[lazystar]

When folks say that marijuana's a safe drug, it's purely in reference to the fact that it wont kill you. 100 shots of tequila in an hour will cause death; 100 tokes of marijuana will not. The problem this results in is an interesting one: marijuana growers are constantly increasing the per gram density of THC/cannabinoids in their plants. The consequence of this is that today's marijuana, compared to that of the '70s, is like drinking Everclear vs. drinking a bud light. I've avoided using marijauna for a long long time now because of this; there's just no way to have a controlled slow buzz with marijuana.

[ksaj]

I guess because I live in a country where marijuana is fully legalized, I have never seen this as an issue. Our pot is labelled in the same way alcohol is, so you know pretty close to exactly what you are in for.

You can buy weed that has nearly no THC and a whole lot of CBD. But we also have infused pre-rolls that are nearly double the strength of natural weed with no CBD. These are polar opposite experiences.

Everything is labelled both in Percent, and in mg/g so there is no mistaking whether or not the weed is strong, weak, or somewhere in between.

Everything also gets described with terpene measures, as those volatile oils have a huge impact on the experience. It's pretty much the reason why if it smells super dank and thick, you're headed for couch lock, and if it smells lemony fresh and clean, you're in for a super clear head buzz instead.

Likewise, marijuana is nearly always sold with an educational fact sheet. One learns early on that CBD is both medically useful, but also takes "the edge" off of strong weed. Beginners should start slow, and don't smoke weed that has 0% CBD.

Also there's the well known strategy: If you're the personality that tends to have that dread feeling when the buzz comes on, then start with only a small amount until you pass that first stage. Then you can smoke like crazy without that dread feeling, since it is really only triggered in the initial phase. Once you're adjusted into it, you're all good for the night.

Just don't smoke so much that you end up greening out. That's a real thing, but nearly only ever happens if you eat too much THC edibles at one time. It's hard to green out from toking once you get past the initial phase because auto-titration kicks in big time. Most people don't even realize they are doing it, but it has everything to do with why one can toke 10x the amount over the course of an evening at a party than they ever could at home, and never have that dread feeling that one can experience if they use too much from the start.

People usually only learn that through experience, but it should be part of the education. Knowing the phases (initial coming on, the buzz, then fading back to normal) greatly enhances the experience.

[lazystar]

when you buy a pack of beer, you get 12 cans each with 12 ounces of liquid containing ~5% alcohol. you open a beer, you drink it.

when you buy a pack of weed, you get 1 blob of weed that the purchaser has to divvy up themselves, then has to find a container to consume it, prepare that container properly themselves (blunt, joint, bong, etc), then consume all at once due to the nature of the process. then theres sorting out all the indica/sativa blens. the point is, the system is stacked against newcomers.

edibles are the closest, thats correct - but sellers pack edibles with as much thc as possible. cutting edibles into pieces then further removes the users ability to control the experience, but at least its similar to a pitcher of beer.

[ksaj]

No, you can buy it that way. But you can also buy them pre-rolled just like cigarettes. There are also so many other forms - pills, lozenges, breath strips, etc. The THC infused beverages are gauged in the same way beer is - a light beverage will have about the same impact as a light beer, a standard beverage will have about the same impact as a standard beer, and strong... you get the idea. We actually don't have strong THC beverages, but if we did, you know exactly what it would be comparable to in terms of strength.

My partner doesn't like getting too buzzed, so I always get gummies that are about 1/3 the strength of normal gummies. And normal gummies aren't that strong. You can buy them super strong, but that's a conscious choice that again is reflected on the package and labelling. You never have to cut your edibles. You just buy the strength you want.

Incidentally, whether it is indica or sativa is in the small print here. The typical effects are listed on the vendor web pages.

The problems you list were certainly true as recently as 2 or 3 years ago, and pretty much limited to the illegal or grey markets. Legalization has taken it a whole lot further ahead.

They are professionally produced and controlled products these days.

PS: You can even buy cannabis products with nearly no THC in them. They are high in CBD, specifically for medical use since they are not psychoactive. Apparently CBD gummies are used by a lot of people for insomnia, because it is indeed relaxing, with no high feelings whatsoever. Much better than most OTC sleeping pills for that reason.

So literally everything you said is based on purchasing from the streets or grey market, and not professional or controlled outlets. The range of what's available is huge, and everything is clearly labelled so you won't be making any more mistake than you would overdrinking that 6 pack example you mentioned.

[lazystar]

> everything is clearly labelled

heh. sounds like youve never been in a weed store. everything is behind the counter - its not like a supermarket beer aisle where you can pick and choose at your leisure before making your way to the checkout aisle. all the clerks are stoned, and if youre the only one in the store, theyre all looking at you. its one of the most surreal experiences you will ever encounter.

[ksaj]

I only order online. We even have same-day shipping for most places. But I'm always fully stocked up, so I am more patient about it. My source of choice is a few provinces away, so I just use regular mail.

The stores do tend to suck, so I lost interest in them a very long time ago. The ones I've been in are just nicer/cleaner than the grey market stores that came before legalization. I occasionally drop by one if I happen to be passing by, and I even found an "upscale" shop. But still not my thing. I don't like shopping in stores anyway, and they tend to be gloomy and miserable for such a fun product. I'm really not into the Bob Marley Rah Rah Rah thing, either. I don't feel that compulsion to have pot leaves on everything I own, wave flags, or have white-guy imitation dreadlocks.

So no, I have absolutely been there, and yup I totally agree with you on the store details. But you keep picking the negative things that are easy to avoid. Stay away from such places, and go for more professional vendors.

If you want modern weed with full factual information backing it, you have to buy in a modern way. Preferably from a vendor that also fills medicinal prescriptions, since they are the ones that know what they are talking about, and aren't stuck in the decades old Cheech and Chong era.

[creatonez]

Vape pens are fairly predictable, you can have a known potency dose in the cartridge and each puff will be a predictable potency.

Anyways, vapes are great for nicotine and DMT but I'm not a fan of how most cannabis vape pens get easily gummed up. So I'd rather stick to dab rigs and bongs.

The problem with edibles is that the digestive system's metabolism produces way more psychedelic cannabinoids. It's a different experience, one that can be more anxiety inducing in lower doses.

[lazystar]

> The problem with edibles is that the digestive system's metabolism produces way more psychedelic cannabinoids.

there is a multi-billion dollar market just waiting for the first person that creates a strain of weed that is resistent to this effect.

[connicpu]

This is one area where I think legalization has helped. In my state, I can now get an inhaler using the same basic tech as asthma inhalers, and it can fairly precisely dose 2.5mg of THC per activation. Added benefit, completely smokeless. Even vape pens cause me to cough pretty bad (let alone actual smoking), so it's a huge upgrade to the experience.

[sitkack]

The thc/gram is higher, but you can easily control intake with edibles. It is easy to still get low quality shake weed, like the stuff our parents smoked in the 70s, you just have to go to the weed shops in the poorer parts of town and tell them you are making brownies. I can get an ounce of crap weed in Seattle for 30-40. Perfect for cookies or brownies.

[aardvarkr]

I think your fear is stopping you from experimenting with MJ. Just like how you can dose with alcohol or any other substance regardless of how concentrated, you can take a smaller, more measured dose of MJ instead of finishing an entire joint by yourself. Edibles and cartridges are great ways to dose.

[logi2mus]

Also Nocebo effect!