High Times

All my life I stayed away from illicit substances. I had a puff or two of marijuana over the years, and it didn't do anything for me. I have never snorted cocaine, popped nonprescription pills, sniffed glue, huffed paint, and certainly not shot anything into my veins. This was done for two reasons--I didn't want to fuck with my brain, and I didn't want to go to jail.

But after Nevada legalized cannabis, there wasn't much reason to not use it. The arguments against legalization are weak, especially considering the legality of cigarettes and alcohol, which are far more harmful to the body, and in the case of alcohol, have destroyed many families. Pot is not addictive and while it may kill a few brain cells, especially if used excessively, it's pretty harmless, as long as one isn't driving.

My friend got some medical marijuana and I tried some, but did not smoke it, as I don't like anything that has to do with smoke. Instead I tried edibles--brownies, or gummy bears. I had various results, given how much I ingested. Once I ate an entire brownie and ended up flat on my back for several hours, at times not feeling my feet. But as I live through a time where I am enduring a great deal of stress and anxiety, I thought I might give it a try.

I made my first trip to a dispensary a few weeks ago. At first it was like visiting a speakeasy. One gives one's name, and then waits to be beckoned into the main room, which is like a lab, manned by white-coated associates. Visiting during the pandemic everyone was wearing masks, which made it seem even more illegal. I stated I was a first-time visitor, and I was looking for indica, which is a strain of cannabis that makes one mellow. Sativa, on the other hand, can give a person a boost of energy. I was pointed to a few gummy type examples and purchased them. No credit cards--federal banking laws make it impossible for cannabis sellers to use them, but an ATM was right there.

I must say the effect is good. If I chew one of these things I know I'm not good for much for the rest of the day. They are very calming, and give one the effect of floating, and limbs can feel unattached. I have had a few occasions where paranoia set in, but overall I feel fine after eating them, without a hangover.

It's amazing that it took this long to come to our senses, and several states still haven't. Marijuana became illegal after prohibition ended, when zealots were looking for something else to demonize. Propaganda films like Reefer Madness made it seem like anyone who smoked the stuff was crazed, but that's really the opposite. Users of weed usually withdraw into their own world, not wishing to bother anyone else. It isn't much of an aphrodisiac, either. It's just a way to get mellow, and I'm all about mellow.

So I will probably continue to partake. It is a bit pricey, with a package of ten edibles running something more than twenty bucks. But I usually only use it on my days off, so it's a weekend thing. Some guys golf, I'm going to get high.