Sit down. If you’re already sitting, sit down some more. Now listen carefully: There are people who want to use cannabis WITHOUT getting stoned!
Namely, me. There are dozens of us, dozens. But we’re in the extreme minority. Most of the users in cannabis culture are in it to get absolutely wrecked every time they light up. These are the mini-maxers who go to the dispensary looking for the highest possible THC percentage, and that’s verily their sole concern. That’s fine with me; sometimes I also like to get ripped too.
But my concern right now is that there are hundreds of cannabis users who AREN’T here to party. They are the patients, the medical users of marijuana. Some just use it as therapy, or simple pain relief from chronic complications. Still a few more (like me!) are searching through the alternative cannabinoids looking for cognitive enhancement. All of these people together do not want to get “stoned” all the time. They are simply looking to function as normal.
And they’re now being shoved to the side while cannabis culture caters exclusively to the stoner crowd. As is typically the case in capitalism (is there nothing it cannot ruin?), the minority group might as well not exist if it’s less than 49% of the market.
Quit judging other people for what they smoke already!
We just got done with decades of useless cannabis prohibition and stupid public stigma about it. Can we not enjoy a few sweet days as a community united before we turn to persecuting each other? Already I’m seeing cannabis forums and communities online dumping on people who use delta 8, HHC, CBD, THCA, and so on. Why? Because they’re not using “real pot.”
In the first place, cannabis grows naturally with over 100 cannabinoids, most of them still waiting their turn to be researched. Copy that for the terpenes and other organic compounds, so that’s thousands of potential variations of entourage effects. Each of these have their own, unique psychoactive profile, but they are ALL natural and extracted from “real pot.”
Yes, granted, since altcans have less regulation in the US than THC, alternative cannabinoids are more available in states that haven’t legalized yet. Hence, many in the cannabis community go around spouting the misinformation that people are only settling for delta 8 or whatever because they lack access to THC.
Here’s the catch though: You can also get THC in non-legalized states, as long as it’s extracted from marijuana containing less than 0.3% THC. Does this mean you can just extract THC from a truckload of low-THC hemp and then sell the THC by the pound? Yes, it does! That’s exactly what is happening now. Typically THC is sold in edible form in gummies and other treats, even in states that have not lifted a finger to decriminalize marijuana.
It’s still all “real pot,” unless it’s a synthesized cannabinoid not found in the plant, such as the case with THCO.
Why every alcohol drinker doesn’t drink Everclear straight
In every cannabis discussion space I see on the web right now, somebody out there posts this same question every day: “Why would anyone use anything but straight THC?”
As cannabis gradually enters mainstream attention, it is so far being assigned to the recreational substance category, along with tobacco and alcohol. But let’s examine that recreational use of alcohol.
Does every user of alcohol pound Everclear, noted for having the highest alcohol content by volume? To hear the majority of the cannabis community lately, they’d “be stupid not to,” since Everclear is the highest percentage of alcohol and the most efficient way to get drunk. To some people’s minds, that is the endgame of drinking: To get stupidly, dizzily frat-boy wasted and pass out next to the toilet after barfing in it.
But not all drinkers do this! Most drinkers of alcohol simply have a few beers and go to bed, or they enjoy a glass of wine with dinner, or have a cocktail with lunch, and go on about their day. Some people are only “social drinkers” or limit themselves to a champagne toast on special occasions. What a mystery! Why would they do that? Could it be that some people enjoy nuance and aesthetics? Is it possible that being just a little tipsy is enough for some people? Could it be that people actually practice moderation?
Yeah, that’s exactly the case! Hasn’t anybody wondered how we’ve managed with legalized alcohol all this time, if every drinker was chugging Johnny Walker Black for breakfast and spending the day stewed? That would be considered “being an alcoholic” and would be the point where friends and loved ones start calling for intervention.
Likewise, there are cannabis users who seek a balanced mental state only occasionally enhanced by a mild psychoactive effect. If you open your mind to the other cannabinoids and experiment with some good brands, you just may be surprised. As I document in my altcan guide, each of the cannabinoids have their own unique effects. Some will get you wasted, some will just relieve your pain and help you fall asleep, some are good for treating depression and anxiety, and some just mildly contribute a subtle physical effect.
Altcans are not going away
It’s not a “weed alternative.” It’s all WEED!
I, for one, like this situation. It’s like we bargained to legalize one drug and instead we legalized a million. I appreciate that there’s grass I can smoke and still get back to work, grass I can smoke that will give me euphoria without the brain fog, and grass I can smoke when it’s time to get bent.
I know I’m not the lone ranger. There are plenty of people out there who suffer panic attacks and paranoia using full-THC weed, but are able to enjoy the milder cannabinoids without the side effects. There are still more people who use cannabis on a strictly medical basis to treat issues of physical health, who also don’t want side effects – indeed, not even a “high.”
The diversity of offerings in the cannabis market is a thing to be celebrated, not scorned. Let us please not infect our cannabis community with the same toxic behavior that makes everything else on the Internet a drag. “Different strokes for different folks” is definitely in effect now!
Readers, share your experiences with cannabis varieties here in the comments or any ol’ time in our vibing forum.
