Enjoying cannabis together (in times of corona)

Author: Elena Experience expert (psychedelics and psychoactive & medicinal plants), blogger, passion for healthy food

Nowadays cannabis is more respected and appreciated in certain parts of the world. Interested parties include policymakers and companies. In the US, a true cannabis industry has emerged and is becoming a huge business.

Not only for 'medical marijuana', ie the use of cannabis to fight pain, epilepsy, sleep problems and so on, but also the recreational side of cannabis is coming more to the fore. The focus on the aspect of cannabis as a medicine is now just as much on its enjoyment. There are many ways in which you can enjoy cannabis, and people have known this for thousands of years. 

Having a conversation with weed

One of the nice things about weed is that you can enjoy it together. When I smoke a joint, I prefer to share it with a good friend. More often than not philosophical conversations arise (which I can't always recount) and we can talk about things that our subconscious is concerned with, but doesn't always allow to come to the surface. 

During a conversation in which two people have drunk alcohol, the tongue is looser and subjects are touched upon that normally remain untouched. It has happened to me before that I had a drunken conversation and realized afterwards that I was saying very stupid things. Or that I heard a conversation in a bar and realized again that talking with alcohol is easier, but that those conversations usually don't make sense and you even regret it afterwards. I've never had that with weed before. Although there is usually a certain amount of 'loose tongue', it works in a completely different way and creates a different type of conversation. Of course it all has to do with dosage and type of weed. When I am really stoned, interesting conversations sometimes become just too complicated and both my conversation partner and I find neither head nor tail. Then it is usually better to just remain silent and be in our own minds together. 

Social Set and Setting with weed

If you look around you and you see people drinking in social occasions, you sometimes notice that their first layer of shame disappears more and more and they start to behave more freely. I myself also have experience with the feeling of wanting to drink a few glasses of wine before I dare to dance. Cannabis works very different from alcohol. 

It feels nice to use cannabis in a quiet environment. I usually find a busy place with lots of stimuli too overwhelming. When I use weed in a chaotic place I can feel uncomfortable. Maybe you also have experience with the paranoid feeling you can get when you are with a large group of people you don't know and you've just taken a few puffs from a joint. If you are someone who has had negative experiences with that, I can recommend that you pay more attention to your Set and Setting. With a trip with Magic Truffles, for example, this is a golden rule: always make sure that you trip on a day when you have no obligations, you feel good about yourself and you are in a safe environment with people you trust. You might as well say the same for cannabis. Avoid unpleasant situations by paying attention to where you use cannabis and with whom. Being alone on the couch in a messy house, while you are sad because you are arguing with someone you love, is not a good Set and Setting for setting up a joint. Respecting the plant and using it with attention gives the best results. 

Peace pipe smoking with cannabis

The indigenous people of North America were already using cannabis as a way to get together and as a medicine. They used the plant not only for making rope. They soaked the seeds in water and ate it against flatulence. They also used the root in the form of a brew, which helped against inflammation of the head and other parts of the body, joint pain and muscle spasms. Evidence has been found that indicates that certain groups used cannabis, not only as a medicine, but also for other, more social reasons. They saw smoking cannabis as a psychological tool and as an incentive, for example, to make peace. So the name 'peace pipe' certainly has an extra meaning. In any case, the use of tobacco was a way that the indigenous people had been using since the beginning of time and later spread to other parts of the world. But how did cannabis get to them from Asia? This was probably a combination of cultural, political and economic influences. The capitalist influence, slave trade and colonialism brought cannabis from Europe to North and South America. For example, the British, Portuguese and Spanish, among others, brought cannabis across the ocean when they kept their homes there, and the British, Portuguese and Spanish, among others, brought cannabis back to them.

The groups they enslaved came into contact with cannabis. According to certain sources, these slaves would become calmer and this suited the slave traders well. 

Social cannabis use

Unfortunately, we live in a time where it is no longer self-evident to smoke peace pipe together with a group of people. The 'puff puff pass' culture is on the back burner. Cannabis is known for connecting people, bringing them together and reuniting them. Passing on a joint seems to be inextricably linked to social cannabis use. Because of corona it's not a good idea to hand out your joint to everyone and other solutions are needed to still be able to enjoy weed together. It's wise to limit yourself to the people who are very close to you and not to share your joint with everyone. Nobody knows what the world will look like tomorrow and what measures will still be taken. Fortunately, there are several creative solutions possible! 

Volcano Hybrid replaceable mouthpieces

A solution from Storz and Bickel is the design of replaceable mouthpieces for both the Volcano Hybrid, Volcano Digit and the Plenty. These extremely strong tabletop vaporizers guarantee a solid vaping session that you can share with your friends, without exchanging saliva.

Cannabis delicacies

From cannabis biscuits, to spacecake, to weed chocolate milk ... the options are endless. Of course this is a different experience than a joint, but maybe you'll discover that eating weed instead of smoking has several advantages (it's tasty, the effect lasts longer, it can cause a more psychedelic effect).

Scientific research on cannabis and corona

Meanwhile, several scientific studies are underway to investigate whether cannabis can be a tool in the fight against corona. Cannabis sativa L., the versatile plant used for so many different applications, could be a promising tool.

According to researchers at the University of Lethbridge in Canada, there are certain CBD-rich cannabis varieties that reduce the number of virus receptors in the form of extracts. In this way, the virus can enter the body much less easily. According to researcher Dr. Kovalchuk, it mainly has to do with the anti-inflammatory effect of CBD. Because the study receives little financial support, there is still too little hard evidence and clarity about its exact effect.  In Israel, too, scientists are concentrating on the possible reinforcing effect of CBD in combating corona. According to them, activating the endocannabinoid system could boost the immune system.

Elena Experience expert (psychedelics and psychoactive & medicinal plants), blogger, passion for healthy food

Elena studies Organic and Biodynamic agriculture because, besides psychedelics and psychoactive & medicinal plants, she also has a passion for healthy food. Learning about the endocannabinoid system, different cannabinoids and terpenes is super interesting.

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