When I start talking about weed with other adults, three issues always come up.
First of all, I don’t know what the hell to call it anymore. Cannabis sounds too square, marijuana sounds too racist, weed sounds too stoner-y, grass sounds too hippie-y, pot sounds too 8th grade-y. I find myself flopping between grass, weed, and pot, but I don’t think any of these words are helping my cause of trying to normalize adult use. So that issue is about 20 years into a lack of resolution for me personally.
Second of all, (which is also third of all) people tell me “weed makes me paranoid” or “weed makes me fall asleep”. Now this is something I can speak to with authority as a user and as a weed nerd.
There are two subspecies of the cannabis plant: Cannabis sativa sativa and Cannabis sativa indica. The short hand for these two types of cannabis are sativa and indica and becoming familiar with them is how regular users predict their effects.
The quick explanation: Sativa makes you feel high, but can make you feel paranoid. Indica makes you feel stoned, but can make you fall asleep. As a kid, you might have liked sativa to go to a concert, and indica to hang out on your friend’s basement couch and eat chips. As an adult, you might like sativa to clean out the garage, and indica to stop obsessing about what an asshole your boss is.
In this wonderful epoch of cannabis we’re in, there’s a huge variety of sativa and indica. You don’t have to be cis normative when it comes to your cannabis preference; in fact most people enjoy the two subspecies at different times for different reasons. And the very best development in modern cannabis cultivation: the blend! In fact blends are so prolific and specific you can get sativa or indica dominant blends, or just a full on half and half. It’s a glorious time to be alive!
It’s important to note that many adults don’t like smoking weed anymore because they only think of it when they’ve already been drinking. Getting high when you’re already on alcohol is a party gamble with few rewards. If you’re really lucky – you’ll feel a little drunker. If you’re like the rest of us…you’ll get the spins and puke. It’s not very fun to have to face that toilet as a 40 year old moaning “but I only had four glasses of pinot noir”….although it’s one of those lessons you may just have to learn once a year.
As cannabis becomes more common in social settings, more users have familiarity with what strains they have. It’s perfectly acceptable to ask before you partake and not bad manners to pass based on the answer.
If you have suggestions or opinions on what to call grass, please comment below! And as always, feel free to ask questions in the comments, or email me at advice@poorluckyme.com
