Four Reasons I Have Never Had Cannabis and Probably Never Will

And it’s not because I am morally against it

I was reading Frank T Bird’s article Five Reasons I Don’t Smoke Weed Anymore.

He used to smoke it, but he doesn’t anymore. He’s not against it on principle, it’s just that he decided it’s not for him.

I’ve never consumed cannabis at all, except passively by being in the same room as someone smoking it. It’s not because I am particularly against cannabis. It’s more because I don’t like the main delivery mechanisms.

• I don’t want to smoke it, because smoking makes me cough and I don’t like coughing.
• I don’t want to eat hash cakes because I don’t like eating sugar.
• I don’t want to vape either because that’s still bad for your lungs.

But also, there is the smell. If you smoke cannabis, everyone who comes near you knows you smoke it. The smell is very distinct, and not entirely pleasant.

Although I have never consumed whole cannabis, I have tried CBD oil. It finally became legal in the UK in 2018. I had heard it was good for sleep and joint pain so decided to give it try.

It didn’t seem to do anything for me. But it’s possible that I needed a higher dose. The problem is, CBD oil is EXPENSIVE!

Notable responses from readers:

William Vincent Carleton:

THC provides the psychoactive element, principally, in cannabis. This requires heating the plant.

If you consume cannabis in raw form, you receive essential terpenes, omegas, and antioxidants. Trace minerals that are extremely important for development of neural pathways.

The largest concentration of endocannabinoids exist in the placenta while a woman is pregnant. These are being fed to the growing child because they are essential, and powerful.

The second-most concentration of endocannabinoids exist in mother’s milk. Which is also vital for developing a strong immune system.

These endocannabinoids are non-psychoactive.

We get them from meat if we don’t get them from cannabis.

So just to clarify — there are many ways to consume the plant — -and Frank was talking about smoking it for the psychoactive element. Which is very risky without understanding the ratios of THC to CBD and this is my greatest concern with the legalization of cannabis. It will lead to chronic issues if the plant is not balanced for medical consumption. It’s the whole — -stronger is better. It’s not. This is a very powerful, delicate plant that comes with a lot of fine print. It’s filled with duality, and it can heal the heart if managed in an educated way.

Cannabis has helped me with my writing tremendously. Just from a nutritional standpoint. And many people can grow it for the leafy greens now.

And there is nothing like watching this beautiful plant grow. It’s filled with mystery. It becomes a tree in months.

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