What Affects The Effects?

[Tarantula-1]

Thought for a minute this might belong in the Cannabis Laws section but as it doesn't address any specific laws, I'm putting it here. (My apologies if it doesn't belong.)

I often have the argument with nonsmokers that 90% or better of all the supposed negatives associated with reeefer are a direct result of its legal (or rather, illegal) status. This runs the gamut from health issues to crime issues and all points between.

What I'd like to open for discussion here is the question relating mostly to sativas: that is, anxiety and paranoia associated with some sativa strains.

Bluntly put: do sativas actually create states of paranoia and anxiety in certain smokers? Or is this common complaint also a byproduct of draconian cannabis laws? - does the reality of the potential for being found out, raided, busted, court and jail time, stash and asset seizure, etc - which is a reality that's always there, whether or not foremost in our minds - warp the head-high experience of smoking pure or near-pure sativas?

I guess the question I'm asking is - in a perfect scenario (personal use/grows 100% entirely legal) do you believe there would be anxiety issues related to sativas (as media horror stories always emphasize)? Would there be any negatives to the soaring/speeding high, or would instead, sativas be viewed as gateways to a blissful, transcendent (thus safely theraputic) mental state?

And are we, as cannabis enthusists, so used to the buzzkill of medieval criminal and social penalties to the herb that we fail to take it into account? The reason I ask is because, in the 1970s with decrimininalization becoming reality - and legalization seemingly around the corner - I almost never encountered paranoia freakout stories and scenarios associated with weed, much of which at that time was sativa weed....but post-Reagan, in the war on drugs era, as society keeps moving backwards on decrim/legalizing...? More and more people are finding what should be the most brilliant effects of the cannabis experience to be the most worrisome/negative.

Am I nuts here - or onto something?

 

[DocLeaf]

Much of the experience of cannabis use is environmental. For example, I n I get more stoned off indica-Skunks when my nose is cold.. lol

Paranoia is a state of mind associated with environmental pressures and influences. If cannabis is part of your environ then it may hold influence over your mind.

Hope this helps

 

[3dDream]

I have had strains where people have separately reported that they felt fear. I do not think the state of mind has anything to do with it. There is happy weed and there is fearful weed, the stone can mask either one but those are the core reactions IMO.

Here's some random quotes:

The limbic system is part of the reptilian brain, the older embryological part of brain that is one of the first to form as a fetus. It is the interface between the brain and the outside world. The limbic system is the seat of the emotional center and is partly responsible for our fight or flight response, our emotional reaction to something, our hormonal secretions, motivation, pain reflex and our mood fluctuations. There are three main components to the limbic system: the hypothalamus, the hippocampus and the amygdalae. There are also the pituitary, the cingulate gyrus, the fornicate gyrus, the thalamus, the mammilary body, the nucleus accumbens that help form the system, plus the olfactory bulb that plays such an important part in aromatherapy.


....


Along with neurochemical changes, there are also emotional responses that get set up. If a situation is sensual, pleasing, fun, exciting or amusing, the odors present at that time help to cement the neuro-pathways of the brain. Each time the same aroma is present with a similar pleasure, the pathways deepens, until the memory transfers from short term to long term memory and is indelibly planted in the brain. Then years after the event, even if the smell hasn’t been present all that time, one whiff and the brain falls right back into the pleasure pathways and the memories kick in. The same applies for ‘bad’ memories. The unpleasant external events associated with the aroma become internalized and are remembered by the stimulus of the odor. An arousal or fight/flight state is triggered in the limbic system by the direct access of the aroma molecule.


...

The main area of the brain that is impacted by marijuana is the limbic system. The limbic system is key to learning, memory, and the integration of sensory experiences with emotions and motivations.

And yes, I think you are nuts.

 

[englishrick]

i find paranoia is something you have beffore smoking,,,,a splif only makes the feelings come to light...you are too aware...and you cant take your mind off it..after the paranoia stage peeps tend to turn pale,,,we call this "A WHITEY or WHITEOUT"

glucose will stop "A WHITEOUT".."like when you was a kid and peeps whent pale from smokin"....just have a PowerAid at the ready if your body is extra sensative....PowerAid or GatorAid is awsome for bringing you down a peg,,,,,,it might make you shake abit an you might get cold..being warm helps you relax...

thats just my experence tho

 

[DocLeaf]

When the police roll on you it doesn't matter which weed you've been smoking!!!

