

unSane — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 04:39:45 -0800

How to turn an abandoned field into a productive vegetable garden? We built a house in an old hayfield. Last year I tried planting a vegetable garden (about 100' x 20'). I used a rototiller to break up the soil and planted lots of good stuff but the produce was drowned by the grass which grew up around it -- far too much to weed out by hand.

How do I kill the weeds and grasses before planting next time? It's not just the plants -- the ground is absolutely full of seed. I would rather not use a herbicide if possible.

I've considered laying down tarp but it is a pretty big area. I could get a neighbor to plough it over but I'm concerned that's not gonna solve the seed problem.

Things I have -- 40 Hp tractor, rototiller. I can rent most any implement.

The weeds are mostly hay grasses, alfalfa, clover, vetch, ragweed and canada thistle.

Thistle be easy, I hope.

ChrisR — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 07:52:15 -0800

How can I kill the thistles in my yard? These things are persistent, ugly, and painful, and I want them gone. I've tried pulling them up, but I usually only get 10cm or so of the root before it snaps off, and in less than a week I have a brand spanking new plant. I want a more permanent solution.

I have had a plausible solution described to me, but I want some feedback before implementing it: Is it possible to use a Q-tip or some contact applicator to apply roundup or some other herbicide to the plants without affecting the rest of the lawn? If so, how, and which herbicide?

I'm open to other suggestions as well. I don't want a solution that will take massive amounts of money and labour, because my next door neighbour's yard is also infested, so I'll be repeating the process again and again, I'm sure.

Cordless Yard Trimmer Options

mccarty.tim — Tue, 12 May 2009 08:18:52 -0800

YardFilter: My mom wants a new weed whacker/trimmer, preferably electric cordless. Are there any good models out there? My mom is a woman in her early 50's, and she's in decent shape, but she doesn't like the noise, weight, smell, or environmental damage of a gas-powered weed whacker. She used a Black and Decker corded Grass Hog for a while, but when it died, she wanted to switch to a cordless option for convenience. We tried this Cordless Black and Decker, but we were pretty disappointed. It had a very short battery life, around 10 minutes, and weak power. It may have been the batteries it came with, though, so if anyone has found replacements to work better, that would be good to know. I think I remember reading there were lithium ion batteries available for it, and I wonder if those would have held a charge for a longer amount of time.

Are there any good cordless weed whackers that can handle the occasional big weed and generally handle grass in the corners? Are there any models that can also run from a cord when the battery runs out or you want more force? Specific model numbers would be appreciated. Easy loading of line is also a big plus. Our budget is probably somewhere between $80 and $350.

A lightweight, easy to use gas trimmer is also a possibility, if there is one that works well. It's entirely possible cordless isn't an option for our yard, which is fairly big (not sure of the acreage, maybe a half?).

It's not a Triffid, because salt water doesn't kill it.

lleachie — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 15:03:50 -0800

This plant has been trying to take over my side yard. What is it? I have been rooting this evil plant out of my yard for two years now. As you can tell (hopefully) from the picture, the shoots come up from a rhizomatous root with narrow, oval, greenish-red leaves with red undersides. These shoots are about 1.5 inches tall right now, but if I were to let them grow, they'd get about three feet tall with slender, lax growth. In other words, exactly like this but taller.

I don't remember any sort of flowers on them the year I let them grow because I thought I planted the stupid thing.

Eradicating this from a flower bed has been a long struggle. As I said, it has rhizomatous roots, and if you leave a little root in (which you can't avoid) they'll grow up again.

I'm pretty good about identifying plants, so when I don't know one, it really bugs me. If it helps, I'm in Missouri, USA, zone 5, and this may have been planted by a previous owner or it may be a weed. Please help!

If I bury this pot seed will it grow?

It ain't over yet — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 16:02:42 -0800

So every now and then a few seeds show up in the shake. Are these real, growable marijuana seeds? If I planted one, and gave it all the TLC yer supposta, would it grow? Or do you need to get your hands on some sort of special seed stock if you hope to raise a plant?

Roses are red, violets are blue, what the heck are you?

edjusted — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 21:53:02 -0800

What the heck is this plant? It's tall and covered with little thorn-like spikes. It's sideways on the pic because it fell over. I've been trying to grow tomato plants, some spinach, red peppers, and chives in a makeshift planter box, and I know this thing isn't any of the above. Is it friend or foe? Is it just some weed? Multiple pics here.

What is the name of this small plant?

CancerMan — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 22:09:45 -0800

[plant-filter] Please help me identify this ground plant, with its long branching stems and small sticky seed pods. I noticed this plant carpeting an area of grass and cinder-block planters. The leaves are small, but it spreads along the ground from a central location with long branching stems, and establishes new roots along the nodes. The flowers sprout fuzzy seed pods that stick to clothing and skin.
(links go to photos on imageshack)

It's probably a weed, but my classification is based purely on the personal experience that any plant with sticky or burred seed pods was a weed.

