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Comment by freeplay | Hacker News Reader

I smoked all throughout my teens and twenties. Once I hit my 30s, smoking would give me insane anxiety and, occasionally, full blown panic attacks. Obviously, this is very anecdotal and may have to do with other factors in my life (increased responsibilities to worry about as you get older, kids, etc.).

It got to the point where I asked myself why I was even doing it if it was no longer fun or relaxing in any way.

People who love cannabis think it's the cure for everything. While I don't doubt its medicinal uses, it's definitely not for everyone.

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I agree it has something to do with responsibilities and/or "getting caught". As a young adult I had a lot less going on and cannabis was a wonderful tool for creativity and getting things done. Older, I find myself worrying about more things and cannabis can bring in introspective thought loops which manifest as anxiety. Fortunately I'm better at separating that out now and it doesn't affect me as much - but I know if I was chilling in a hammock in a wooded area somewhere without deadlines to meet, I'd be a lot less anxious.

Also, quitting caffeine cut my anxiety in half.

Also agree it's 100% the responsibilities/feeling guilty syndrome. But I'm basing this on my personal experience only.

I suffer from bouts of anxiety and depression. I also like to partake in cannabis. If I'm feeling depressed, anxious, sad - WARNING - don't do cannabis!! It amplifies the feeling. I would never use it for an escape from bad stuff. If I'm feeling good, then go for it!

It's a mind altering substance. If your mind isn't in a great place to begin with, what do people think cannabis is going to do?

And yeah, cut down on caffeine and sleep some more.

It doesn’t for me. If anything it makes my depression and anxiety better for a little bit. It helps me focus on just one thing rather than worry about all the things in the world.

Set and setting do matter just like other drugs. If I’m sitting at my back garden then I feel very at peace high. If I’m downtown then I’ll feel anxious from the sensory overload

Most drugs are this way.

Angry people are even angrier drunks. Smoking weed doesn't chemically do anything to correct depression and will reinforce the very behaviors that lead to it. Even amphetamines don't correct depression, they just make you fixate on it until the comedown is 3x as bad as you started.

One simple solution-- capsaicin. Masochism will tickle your pain receptors and suppress mental anguish. I recommend a spicy burrito/kimchi and a brisk walk as a home remedy for shitty days.

- "introspective thought loops"

Oh, that's the flavor of anxiety I get too! That's a very precise description.

I enjoyed that phase too when I read it :), but is it just a nicer way of saying "spiraling?"

It seems common for people to be unaware of important things like THC:CBD ratios, and this ignorance often stems from unfortunate market based incentives to prioritize high THC ratios above all else. Modern growing techniques drive this even further with high potency plants.

If you (anyone) aren't fortunate enough to have a wide selection of lab tested ratios in your locale, consider mixing whatever THC is available along with product that is CBD "hemp," which, at least in the US is legal in most places and legal to ship online from out of state. Many users intentionally mix like this because the latter is often cheaper from the market saturation.

This isn't guaranteed to be the reason behind your issues, but seems to be for many people who stumble into this info.

Great comment.

~100% THC, no CBD, is objectively wrong for almost all uses of cannabis.

The market is morally bankrupt, ran by non-cannabis people, and prioritizing addiction over wellness.

> People who love cannabis think it's the cure for everything.

I don't and nobody I know who uses cannabis thinks that either. False generalizations don't help anybody.

This perspective stems from:

- ignorance of what the different compounds are capable of, especially when isolated and concentrated.

- thinking all cannabis consumers light it on fire.

- more

This happened to me for a while, so I stopped.

Then I started up again, and I VERY CAREFULLY measure my dosage. 2.5mg THC and 20mg CBD takes the edge off nicely, is zero calorie, and works up my appetite even when I'm sick of eating ( I do a ton of weight lifting and the protein intake can be annoying ).

I've abandoned flower and use a little dropper of low octaine 4-1 CBD to THC tincture.

What do you dropper mix in? Other shakes?

I have a low-sugar root beer that I drop it into.

sparkling water also works.

Might get downvoted but I agree; truly weed has changed, even just CBD. Now it is bad vibes only. Oh well, alcohol is still there I guess.

Not all CBD is created equal.

Contaminants are still very common, and so is not having broad or full spectrum of compounds.

If you're interested in a great recommendation, happy to help.

Thanks. I'm outta the game. Even in Canada, I don't feel safe trying to have fun with psychedelics no more. Maybe I'll try gummies another time ?

Grow your own, the quality is 10 times better than you can buy.

Could it also have been the type of weed you were using changed between your teems and 30s... transitioning from higher CBD contents to low or no CBD contents could easily explain part of that transition.

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