My first time

It was about 8 months before medical prescriptions were available. That's not an excuse, just context. I was handed a wonderful surprise called a Juju Joints(Hybrid "Blue Dream"). Unfortunately, they're not available at the moment but hope is springing eternal on my end.

It's a slim black cylinder about the size of those port cigarillos the high school horn section used to sneak on the band bus. You can read a detailed review about them here. They are a discreet 'joint' for those who don't want to smoke. They require no batteries, no prep and no guess work. They're also not refillable but supposedly the company is working on that.

Two puffs and my back ached less. Two puffs during the start of a panic attack and I didn't need a pill. Two puffs and I made my decision to get a medical marijuana prescription.

It was the simplest, most effective and attractive introduction to marijuana I could have had. I have yet to duplicate the effect and ease in one method since.

Here's another review on a sitethat also has some interesting content if you're into research like me. I'm watching all my feeds for any indication that they're coming back to the Canadian Market.

Stoned vs. drunk

This was not a scientific experiment. Since I know how I feel if I eat an entire cheesecake by myself, or what it's like to canoe after a tornado, you can see it's the sort of experiment that might intrigue me.

I am not a big drinker; I like alcohol but it's not central to a good time. Alcohol for me is a great addition to a meal, enhancing the food. Alcohol can be a great dessert - a smooth bourbon or excellent gin is fine way to sit after a meal (or instead of a meal). I'm a huge fan of sparkling wine; my favourite brand has a gold label that looks like wriggling sperm. 

There have been a few occasions when I overindulged. So I do know what it is like to be tipsy and, with more alcohol, drunk. What I was wondering is how it felt to be stoned and how different it that is from being full of alcohol.

Here's my totally arbitrary measurement:

• 1or 2 drinks - no effect.
• 3  drinks - tipsy. Things seem much funnier. I seem funnier.
• 4 drinks - very tipsy. My cheeks feel numb. Possibly from laughing. I have to focus to walk 'normally' but dancing is easier.
• 5+ drinks or - never again - shots...  the world spins and it's a miserable existence. Sometimes there's a reenactment of dinner.

Stoned is a whole new world of sensations. 

• 1 - 3 hits or 5mg of THC - Slightly relaxed. Less pain. 
• 4-6 hits - Very relaxed. Time for a short nap. 

then we jump straight to...

• 1/8th of a laced cookie - Body weighs a ton. Vertigo kicks in; navigating the world upright is difficult. Dry mouth. Can't hold a thought. Completely useless. Not unpleasant but not much fun. 

See? Not scientific. 

Stay tuned; I'm still experimenting.

Medical vs recreational

What's the difference aside from buying it legally vs. off the street? A prescription vs. a desire? (Buying from the provincial wine stores or the private importers?)

Here's what I've discovered so far...

Medical can mean:

• you're taking it first for relief of some ailment - getting high is not necessarily your aim
• your doctor would or has prescribed cannabis for your ailment
• You're looking for higher CBD levels but not necessarily

It's the same cannabis. Really.

One other bit to note - smoking it sets the terpenes on fire and really the terpenes are the most beneficial part of the exercise. For some, getting high is what is needed for relaxation. But there are other ways cannabis can relax us and that's understanding the terpene profile and how you react to the various types. 

For me, medical marijuana has come to mean using it in any method except smoking. 

Terpenes next week!

It's like learning about wine

Seriously. There are studies and there is marketing. There are established and new producers. There is the cliche of the wine drinker/cannabis user and there is everyone else. There is good, poor and unclassified quality. There are tools and gadgets and preferences and taste profiles. You can cook with it, ingest it, mix it into unexpected places... There are founded and unfounded claims as to what it can do for you and to you.

Start simply.
Ask why you're going to try. All answers are good but know what yours is.

Think about where you're going for advice. Collect and cross-reference answers. Every body/mind is different... this isn't acetaminophen where dosages and side effects are generally the same for all.

Know your tastes. Sharp? Sweet? Citrus? Woodsy? It matters. (more on this later)

• This article on INC. shows how aromatherapy oils have different effects; different smells & strains of marijuana do too.
• This article on ScientificAmerican shows how our emotional response to smells can increase or decrease efficacy.

Don't be shy about talking about this. If you're already twitching about any perceived stigma, then the choices and discussions you need will be harder to find.

You may very well end up with a few jars & bottles of different strains for different ailments and needs. Like my wine, I'm curating a collection of things I love.

Telling my parents

Yes, I felt about 15 years old and needing to let my parents know I was possibly letting them down because of my new found fun in the weeds. It also occurred to me that this might be good for them too. However, everyone knows that one should take on only one uncomfortable topic per discussion.

So the first one went something like this...

Me: Guess what I decided to do?

Mom: You got a medical marijuana prescription?

"Uh... how did you know?"

"Oh my friends are getting them. I figured you might."

"Yes, I thought it would be better for my anxiety instead of pills."

"That's lovely, dear. I'm sure it will be good for you."

"Are you thinking about doing something like this for you or Dad?"

"Oh, no. It's not for us. We don't need to get high or start smoking at our age."

"It's not about that - "

"Besides we have lots of wine."

Like everything else, know when to quit...

CBD vs THC... good vs evil?

