Dopecast 91

[babylon_n_ting]

Hi Dopefiend,

Just wanted to say that I was very impressed with your advice to the young lad (I think he said he was an art student) who wrote to you talking about how smoking too much was causing him problems with depression etc.

I have had some amazing life-changing experiences when smoking weed, but I've also had some rough times as well.

I'm glad that you give a balanced view on the subject, and I agree with your advice that people under 21 shouldn't really be smoking.

[mattyTHC]

Hi Dopefiend,

Just wanted to say that I was very impressed with your advice to the young lad (I think he said he was an art student) who wrote to you talking about how smoking too much was causing him problems with depression etc.

I have had some amazing life-changing experiences when smoking weed, but I've also had some rough times as well.

I'm glad that you give a balanced view on the subject, and I agree with your advice that people under 21 shouldn't really be smoking.

I'll second that praise babylon! One of the best things about the Dopecast is that a sensible approach to marijuana use is always at the forefront. I went through a similar phase in my freshmen year of college, and it resulted in my having to pay for and re-take a few classes. It was obviously a bad time for me to be partaking, and gladly I abstained for a while, got back on my feet, and gained a new respect for the herb that I've carried with me to this day.

[Cannaya]

Regarding the email that someone sent in about how to identify particular strains, I'd recommend checking out The Big Book of Buds (http://www.amazon.com/Big-Book-Buds-Marijuana-Varieties/dp/0932551394) (<-- Amazon link) by Ed Rosenthal. For most of the generic skunk we get around here in Seattle, it doesn't appear to be one of the strains in the book, but it's very educational in being able to identify at least what sort of general category your weed is in. I have been able to use it before to identify some higher quality weed I've paid for. Anyway, for those of you who don't know that much about strains of cannabis, it's definitely a good book to check out.

Also, I loved hearing Samwise Ganja's story! It's good to know I'm not the only one who wears the wristband I got from Dopestock every day. (Even at work!) I like to look at it as perpetual advertising. :D

I'll also second the kudos for the advice given to the student. I think that maybe sometimes we older (hah! I'm only 27!) stoners might put out a bit of an idea that it's perfectly easy to get through life with a daily cannabis habit, without thinking of the attitude that portrays to younger people. I had pretty much the same kind of experience as Dopefiend. I would smoke maybe every few months until I was around 25 or 26. You've definitely got to make sure your own "house" is in order before you start introducing a mind-altering habit like daily cannabis consumption into it, and I think that that stopping is probably the best advice to give to him.

And great report on Hempfest! I was only able to go for a couple hours, and just hung out with a couple friends in the grass, so I didn't really see that much there. Still, it was great fun!

Were there really gunshots during the Nottingham Festival, though? My god! That's insanity!

[Hudsonrulez]

well I think the email from the student is sound advise. I did start around 17 but I'd never go through more than a 3.5 in a month. I even took a 1.5 break from the herb. got back into it my second year of college. again never toked but my habit was roughly 30-60 bucks a month.

I only started toking daily my third and final year of college. I'd on average do 1/8th per week. so half oz. But an incredible thing happend. My grades went up! I was better able to interact with the world and help my abilities to work with others. This year was the exact opposite from my first year where I was in trouble of flunking out because I was downing a 20 of vodka everyday.

Needless to say I gave up vodka and hard liquor forever. I only drink beer really. its rare anyone sees me drunk.

But getting back on point I have to say one thing. I've known a wide range of tokers and I have to say the ones that have less trouble with substances started toking later in life. mainly around 18 (college) age range.

I think a break is needed because when your a teenager you have to develop coping skills when your not stoned. and to recognize when its appropreate to toke (i.e. during your free time and with buddies not with school/work etc).

It seems this person may suffer from depression, and teen angst. I think therapy is a wonderful thing and he should give seeing a therapist a go. I did after quitting the vodka best thing I ever did in my life. Cognative therapy helped me through the rough times and dealing with my panic attacks.

Its important to plow through the troubles of life. Discussion is a powerful tool. Use it be it a therapist, close friend, or family member. There will always be problems in everyones life weather it be, family, professional, or significant others. Its all in how you deal with it.

I may have a degree in a field I rarely use but at least I have something to fall back on. And since I'm in a career change I work full time to better myself. I am generally (cause no one is utterly happy all the time in life) happy with my situation. I live in a nice house with family, and I got great friends.

and ocasionally for us older tokers taking breaks can be very healthy. I took it easy on the ganja after I lost my job. Didnt smoke or vape for a solid week. and didn't toke more than 5 grams in the three weeks I was unemployed. For me toking is not just about the high but the reward of being high. Weed is expensive (even if you live in a nice area like I do) and waiting for the end of the day when your tired from work and you curl up on the couch with a nice joint or vape. It makes the weed taste better and the high better.

If I know I'm not being productive, or know its not the right time to toke my stone feels bad. I hate that dont rely on bud enjoy it!

Education is a powerful tool which can be used for almost any kind of disipline. Not having a high school education can be limit ones oppertunities in life.

As for minimum age 21 is WAY to high. It should be 18-19. Those are the laws on drinking and drinking is much much more harmful. Most people mature (physicly) at that age. Its when a minor becomes an adult that can make decisions on their own. If you think binge drinking is bad in the UK you should go to the states. Its like the system was rigged to let teenagers drink. corner stores selling booze etc instead of having them controlled by the government. not that underage drinking is a problem in Ontario but all I gotta say is its a lot harder to get a six pack than a dime bag.

