Ask Miss Grass: I'm Terrified of Getting High, Now What?

Photo by Jared Rice

Dear MG, 

I’m looking for something to help me relax other than a glass of wine. My friends tell me I should smoke weed but I don’t want to smoke. I’m freaked out about getting high and having that tilty brain feeling. Are there any options for someone like me who wants to take it down a notch without feeling impaired?

—Just Want to Chill


Dear JWTC,

I’m so glad you asked because there are so many options for someone like you. The cannabis world is, now more than ever, your goddamn oyster. So buckle up!

The fact that you haven’t been able to find options has nothing to do with you and everything to do with the whole cannabis world being a bit bananas right now. There are a lot of people and brands yelling on the internet. (I'm sure you've noticed.) But unless you have a PhD and are making a full-time job of researching, you’re not finding the information you need.

Am I right or am I right?

So here’s the deal with cannabis and that tilty brain of yours. There's cannabis to get you high. There's cannabis to get you well. And there's cannabis to get you high and well. Visit a dispensary and you'll see, there are endless options and heaps more fun ways to ingest it. You can really experience whatever your little heart desires, provided you're educated.

Just promise me you'll remember that no matter what anyone tells you, getting high is not necessarily the end game. That whole philosophy is just a bad hangover from a weird cannabis-in-pop-culture moment and, as we've established, you're way too chill for that.

The point is, if you don't get high, it doesn't mean the plant isn't working magic on your body, mind and spirit. Are you with me?

The cannabis plant is made up of over 100 compounds called cannabinoids. The most famous and well-studied of which are cannabidiol or CBD and tetrahydrocannabinol or THC. They both have powerful therapeutic benefits and depending on how you take them—whether smoked, vaporized, applied topically or sub-lingually—they'll work more on one thing than another. But anytime you’re feeling a bit tilty in the brain, you can be sure that's the THC working.

It sounds like you're pretty resolved about THC: you don't like it. And that's perfectly okay! Your job now, JTWC, is to find a cannabis product that is high in CBD and low in THC.

THC in small amounts can give you just the slightest warm and fuzzy feeling without making you feel too impaired—like a glass of wine. But if you don’t want to feel that fuzziness at all, stick to something that has less than 0.3% THC.

To get your feet wet, I suggest trying out a high CBD tincture. You can complement this with an infused balm or, if the moment strikes, an infused lubricant. That'll really bring your chill time to another level (winky face). If you’re feeling intrepid after trying all these options, you might want to revisit a CBD-only vaporizer. It won't burn your throat but can be a nice little helper when you're looking to take the edge off.

Safe adventures, JWTC. Keep exploring.

With love + bud,
Miss Grass