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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 6 of 6. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Magdalena on March 24, 2004, at 1:17:40
hey i was just wondering if anyone could give me some insight, my boyfriend is a hard-core pothead, loves to get high and its everyday sometimes a few times a day, but i hardly ever smoke anymore because it makes me paranoid sometimes even after a small amount. Its always hit or miss, sometimes i get a good buzz but i never know what it will be.
does anyone know why it affects me this way? and why it doesnt for my boyfriend?
thanks so much for any feedback;)
MAG
Posted by CrazyGuy on March 26, 2004, at 16:47:09
In reply to POT USERS I NEED SOME INFO:), posted by Magdalena on March 24, 2004, at 1:17:40
Like any drug/medication, marijuana has different effects on different people (due, I suppose, to genetics, prior exposure/tolerance, etc.). And I've found that the effect that marijuana has on me tends to vary based upon: (a) the source of the weed (some people have better stuff than others), (b) who I'm smoking with (when I'm with friends, I get quite giggly, when I'm with people I don't really know, I get sort of paranoid and when I'm just chilling at home with my cat, I get quite reflective and introspective <-- actually, I've had some of my best, clearest, most insightful thoughts in those "getting stoned by myself and stroking my cat" sessions), and (c) what state of mind I'm in before I spark up (personally, I've found that it's generally not good for me to get high when I'm pissed off at the world or just had an argument with a friend).
Posted by Magdalena on March 26, 2004, at 18:26:32
In reply to Re: POT USERS I NEED SOME INFO:), posted by CrazyGuy on March 26, 2004, at 16:47:09
thanks so much for the response, much appreciated.
Magdalena
Posted by guttersnipe on March 29, 2004, at 2:36:25
In reply to Re: POT USERS I NEED SOME INFO:), posted by CrazyGuy on March 26, 2004, at 16:47:09
* Set (your state of mind before using ... if stressed out, it's best to relax, meditate for a while first if you do that sort of thing, maybe put on some mellow and comforting or familiar music).
* Setting (where you are when you light up ... good = around close friends, or at home snuggling up with cat; possibly risky = anything where there may be a sensory overload of scattered stimuli and a lack of comfort zone, such as at a noisy party where you don't know most of the people).
* Strain (what kind of herb is it ... as a rule, the more CBD to go with your THC, the less anxious a response you will have; but as another rule that is somewhat at cross-purposes with the first, the more quickly the THC crosses your blood brain barrier (i.e., the more potent the herb), the greater the chance of an anxious response, so lower-quality herb may be the safest bet. Indicas and indica-sativa hybrids ("kind bud," "killer green bud," "the chronic," etc.) usually have a greater CBD-to-THC ratio than that of pure sativas, but depending on the strain that is not always the case -- there are some very low-CBD indicas. However, indicas also tend to have high THC levels than most sativas (although this is not always true), so if smoking some indica or indica-sativa hybrid, maybe take one hit, let it sink in, then decide whether to take another ... with many sativas (especially the brown, imported, "commercial weed" like you see a lot of on the east coast and in the southwest) you can safely take a few hits without getting tweaky because the THC level is probably low enough that a couple tokes won't make you agitated. There are some strains that the medical marijuana community has found are especially good for mellowing people out and reducing anxiety -- if you can grow your own, you might want to but some seeds of, for example, an indica-sativa hybrid strain called Blue Heaven, which was bred especially for its anti-anxiety effects).
Hope that helps. If you have any benzodiazepines at hand (Ativan, Xanax, Valium, etc.), and you eat one of those about a half-hour before smoking, you should have no adverse effects from the marijuana -- only an uplifting, completely relaxing high. Also, although not as strong as the benzos, I find that theanine helps to relax me and reduce stress and anxiety (theanine is the amino acid in green tea that causes the relaxation that comes from drinking green tea .... it helps promote alpha waves in the brain, and appears to increase GABA levels also).
Posted by Magdalena on March 30, 2004, at 15:35:03
In reply to Re: POT USERS I NEED SOME INFO:), posted by guttersnipe on March 29, 2004, at 2:36:25
wow you seem to be very well informed on this, thanks it does help a great deal although its hard to know what kind of pot you are getting since it is still illigal for the mostpart.
i have noticed that the only times i really feel good after smoking pot is after i have been drinking, although this isnt a garunteed thing its just something i have noticed, maybe the xanax would help i dont take any, all i am on now is paxil and they just raised my dose to 10mg from 5mg. i would try Xanex(sp?) but i am worried about needing it all the time, or having myself depend on it for immediate relief cause then i would start using it all the time to avoid situations that i would think would bring on anxiety.
thanks for sharing with me, i was wondering if you directly have experince with this sort of thing, do you sometimes have bad paranoia after smoking? and if so what are ways that you deal with it?thanks a bunch,
Magdalena
Posted by rainyday on March 30, 2004, at 17:11:53
In reply to Re: POT USERS I NEED SOME INFO:) » guttersnipe, posted by Magdalena on March 30, 2004, at 15:35:03
I am completely paranoid about xanax too. Funny enough, my p-doc ended up prescribing it to me because the other options were not coming close to helping the panic attacks.
And since I have had this Rx, the attacks have subsided a lot - perhaps because I know I have the means to stop the attack (the xanax).
If I could only do the same with alcohol. Pot is great for kicking out and relaxing, but booze makes me CRAZY. I tried to go to an AA meeting on Monday and ended up leaving in tears. Not because I was so ashamed - I got over admitting I am an alcoholic long ago - but the place reeked of cigarette smoke, the only people in there were homeless people with more tattoos than teeth. I did not fit in LOL.
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