How does the recent decriminalization of Marijuana in Massachusetts effect the drug testing policy this state has had for so long?

bostonhill — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 12:15:54 -0800

How does the recent decriminalization of Marijuana in Massachusetts effect the drug testing policy this state has had for so long? Will Marijuana be taken off the drug testing roster?

Why did this weed make me sick?

Anonymous — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 12:20:20 -0800

A tale of woe: I was walking in the woods and came upon a solitary cultivated plant which appeared to be marijuana by the shape of it's leaves. For reasons I can't explain (I've never enjoyed being stoned anyway), I picked one of the largely desicated 'buds' smoked it and within minutes felt horribly, horribly nauseated. What happened to me? After lying on the floor incapacitated for a long time I managed to crawl to bed and sleep it off. I can't say whether I felt stoned, although the nausea was so bad it was almost hallucinatory. After 24 hours I still feel a little off but am basically fine.

Theories:

1) it wasn't actually pot but someone's 'hemp' experiment or perhaps some other plant entirely...
2) it was somehow adulterated i.e. I was poisoned...
3) I just don't know how to prepare marijuana for smoking, wrong part of plant, not dry enough, wrong time of year, etc.

Yes I know this was a stupid thing to do.

A weird Iowa weed

sararah — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 20:13:41 -0800

What is this weird plant? Flower closeup, here's another shot.

More details: growing wild (I'm pretty sure it is a weed of some sort) in a back yard in central Iowa. Quite prolific -- they seem to be popping up all over the yard. They can get quite huge, with some of them growing 4-5 feet tall with the main stalk being several inches thick. The "berries" seem to bloom into weird flowers.

What is this backyard oddity? Is it dangerous? Should we try to get rid of it?

Thanks!

Should I be worried?

hadjiboy — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 19:15:41 -0800

I've recently started doing weed. The effect that it has had on me is quite noticeable--I feel much more relaxed and confident--like the real me should feel. I have no inhibitions of telling people what I think, which in any other circumstance I would be too ashamed to (thinking that I might not be worthy of having such opinions). But now, I hardly give a damn what anybody else feels. Just one question though: am I okay for thinking that Marijuana might actually not be harmful to me in the extremely small dose that I take it in? The first time that I had it--it was spiked, and we did it in a closed room so by the end of it I was dazed and confused to say the least. Thought everyone in the room had planned all of it from the beginning (even before they had met me) and were now carrying out their wicked schemes. However, I was still able to regain control and didn't do anything untoward, except smoke a lot and then go to sleep after an hour or two.

The second time I had some good stuff and made sure not to have too much. Since then (I've done it maybe five-six times; the first time was on Aug 1st), I've realized that I'm in a much better mood after taking just one good drag--that's it. The feeling stays with me for the whole day, and sometimes into the next.

I don't want to be addicted to the stuff, but it has improved my social behaviour manifold. I feel totally at peace with myself and am for the first time ever comfortable with the way I look. I actually think I don't look that bad to tell you the truth.

I guess what my question is, is that, do you think hemp can have a positive effect on your life. I have a friend whose father is a nationally celebrated artist and he's been a user for a long, long time now. I'm not looking for scorn or judgemental attitudes here, so I would appreciate it if you could keep it to yourself. What I would like is anecdotes about how it started for you, if you're still using (I know some of you might not want to share this info publicly, so feel free to Memail me if you think it's worth it), or if you've stopped, and why--and what was it about it that you thought was good/bad...?

Cannabisfilter

freddymetz — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 04:37:30 -0800

Cannabisfilter (haha) How would cannabis affect my Nerves and is it even a neurotoxin? How dangerous is it really? The internet gives me very split opinions on it.. Im not talking about withdrawal effects, but mainly what it does to your body while its being smoked.

What is this weed?

maniactown — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 18:44:11 -0800

What is this weed in my garden? I'm located in zone 7b in the Pacific Northwest. Here are a couple of pictures of the plant in question. I've gone through a bunch of weed identification sites and can't seem to find what the plant is. I'm wondering if it's a volunteer veg and/or edible weed since it came up in droves in my garden. I pulled a particularly nice looking bunch of it today and wondered if I was composting something that I should have been saving.

What kind of plant is this?

Flunkie — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 15:30:53 -0800

What kind of plant is this? Northeastern United States, hardiness zone 6 or 7. It is prolific, is a single slender and vertical stalk with leaves branching off along almost its whole height, can get to at least four feet tall (which is about the height of the one in that picture), has a seemingly shallow root structure (or at least is easily pulled out of the ground), and pisses me off.

When I say "at least four feet tall", I mean that's the tallest I've seen before it pissed me off sufficiently for me to kill it. It may get larger; I don't know.

Grass or weed?

walla — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 21:57:29 -0800

Why can't I have a weed lawn? I like walking on my lawn and playing with my dogs on it. I like the anti-erosion benefits of grass, and that it keeps us from tracking dirt into the house. But I like most green things, and I see little reason to invest the resources and energy a grass lawn requires if there are other options. I've read a bit - some of it on AskMe - about alternative lawns. I've considered mint, creeping thyme, chamomile, etc., but none of them has seemed quite right.

