Why I Smoke Weed
For my first post I chose to talk about something that is near and dear to my heart--cannabis.
I started smoking about 9 months ago. I was in Las Vegas for a friend's birthday party, a friend I had only known for a few weeks. I had not yet had the chance to meet any of her friends that were going on the trip, so I didn't know what to expect.
Her friends turned out to be super chill and friendly. They offered if I wanted to take a hit of something that resembled a skinny cigar. I said no because I am mostly a rule follower and I barely even drink and have never done any drugs before.
So I wasn't sure I should do something like that.
A few hours into the trip I became more and more curious about what the two women in the front kept smoking every 15-20 minutes. The fact that she was driving and smoking didn't even seem dangerous to me. I don't know the effect weed has on a body. I knew it was a drug and it was "bad." I asked the driver about it (because in second grade I was rewarded for asking a lot of questions--I guess that trait stuck with me), and she said it made her a better driver because it helped her to focus more on the road. Immediately I was skeptical, but didn't share my concerns--just hoped to die quickly if we got in an accident.
But they kept smoking and driving. During the ride, our conversations were rich and deep and kept me entertained during the long drive. Again I was surprised that even though both women in front smoked, they were able to drive well and hold intelligent conversations. (Talk about judgmental!!) We spoke about conspiracy theories, 00's Boy Bands, even better music than that, and one of my personal favorite subjects: spirituality. We sang at the top of our lungs and laughed so hard we made the car shake. I was impressed by these women--they were multitasking like crazy and didn't judge me for being so curious about everything they said--things that went way over my head. I am from the Mid-West and didn't think I was that naive about life, but man was I wrong.
By the time we got to our hotel I was ready to make a choice.
We checked in, walked around The Vegas Strip a bit, came back, and got ready to go out to dinner. All along I was thinking I wanted to try this "natural" plant that had to seemingly benefit these interesting women. Since I was younger I have had a negative connotation about marijuana due to family issues that made me want to stay away from drugs and alcohol. After witnessing how full of life these women were, I was intrigued. It was time to take a chance to break out of my rules. I wanted to see what it was all about. Mustering up the courage, I sheepishly asked to hit some of their weed. Ha! To my surprised they were excited and wanted to share with me. They weren't worried about me paying my share, as it is often here in LA. Eye for an Eye. But they didn't expect anything in return, as a gift should be. And this was a gift indeed.
They gave it to me freely.
I knew from their reaction that I hadn't been peer pressured and that I had made this choice on my own. They were joyful that I got to get my "green cheery popped." I was excited to be breaking some of my rules and taking a step out of my comfort zone. I was given the choice of how I wanted to smoke and I asked, "What is the healthiest way to smoke?" because I was still health-conscious, of course. Duh! They looked at me with straight expressions and answered my questions without judgment. To which I was surprised to learn about vaping.
It is thought to be the cleanest way to smoke. "Because vaporizers don’t put direct fire onto the herb, you’re able to get a nice inhale of vapors while mitigating many of the harmful impacts of inhaling hot plant material."
Here is a great article (the one I just quoted) that talks about the different means to smoke and the ways each method has an effect on the body.
http://herb.co/2015/09/07/how-to-smoke-weed-and-keep-your-lungs-healthy/
Once I smoked from the vape I didn't feel anything. I was pretty sure I didn't inhale correctly. But as I kept thinking and over-thinking about what I did wrong to not get high, I realized I had been standing in the same position for a long time near the bed in the hotel room. My body felt like it should have been stiff but it wasn't, and I kept thinking about time, and then time was a new concept to me. As I was thinking about the beginning of the creation of time I asked the question, "How long have we been here? I feel like we've been here a long time." Then it hit me! I was gloriously high as balls. I didn't hear their laughter because I was finally, and I mean FINALLY high. It was all at once made me feel like I was super content with everything. I was feeling strong. Confident. Mysterious. Beautiful. As we went into the city life at night I was captivated. The world was brighter and the colors stood out more vibrantly. Music made my body feel the notes, like the notes were physically touching me. I was excited and drank in the life that was happening around me as we walked through the many people on The Strip.
I felt like I had stepped into a whole new realm beauty.
That is basically what I felt like. 500 Days of Summer dance sequence happy. Like for the first time I didn't have obsessive or irrational thoughts. I felt calm and collected. I became more quiet when I smoked throughout the rest of the trip. It gave me a space to collect thoughts and focus on important things. On the inside I felt like parts of me were healing emotionally and spiritually.
Beginning in October of last year, I now smoked most days of the week. I've gone weeks without it. It's not addictive. I am able to focus better. Since childhood I have struggled with staying focused and having clear thoughts. By getting my certification (because it's legal in California), I am able to sleep through the night. I've also been the healthiest that I've ever been in my life. I lost close to 20lbs because smoking has helped me expand my mind, expand my paradigm of thinking. It's encouraged me to be healthy overall. My emotional health is better. I have prioritized and created lasting boundaries that work well in my life. My spiritual health is growing and deepening each day. Do you know how many times I have had spiritual encounters while smoking and walking a night? Man the Earth is beautiful when you are able to gaze at the night sky and see the enchanting stars. I've also felt more creative and encouraged in my career choice. I'm into improv and acting and have felt a break through in my craft.
Those are just some of the benefits I have experience in my life since I first started smoking.
Here is a link to show some more health benefits to smoking weed.
http://www.businessinsider.com/health-benefits-of-medical-marijuana-2014-4
I was welcomed into the weed community with open arms. I no longer have fears about my "drug of choice." (There are NO cases of deaths directly related to weed nor are there weed overdoses. Even with edibles, you would just fall asleep and sleep off the effects.)
Here's a link to healthy edible use.
Weed has made me happy. I am posting today because I am happy with my right to medicate with marijuana. I found pot later on in life (25 years old) and am thankful that I've had the chance to live life without it to now know how thankful I am not to take advantage of it--because some people do. But for me for now, it's good. It's real good.
Nate Dogg said it the best. "Smoke weed everyday." And I plan to do just that.
Here is some impressive art that shows optimism and hope for the opportunities Steemit provides to us. I am extremely excited to see what comes of this. Support other's and support love. Peace!
-Tessa
P.S. I'd love to hear what you think about smoking. Leave me a comment!
Check out her page to see how she came up with this beautiful work of art:
https://steemit.com/steemart/@camilla/a-drawing-to-express-the-power-of-steem
