In Defense of THC

Let's talk space and time. I like to get deep sometimes and think about Einstein, And Carl Young And old Kung Fu movies I like to see, Pass the hydrator, please. - The Streets

It feels like every day I read about another CBD product and added promises that said product will “not get you high” and every day I think, maybe we should all get a little high. How do we know if we do not want to be high if we never have been? Or haven’t been since we were young? What if getting a little buzz from THC is the exact thing everyone rushing to over the counter wellness products is looking for? Why are we rushing to demonize THC before even giving it a standing chance? 

THC stands for tetrahydrocannabinol. Say it again and out loud - tetrahydrocannabinol. It’s okay, like DNA, no one really knows what it is exactly or how to say it. It is, in fact, the compound in cannabis that does get you high and all legal cannabis’ THC levels are measured and by law every package must display its potency numbers. Cannabis was essentially legalized because of its medicinal values, now falls under the ambiguous umbrella of wellness and there’s really only a small population that is loud and proud about consuming high percentages of THC. They’re commonly known as “dabbers” and I can’t say that I identify with their methods of consumption nor do I want to ever try it, but there’s something for everyone out there.

When I think about levels of potency in cannabis, I often think about relative to alcohol. Sure, every now and then someone says, “I want to get really really drunk,” but more often we just want to savor a cocktail or a couple of glasses of wine and get a pleasant buzz. Doing a dab feels like the equivalent of doing a shot and again, my days of that kind of consumption are behind me. I’m looking for that friendly buzz and a functional state of being. Every now and then I do want to smoke a joint and completely veg out and watch “Blue Planet,” but for the most part, I want an easygoing buzz. 

As an avid user of cannabis, I can speak volumes to its ability to enhance my life. Be it a deep clean of my bathroom, gardening or any other involved household chore, I love to add a little THC to the equation to get rolling on the project and stay focused. I distinctly remember the first time I ever saw a 3D movie and by the grace of the vape pen in my pocket, I was high. It was “Black Panther,” and let me tell you, it was one of the best movie experiences I experienced in a long time. Wakanda Forever! To be honest, cannabis is my trusty sidekick for many activities. 

Whenever I am visiting with my mother-in-law, I’m definitely popping edibles. There is a predictability to this visit that usually includes at least an hour of trying to figure out plans, “I don’t know. Where do you want to eat? I was thinking you guys would like the new fish place, but I don’t like fish so do you want to go there?” There is also a dedicated amount of time of going through boxes of my husbands “papers” that she’s saved over the years; graduation programs, power bills, elementary school report cards, and the occasional piles of junk mail of his that somehow are still ending up at her house. We always have to sift through old boxes of photos and in recent years, she’s started writing her memoir and prefers if we read it while she watches. Now this all may sound like a visit that would drive the normal person kind of nuts, but if you’re sailing on a steady 5mgs of THC during it, you’re able to go with the flow and at times revel in the predictability and there are parts of the memoir that are good. She was a National Merit Scholar in the 1960s and that’s pretty amazing for a woman of that era. 

When I’m hiking, I like to pop an edible at the base of the trail because, on a hike that is a few hours, it kicks in when the ascent is starting to become a challenge. At that point, you are so deep in thought or conversation with your hiking partner about the inner workings of the patriarchal wedding industry messaging, the back story of your barista, or trying to solve traffic issues in your neighborhood that you totally forget that you just climbed for an hour and are now at the top of your hike enjoying an epic view payoff. A few years ago, I hiked the Lost Coast Trail, full of river rocks, unpredictable tides, and some rigorous hiking in the sand. To say that edibles helped quell the discomfort of the challenges on the trail is an understatement. Writing this has me nostalgic for that trail and below are a few photos (including one of me really enjoying myself!).

Thanks to my experience with cannabis and working in and around the industry over the years, I accidentally became a go-to for people to get product recommendations. About a year ago, my friend’s mom came to me because she had back surgery, didn’t want to take opioids and wanted to give cannabis a chance. She was adamant that she didn’t want to get high and spent hundreds of dollars on CBD only products before finally telling me that she found a product she loved and that worked. Turns out it was edible chocolate with 10mgs of THC and 5mgs of CBD. She said it was so helpful in getting her relaxed and to sleep at the end of the day. Yes, after all of that, she really did want to get high. 

In another instance, a good friend of mine went through the same journey. I got a very earnest text from her, “I think I want to get back into weed. Should I buy a bong or what?” She was a newly single mom of a toddler, going through a divorce and didn’t want to drink to relax because as she puts it, “I’m old and my hangovers are gnar.”  From there it was quite a ride as she navigated through a bag of edibles that gave her a panic attack, CBD cookies that did nothing, but add calories to her diet until she finally settled on a vape pen with a very low dose of THC. Once she figured out the amount of THC she could handle, she was off and running and now does enjoy the occasional edible and still loves her low-dose vape pen. 

There are a number of brands throwing historical cannabis nomenclature by the wayside and instead of using strain names are simply calling their products things like, “Calm,” “Relax,” “Delight,” and it has me wondering if we’ll see a change in the stigma attached to what it means to be high. The term microdosing is ubiquitous with many of these products and is simply a style where you just go slow and only get slightly buzzed. Sure, this may all fall under the wellness umbrella, but it’s hard for me to justify talking about getting high, doing a puzzle, and listening to the complete catalog of Tommy Guerrero in the same way someone discusses their yoga wellness routine or a psychiatrist prescribes an anti-depressant. It does work for me though and maybe it’ll work for you.