This is the starting point for many. This is where the ads point us. This is how we are invited to enter understanding "medical" vs. "recreational" use. THC is the part of marijuana that gets us high and CBD is the healing side without the stoner vibe. (Here's how the government puts it. )

For those of us who are curious and yet still looking to avoid the user stereotype that had us avoid marijuana to begin with, it is often boiled down to: THC Bad and CBD Good. THC gets you high; CBD doesn't.

Except that's not necessarily true. Like everything else, it is dependent on what works for you. I have a friend who found hydromorphone (a prescription pain killer sometimes given post-operation) does nothing for her pain. I prefer it to oxycodone which does nothing for me except constipation.

Both THC and CBD affect you - technically they both have psychotropic impacts. THC is most associated with getting you high/stoned... or relaxed - which can be exactly what you're seeking. CBD is used in many of the oils, lotions and body products coming out aiding with inflammation and pain.

Recently, in New York city, I saw CBD products in corner stores! Gummy bears and creams, oils and pills. Ontario is not there yet (and I'm not convinced that we should see it sold along with cigarettes and chips...) but the cultural change is upon all of us on this continent.

CBD does have very very tiny trace amounts of THC. It's a great place to start and then add THC a bit at a time until you find what works for you.

The issue is not to avoid one or the other but understand what you're looking for (medically speaking) and what your tolerance levels are. It's a place to start but not the only factor in your decision making. That would be like assuming there's only one kind of chocolate and that all chocolate is created equal.

Read up on it. Think about it. Be prepared to try both - alone or together.

Edibles: the first try

I've been indiscriminately telling my neighbours about my latest adventures.

Turns out they find my innocence very amusing. Even more amusing than the night I got tipsy on my front porch and sang show tunes. As a result of me telling everyone around about my new found interest, one kind gentleman brought me something he really likes - a laced chocolate bar.

The problem with edibles is dosing. As a baker, I know how hard it is to ensure an even distribution of chocolate chips in my cookies, or rosemary in my beer bread, or lemon zest in my pound cake... Experiments are required both in the making and the munching.

I'm sure I will eventually play with my muffin tins. But first I took a 1/4 of a square of someone else's chocolate bar...someone else's currently non-government sanctioned chocolate bar.

Nothing. I mean I got a hit of chocolate but that was all. I sat on the couch, reading, waiting for my shoulders to relax at least. Nada. Finally, after two hours, I gave up and went to bed.

Two nights later, I decided to try 1/2 a square. After all, the chocolate was tasty and one should never waste good chocolate. About 10 minutes later, I crawled up the stairs and fell on my bed. It was not a fun effort. I alternated between floating and sinking and imagining myself in a scene from Where the Wild Things Are.

Did it help my sciatica? I don't remember. Did it calm a panic attack? Well, I think I was having one during the moment when the Wild Rumpus began. So, no. Would I do it again? I can't; I threw the rest of it out.

Somewhere there's a raccoon taking a trip.

Down the rathole of research

I do very little without tons of research. From reading labels to 3am google searches, I am not a free spirit. (unless it's a little black boot... then I mostly give in to impulse)

It's veeeery easy to get overwhelmed with the amount of information available on cannabis. Online, friends, books, magazines... There's an opinion, an ad, a strain and a new question for every search I start.

Plus, it's not a linear logical sequence. (e.g. first learn addition, then subtraction, then multiplication...). Information comes in from all directions and you don't know what you don't know.

Some of the questions:

1. What's a terpene profile and why do I care? 
2. What's sativa vs. indica vs. hybrid? 
3. Why are dosing levels so small? 
4. Which sites are worth checking out? 
5. What might be the reactions of my friends if they find out? 
6. Which method is best for me? 
7. ...

Like this blog, I can't share my discoveries in a straight line. But I will come back to this list and hyperlink to blog posts as I unravel the mysteries.

Feel free to leave me a question to add to my list!!

Late to the party

I'm discovering marijuana. I have no idea what I'm doing and so am sharing what I learn because I can't be the only ageing babe who skipped the experimentation in my 20s. I was a "good girl" in those days and whipped cream was my prime vice. I felt morally superior and was probably more tightly wound than my friends let on.

I discovered wine in my 30s. I loved exploring the new tastes, adding to cooking and savouring the feel of a cup in my hand while watching a late night movie with friends.

In my 40s, it was sports. For the first time, I enjoyed moving my body for the sheer pleasure of stretching my muscles in a run, yoga, a hike, a canoe trip. I tried kayaking and tree climbing and put my ice skates back on after 2 decades.

Then menopause arrived. My body still loves to run and my tastebuds still leap up seeking new flavours. I am a bit more fearless in trying new things and less concerned with what others think. I'm also more aware of every ache and the funny noises I make getting out of the car after a long drive.

I suddenly found myself with a whole regimen of vitamins, pills for migraines, pills for anxiety, pills to sleep, pills for aches, pills for digestive issues and a few more pills left over from various necessary medical procedures (mine and those who have lived here over the years). If I was less principled maybe I might have found a better way to build out my retirement fund...

And then I herniated 3 discs in my back - one in the lower, one in the middle and one in my neck. And then my son suggested that perhaps some medical marijuana might be better than pills. I scoffed. I protested. I ached and I shuffled.

It would be another year till I took my first hit.