Some weed has an on-edge feel to it, maybe uncomfortable... like the 3rd cap on a coconut ,,, but fear-full isn't a word we should be keeping in our vocabs :wink:

Sticks n stones may break ya bones,, but a big fat spliff might murk you

peace peace peace

 

[Space Ghost]

im one noid motha fuka to begin with, but some strains just fuck with me... don't smoke schrom if you're prone to anxiety/noia

2000 posts, yippy?

 

[englishrick]

true tru...doc

Spaceghost,,,,,ive heard awsome reviews on Schrom,,,heavy Lemon, im only happy with the heavy stuff like Cheese, an i hear Schrom fits the bill

i just want to add

Hybrids are stronger than old world stuff like ThaiStick or RastaWeed "oviously",,......i think as the THC amounts increese with hybridization other active Chemicals change in there balance, active terpenoids certainly change,,IMO the "HIGH" will also change.... this ballance of Active Chemicals WILL have an effect on the high....

My Question is.,,,,,are we creating NEW Active Chemicals in the Hybridization prosess....What Active Chemicals are we selectivly breeding??.,,,,

 

[englishrick]

THC DELTA 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,................lol

CBD......................"maybe cbd 1,2,3" lol

CBN..............

what else?

 

[PrinceOfPersia]

id say enviroment unfluenses alot on the stone/high

shrick. cbb also i think

 

[englishrick]

Hot temps ie [day87F-night70F] do make the weed sweeter "less heavy"

Cold temps ie [day75F-night60] makes a deeper smell ....but the plants matabolizm will run faster in warmer temps

id say there is more CBD in the colder room to begin with... an the plant grows a dence structure at day temps of 75F...smells are "much thicker" an THC percentage is much higher..but plants grown at higher temps might finish quicker

Nute uptake will play a part in active chemicals,,,

standard groth procedure is relative to the plant you are using,,,,once optimum groth is possible , oils an active chemicals can be checked,,,,should be checked!!,,,,"we should check them"...lol

 

[CannaExists]

I think you're on the right track... weeds illegalness can definitely bring paranoia out of you, but so can a number of other things. I definitely used to worry about cops in the past and it would affect my highs, any sound I would hear spooked me cuz I was sure cops were a'creepin. Now that I have a lot less to worry about, both cop-related and in general, I haven't been feeling negative side effects at all when I puff. As someone said in this thread, the paranoia associated with weed is already there, being high brings it to the forefront. Since I personally believe marijuana is a friend of man, I like to think of it as an indication that you have internal issues that you need to work out.

 

[hassan-i-sahba]

i think that some sativas heighten one's environmental awareness, and act on us at an animal level. with heightened awareness comes, unfortunately, an increased perception of the 'flight or fight' mechanism intrinsic within all creatures, a necessary part of our survival mechanism. (of course this heightened awareness also has untold positive effects - increased enjoyment of sensual phenomena - music, food, nature, sex etc.)

so the police are a kind of predator for the pothead. thus increased awareness increases paranoia about the predator. however, removal of the predator would render this reaction redundant. so get rid of the illegality and you get rid of a lot of the paranoia.

nevertheless people are fearful of more than just the police. there are many internal insecurities etc which can bring out paranoia. self-consciousness, inferiority complexes, persecution issues etc which are all latent in the mind can be brought out more by smoking sativas. if the smoker remains high all the time then these subconscious mindsets can become the norm for that individual, and it is at that point that psychosis can come into play.

but yeah i think you're right that environmental factors play a large part in paranoia experiences. however, we (unfortunately) live in a world in which survival of the fittest is a dominant evolutionary trait, and therefore we all have the capacity to fear that which might undo us, whether it be police, societal pressures, or even the self-destructive tendencies of our own minds. so it's a natural thing to get a bit fearful if our environmental awareness is raised.

i been thinking too much! gimme a heavy indica lol!