Its mostly why I tried weed in the first place. Cause my sister wouldnt buy me a six pack.

As for hempfest and the anti volcano propaganda I couldnt believe people were taking that bullshit as truth. Its marketing at the lowest common denominator. They couldn't have just explained the benefits and features of their product they had to put down a customers choice. I was a sales man for the longest time and this is really bad for business. Cause when they figure out the bullshit (and they will) not only will it put you in a bad light but turn off potential customers to your product.

Its like my debate with the Dopefiend. Sure I have a difference in opinion than the dopefiend about the volcano but I'd wouldn't dare say the volcano is useless. In fact I use it quite regularly (as with the herbal aire) at Vapor Central. I would never lie and say the thc sticks to the bag. Why would it?

Simple fact of the matter is this guy is affraid of the volcano. If you are to make and stand by your product you should only tell the truth. Its really funny that the people at vapolution would diss the volcano so much yet sell it on their web site! http://www.vapolutionvaporizers.com/

I have seen the vaporizor market expand and expand from just the volcano to all sorts of vaporizors. I would just say hey you can still get a quality vaporizor experience for even under a 100 dollars. Its all in the home work. Sure the volcano is nice for parties but some people just dont like the taste or experience of vape. and some people seeing shelling out 500-1000 on a piece of toking equipment. Took me a while to warm to the volcano because in the beginning even shwag was getting me blitzed. Now I'm use to it.

I see no reason for me to get a volcano because I have a quality vaporizor already. Plus currently living situations prevent me from draging in a troop of stoners at 1am and vaporizing indoors.

Usually when I try and sell a few vaporizors I explain the diffrences between the herbal aire and volcano (some people usually will bring 200-700 for the high end users) I like the volcano to a bently (big, luxurious, expensive, cool looking, status symbol, easiest to use etc) where I like a honda civic (small, sleek, more efficent like gas miledge, more portable, bit harder to use i.e. stick shift).

Truly bad marketing!

I explain my whole theory on the volcano www.youtube.com/hudsonrulez

but enough ranting! great show dopefiend glad you decided to pull it back to the dope den those base thing really started to annoy me.

[dopefiend]

Sorry, forgot to post the show notes here: here they are:

On this extra-special episode of the Dopecast, partially live from Notting Hill Carnival, the Dopefiend is joined by The Toker and Floydhead for a couple of joints and a chat about the Carnival atmosphere, how policed it is, the poor quality ganja available there and why it's so bad, some live audio of an unsuspecting carnival-goer trying to buy weed from us (!), some stories of being ripped off by street dealers, more on the sugar-weed that's appearing in the UK, some anti-Volcano propaganda being spread at Seattle Hempfest, news of the brand new forum and how we've welcomed selected other podcasters aboard, and how the Dopefiend.co.uk website is also facing a redesign, more talk of how to find Mail Order Marijuana, then after some music, it's back to the Dope Den for some voicemails and emails covering subjects as diverse as being busted for smoking at college, whether weed can make you anti-social, industrial hemp and how high it grows, the Dopecast 100th Episode party in AMsterdam at the end of October, how to tell whether you're smoking indica or sativa, how the Dopefiend.co.uk wristband can help you win friends and influence people, depression, lack of motivation, and how to handle them, then an important public service announcement from Druidude, then news of the success of Seattle Hempfest, some shroom-related scare stories from California, and the Oregon legal grower whose neighbours keep calling the cops on him! Email mail@dopefiend.co.uk, leave your comments, Skype my face, check out the Chatroom (http://dopecast.libsyn.com/index.php?post_category=Chatroom) and don't forget to register at our brand new forum (http://www.thegrowreport.com/Forums/../)!

More on Notting Hill Carnival here: www.nottinghillcarnival.biz (http://www.nottinghillcarnival.biz/)

The Jeremy Narby interview on C-Realm is here: http://c-realmpodcast.podomatic.com/entry/2007-03-21T11_51_47-07_00

Details of the 100th Episode Party are here: http://www.thegrowreport.com/Forums/showthread.php?t=82 (http:///)

The online form for the Public Review of Cannabis Law in the UK is here: http://surveys.ipsos-or.com/wix/p66924109.aspx (http:///)

Playlist: 311 - Who's Got The Herb; John Lee Sanders - Blue Eyes Gone; Bitter:Sweet - Moving Forward; Big George Jackson - 20 Years; Rico Pabón - B 4 My Times Up; Blue Scholars - Joe Metro; Mexican Institute of Sound - Escribeme Pronto; Jessica Williams - Monk Funk; Ananda Project - Stalk You





And thanks for the support everyone, I hope that guy knocks it on the head for a while, it's clearly not agreeing with him at the moment.

[SativaSilva]

thanks cannaya for the amazon link for that book... looks very interesting, and I'll definetly check it out! And thanks dopefiend for reading my email on your last dopecast... i nearly shit a brick when I heard it at work on tuesday (monday was a holiday). It really made my week! :)

[lemonlove]

thanks for posting the jeremy narby link...i thought his book was fascinating!

as far as being to young for smoking...some kids can handle it, most can't.

i smoked daily through my senior year of high school and while i had a 4.0 gpa, i got kind of detached from reality. i didn't know how to use anything in moderation yet.

i took a major break and got some stuff stored out and i've been able to enjoy using weed responsibly now. i sound like a beer commercial.

anyway, i think college-age is a good time to start, but only if the person knows what they are getting into...this is where honest drug education would come in handy...