While tending my lawn this week, someone suggested I pull the clover and plaintain weeds that had taken over some parts of it. I thought, why should I pull them? They're green, they're hardy, they do what my lawn does on their own without the hassle. As long as I contain it, are there any reasons I shouldn't have a weed lawn? Has anyone tried this, on purpose or by accident?

Dry out moist fertilizer for drop spreader?

wrnealis — Tue, 13 May 2008 17:27:12 -0800

How do I dry out an old bag of weed and feed for use with a drop spreader? I have a big bag of Scott's Weed and Feed I bought last year. I used about 1/4. I did not seal the bag, it has been soaking up moisture all year. According to everything I could find it should still be effective, but it clogs up my drop spreader.

Is there a safe way to dry this out so it will function? It's moist enough to stick to my gloves, and I can form it into a loose ball. Sure I can get a new bag, but I'd rather use it up.

Shall I Roll?

Anonymous — Mon, 12 May 2008 09:03:34 -0800

Is it safe to roll a joint with paper that isn't intended for rolling, such as a receipt or just regular printer paper? Are there any health concerns I should be aware of?

So what if you're a level 70 rogue...

rancidchickn — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 18:52:10 -0800

How can I help my long-time friend get over these addictions and be more sociable? I have this friend that I've known since I was 5 years old. We are both juniors at different high schools but hang out on the weekends often. Lately, however, he has practically become a hermit and has no desire or energy to do anything. I say lately, but this has definitely happened gradually over a longer period of time.

It seems that his only two interests are World of Warcraft and weed. He has no problem putting off real friends to play WoW. I believe he's logged somewhere around 200 days on that stupid game. A couple of my other friends and I used to play the game too, but we pretty much all got bored of it a year ago. Basically, his routine from what I understand is go to school, come home, smoke, play WoW, rinse and repeat. He goes to a private school, yet doesn't put much effort into schoolwork and doesn't really talk to his parents.

Now don't get me wrong, I'll smoke with him too, but I'm not down with smoking and watching TV all day. Some of our mutual friends and I have tried to get him interested in other things. We've invited him to parties, brought girls around him, etc. Not interested.

I guess my question is how can I help my friend be more sociable and spontaneous and less of a zombie? Or should I even be concerned with this? Am I overstepping my bounds here?

Help me keep my new job!

Anonymous — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 07:18:20 -0800

How would it look to come in with a fresh haircut two days after it's announced that everyone will be given a hair follicle drug test? I really need a haircut, and no, it certainly wouldn't hurt my chances of covering up some holiday indulging. I just worry that it would look odd. I'm not a heavy smoker by any stretch of the imagination, so I'm not terribly concerned, but a haircut would help me sleep better (not to mention look and feel better, I am way overdue)

3 BREAKFASTS = BREAKFAST + LUNCH + DINNER?

defmute — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 07:45:06 -0800

If I eat three breakfasts and then don't eat for the rest of the day, is that the same thing as eating breakfast lunch and dinner? lately (based upon a rumor i heard, the fact that i love breakfast, and having an erratic sleep schedule) i've been eating breakfast in large quantities (as in i eat till i feel pain) and then eating nothing for the rest of the day. is this okay for my body? will this kind of diet make me gain weight? lose weight? also, i should note that for the past week or so i've been sleeping at 11am and waking up at 7 pm. i've also been smoking about a gram of weed a day. i smoke cigarettes (about 5-10 a day) if that means anything.

How much does smoking marijuana damage my lungs?

christonabike — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 17:28:47 -0800

How much damage am I doing to my lungs, specifically with regards to athletic capabilities, by smoking marijuana regularly? I smoke about 1 gram of marijuana per week, most regularly through a bong, but occasionally with a bowl. I am a pretty avid Crossfitter and ultimate player. How much does smoking affect my abilities in these areas, especially since both are generally anaerobic in nature?

I understand that smoking indisputably damages my lungs. I understand that these effects could largely be mitigated by using a vaporizer or similar device. I want to know given my current pattern of usage, how I can expect my athletic performance to change, if at all.

I've been an occasional marijuana smoker for 5+ years. I have been smoking at my current level for a few months and can still run a 5k as fast, if not faster, than I ever could, which is the main area I would expect to see degredation. I feel like I continue to be getting in better and better shape (which I would describe as pretty good to begin with) despite smoking. Can this continue to hold if I smoke at my current rate?

Studies preferred over anecdotal evidence.

Pat-Smoking

Christ, what an asshole — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 04:12:38 -0800

Pot-smoking etiquette: when someone smokes you out, how long are you obligated to hang out with them? I like to be alone with my thoughts and music when I smoke. I always feel pressure to stay and entertain the company responsible for my altered state. What's a good cue to mark my escape?

Should I be tipping my dealer?

Anonymous — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 23:44:42 -0800

For traveling drug dealers (specifically door-to-door marijuana delivery services in NYC), what is the etiquette for tipping? Yes? No? If yes, is there a standard accepted rate?