 

[Elevator Man]

I think it's more to do with the fact that some folks are not very comfortable with rhe more 'psychedelic' states of mind that sativas can bring. The terpene profiles of sativas tend toward more stimulating and cerebral effects, and can often be overconsumed because of the lack of 'body high' and the relatively longer duration of onset.

Like LSD and Psilocybin, strong sativa strains can lead to quite profound 'ego-loss', a sense of disembodiment, and/or a feeling that one's mind might not totally be under one's own control - safe when squatted on a large cushion, but not so handy on the checkout queue at Waitrose.

What many people refer to as 'paranoia' would be more accurately termed 'temporary desocialisation' - as in, a complete lack of confidence in one's environment and one's ability to interact within it safely. And hence attributing the 'paranoia' to the weed, and not the 'inappropriate setting' it was used in.

Personally, I love tripping out on sativas, whether on a cushion or in the checkout queue at Waitrose, but I can well understand why many don't...

 

[DoobieDuck]

Tarantula interesting topic..thanks for posting. Eman has an informative post as everyone here. I gotta say this one made my morning..

When the police roll on you it doesn't matter which weed you've been smoking!!!

 

[THC123]

Well i once harvested a sint vincent haze and i didn't like the effect.

Instead of relaxing me it stressed me out , i got a racey hart , couldn't sleep and was not relaxed at all.

So yeah i believe that sativa's can make u feel uncomfortable if they got almost no cbd and lots of thc.

I also harvested this plant a week early so this may also acccount for the effect it had.

Noone i knew loved this herb. the effect was strong but soooo wrong

 

[The Hummus Monk]

I can testify that Flo is very similar to eating about 10-15 Liberty Caps...the smoke is just slightly more 'grounded'...but my God you sure do fly with it. I also find with Flo that you learn to notice its effect the more you smoke...just great.

Eman's spot on...Sativa all the way...expand the mind but don't constrict the body.

WAITROSE!

 

[elmanito]

Some sativa's can make you paranoid like from Laos, Vietnam, Kerala etc
It effects the heart and i think also the thyroid gland which are connected to each other.

Namaste

 

[buttyrekka]

i've allways enjoyed psychedelics,probably why i prefer sativas to indicas.when explaining the differences to friends i compare indicas to opiates,sativas to psychedelics.
when i used to go out clubbing(late80's early90's)my friends would boast of there consumption and yet offer them a trip and they'd run a mile,find the same thing now,people seem to like sledgehammer indicas.
i like the introspective/creative/motivational aspects of sativa dom's.saying that it is nice to get "battered" once in a while.
elevator man...waitrose! blimey bit posh for me there,you wanna try tripping in netto;D

 

[guineapig]

I totally agree that the draconian cannabis laws sometimes have an effect on some peoples' experience with THC.....i finally realized this when i vacationed in Amsterdam and finally found a tolerant society which allows you true freedom.....there was no paranoia or fear there whatsoever, even though huge amounts of cannabis were ingested by large groups of people.....

Also, it helps to remember that two separate brains might react differently to the same stimuli......some people love riding roller coasters, while other people are deathly afraid of roller coasters.....

If we could get quantities of raw Cannabis in the hands of the right research facilities, some of these questions could begin to be answered......but as long as the FDA refuses to allow raw cannabis to be studied in a research setting, we will only be guessing about all of the effects of THC and other cannabinoids upon the human brain.....

kind regards from guineapig

 

[Guest]

when i was younger i would get paranoia effect.like smoking in high school. but it was i then learned it was the situation or the surrounding people or environment i was in when i got high. now that i have some life experiences i just now love and embrace any high .i could be as high as a kit and be sitting right next to the police and it would not effect me at all.my blood ,hart beat stays steady.but if i am around the wrong sort of people i would just leave .their are some who disrupt the order of things with their spirit.

not to say that if i smoked a pure haze i would not feel the effects of speedy and energetic .but i smoke kalimist all the time and feel more spiritual then out of place.
i think low thc and the way it was grown has more to to with it to. the effects
you receive from plant to plant. my son is 21 and he tells me that smoking some times
makes him feel strange. but when he smoked my home grown he says he gets the best feeling. i grow using all organics and i think like are food organic grown weed is food for the soul and mind better for some folks then smoking chemical grown smoke.