I don't think it does ANYONE any good to demonize the *pothead* or the *drunk*  or the *john*.  Vice crimes need rethought in my opinion.  Many, many people can't handle living in a free country.  Adolescents are like that, they keep testing the limits of their freedom.  I recommend reading *Civilization and its discontents*.

I take a couple of mushroom supplements which have seemed to improve my functionality quite a bit. The first is Lion's Mane, which has been found to stimulate nerve growth factor, and Reishi, which really helps me wind downat night and seems to have completely cured my insomnia (and has also given me some mind blowing dreams on a consistent basis). 
 
The Lion's Mane effect is quite striking. Two things I noticed: first of all my jitteriness, which causes a minor bit of shake when e.g. trying to hold a camera steady, seems to have almost completely gone. The second is that I've regained some feeling in my left armpit, which has been numb for years since having a lymph node removed. 

Having a numb armpit has got to be the least sympathy-inducing disability I've ever heard of. 
 
The ability to stimulate nerve regrowth has got my attention, though. Back in 2005 when I went full-blown diabetic, the nerves in my feet went all wonky. Numb, like I'd been out walking in the snow for too long. But painful at the same time. Once I'd cured my diabetes, those nerves started to slowly repair themselves. 12 years later, I can now actually feel it when I step on a sharp object, which is a greater benefit than it sounds like. But it's been a slow process.
 
"Lion's Mane" is a better marketing label than what it's called in parts of Asia: "bearded tooth fungus". Sounds like something you'd get from kissing a hippie with bad oral hygiene.

Thanks for sharing Bit - I'm a big supplement/hormone guy and always trying to learn new things. My doc just recently put me on Pregnenolone which is brand new to me. I've only been on a few days and not sure if I'm noticing anything or not, but it's supposed to help with coping mechanisms and mental clarity - which sounds great!

If all else fails, there is Nembutal or Seconol. Seriously though, I have a hard time and for years 50mg of Trazadone helped me with no morning fuzziness, I had to go to 100mg, then after abut 10yrs it just stopped working. I now use Tizanidine. It is a muscle relaxer. The daily limit on it is 36mg (which is pretty amazing, I don't know how anyone would function with that much). It comes in a 4mg tablet, scored 4 ways. If you try it start with 1mg, maybe 2. It will last about 4 hours and you can take another half if you wake up after 4 hours. I've taken it for years and have noticed no morning hangover from it... it's in and out fast. My doctor put me on Klonopin for cluster headaches, 1mg twice a day. I had a headache every day for over two years. It broke the cycle but it is like that thing from the Alien movies that gets on your face if you try to stop taking it, even slow titration. Stay away from it.
Actually, for several years I was taking 8mg of Tizanidine at bedtime, last year I cut back to 4 and didn't have a problem.
When I first got it, it was for neck ache and headache. I remember because we were at Shands Clinic with my father in law, in Gainesville, FL... family in the big waiting room. I took 1/4 tab (1mg) and in 20 minutes fell asleep sitting in a chair, middle of the afternoon. Thankfully it didn't last too long... but it WILL put you to sleep with very minimal side effects or after effects.
I wonder, after you stopped smoking, did you start having WILD dreams after a few days? That used to happen to me, long ago when I'd be a regular and stop. I noticed I didn't dream much or I didn't remember dreams if I was smoking but when I'd stop it was like all the dreams were stored up behind a dam that would break after a few days and it would be almost too much dreaming. Did you get that?
Good luck, I know I'm late on this and only read the first part... maybe the problem is resolved but this is what has worked for me.
OH... and Ambien or Lunesta... NO! I tried that too. One night I got up and got chocolate and got it all over the bed. One night I got up and got a Strat and got back in bed trying to play and sleep... another night I got up and started drinking bourbon (I had not been drinking that day nor was I drinking regular).. that stuff is scary. You may got to WalMart in your underwear but considering where you live, probably no big deal lol.
 
J

bitflipper
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. 
 
 
 

I had not smoked for several years and went to visit a friend. He had some he had been saving. We were going to play some music but after smoking I (literally) could not figure out which end of the cable went in the guitar.. like the socks... just sitting there looking at the cable confused.
 

I made homemade magic butter this weekend and didn't follow any advice I had been given on dosage. Usually I can feel edibles in about an hour. Not this time, so take more. 30 minutes later? Feel nothing, guess I probably screwed up this batch like the last one so take a bunch more...
 
What I made is probably for amputee and cancer patients, not casual users. DANG that was not a fun experiment. You CAN overdose on THC - I know that now. It might not kill you, but a high THC overdose will mess you up, and can induce vomiting. You will also lose the use of your arms for the most part, and might even think you are suffering a stroke. 
 
Throw it out you say? geez, minor setback I say!

Going way back into ampfixer history, I remember consuming brownies. The key to not going overboard is waiting about an hour and then having a couple puffs to trigger the reaction. The problem you had is the same thing that is killing kids today. They take all this crap made in a bathtub and when they don't get a buzz in 20 minutes they take more. With chemicals you can take a lethal dose and not know it ... for a while.
 
Once you get older and suffer from health issues and a bunch of over the counter Rx's, consumables are not recommended. 1970, was very good to me, thank you Mr. Hofman.

Well, the good news is I found my tolerance is somewhere between 0 and 3.5 tablespoons.
 
Yup, 3.5 tablespoons.
 
gotta love stoner maths! :)

I wonder, after you stopped smoking, did you start having WILD dreams after a few days?

Oh, yes. Vivid dreams that had no connection to anything. Realistic people that weren't drawn from my usual palette of real-life associates. Dreams that subsequently picked up again the following night, like an episodic series. In one, I made up a hilarious joke, but even though I vowed to remember it, come morning I could not.
 
Fortunately, none were of the sweat-inducing panic attack variety.