I can see that...i am bipolar manic...

Since this thread has evolved into a more general discussion of recreational drug use, you might find this NYT's article interesting:
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/07/style/microdosing-lsd-ayelet-waldman-michael-chabon-marriage.html?smid=pl-share
 
 
 

Bert Guy
Since this thread has evolved into a more general discussion of recreational drug use, you might find this NYT's article interesting:
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/07/style/microdosing-lsd-ayelet-waldman-michael-chabon-marriage.html?smid=pl-share
 

 
From the article: 
 

The risks, however, are clear, said Dr. Elias Dakwar, a psychiatrist at Columbia University Medical Center who researches mind-altering substances. LSD is sometimes adulterated or improperly synthesized, and may vary widely in potency, with someone intending to take a tiny, subperceptual dose at risk of having “a full-blown psychedelic effect when trying to do a PowerPoint presentation,” he said.

 
Then why don't they do it with 'shrooms? You'd know exactly what you're getting. 
 
I can imagine microdosing psychedelics to be therapeutic. I did quite a lot of acid and mushrooms when I was younger, everything from a handful of 'shrooms to a full-on Jim Morrison strength hit of acid during which I couldn't even recognize any of my friend's faces or remember their names, and one thing I remember was this amazing, almost idyllic sense of well being the morning after. To this day, however, I remain convinced that LSD damages your eyesight. 
 

bitflipper
Legalization brought about an unexpected problem: the legal store-bought weed is much too potent. I want to relax, not become a zombie. I won't touch the retail stuff. Fortunately, I still have a large bag of the much milder crop I grew on my back deck two years ago.
 
A free market takes care of itself, though, and consumers my age are requesting a product more like what they grew up with in the 60's and 70's. Minus the seeds and stems, of course. I understand that growers are breeding just such a product in Colorado. I doubt it will be 10 dollars an ounce, though.

Here's a link to an interesting article regarding weed potency.  Turns out there may be some very good reasons for returning to an age where weed was a bit gentler than that now generally available:
 
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/pot-products-are-now-so-potent-they-can-trigger-psychosis_us_58b85482e4b02a4e8ddb0f0d?

yesh

dmbaer

bitflipper
Legalization brought about an unexpected problem: the legal store-bought weed is much too potent. I want to relax, not become a zombie. I won't touch the retail stuff. Fortunately, I still have a large bag of the much milder crop I grew on my back deck two years ago.
 
A free market takes care of itself, though, and consumers my age are requesting a product more like what they grew up with in the 60's and 70's. Minus the seeds and stems, of course. I understand that growers are breeding just such a product in Colorado. I doubt it will be 10 dollars an ounce, though.

Here's a link to an interesting article regarding weed potency.  Turns out there may be some very good reasons for returning to an age where weed was a bit gentler than that now generally available:
 
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/pot-products-are-now-so-potent-they-can-trigger-psychosis_us_58b85482e4b02a4e8ddb0f0d?

 

The main active compounds cannabis are delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). Skunk and other more potent forms of the drug are rich in THC, but have low or barely traceable levels of CBD.

Scientific evidence suggests that CBD partially neutralizes the potent effect of THC, including reducing paranoia or memory loss ― and experts say this is why skunk and other high potency cannabis products are linked to a higher psychosis.

 
That's what a friend told me a couple of years ago and it totally makes sense. It's not just that there is more THC in today's weed, the lack of CBD makes it a completely different hit, not mellow at all. If I haven't smoked anything for a few months and then take a hit of this mega weed, I feel like I'm going mad for 10 minutes or so. It's that really uncomfortable completely-detached-from-reality feeling that makes me think I'm losing the plot - I have to wash some dishes or something to bring myself back to terra firma. Frankly if I wanted that level of boingy looniness then I would take mushrooms. I miss the days of having a nice naturally balanced toke and kicking back to some Crosby Stills and Nash in that magical stoner haze. 

I hate that feeling. I once had some weed so potent that I literally forgot how to put on socks. Sat there staring at them for what felt like several minutes, trying to remember how socks work. It's hard to imagine any scenario where that's a life-enhancing benefit.
 
Now into the third month of my experiment, I have smoked pot just twice. Both times it was after a gig, when it was 3:00 AM and I was too wound up and caffeinated to sleep. The caffeine isn't good for me, either, but my normal bedtime is 10:00 PM so without it I'd never make it through a gig.
 
Surprisingly, my sleep patterns have stabilized. I now have no trouble falling and staying asleep. I still sometimes get up too early, but "too early" is now 4:00 AM, not midnight. I can live with that.
 
Other benefits include a clearer head, reduced appetite, improved memory and increased physical energy. I also watch less TV and am less likely to procrastinate about doing unpleasant chores.
 
Manual dexterity seems to be improving. I am faster and more precise on both musical and computer keyboards, although I can't be sure how much of that is just due to playing in a band again. I will never again be the speed-demon I was in my 30's, but at 65 there's just no need to prove anything to anyone. 
 
 
 

Well, you could prove that you're better than the pothead who's only 35...
(Just sayin'...)

Good for you Bit!!
Only 2x in the past 3 months is quite impressive (especially if you like it a lot).
Next thing in due course is training for the next Washington marathon?