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Americans in general seem to be quite engaged in these very high THC strains that give you the zoned out kind of high, as opposed to the more sociable (as you d

Americans in general seem to be quite engaged in these very high THC strains that give you the zoned out kind of high, as opposed to the more sociable (as you described) low THC and high CBD strains. For a coffeeshop setting, I would have liked it very much if our Dutch coffeeshops had a sense of community, as opposed to being drop-offs for tourists looking to get a quick high in the city.

malvosenior 7y ago
I wonder how much of this has to do with US infrastructure and lifestyle in general. In the majority of the US (and definitely California) you have to drive long distances to do pretty much anything. While it's not as bad as drinking I don't think it's safe or recommended to drive while high. People in the US also generally have large screen TVs, lots of channels on cable satellite, large living rooms., large refrigerators.. all of which are fairly conducive to using high powered weed and zoning out on your couch.
- dwoozle 7y ago
  I think it’s more that Americans culturally tend to the “extreme sports” mentality in many aspects of their lives. Biggest baddest loudest most intense most successful mosh committed hardest working are all excessively venerated here.
  - malvosenior 7y ago
    That's not particularly reflected in other forms of intoxication though. A ton of people in the US drink super light beer for instance (vs hard alcohol). They also tend to avoid espresso shots in favor of shake-like products. I'm not saying you're incorrect but other consumption habits don't always lean toward the most extreme option.
    - catalogia 7y ago
      > they also tend to avoid espresso shots in favor of shake-like products. Maybe they're just competing to see who can have the biggest, sweetest, most extravagant beverage, rather than who can make it the most concentrated. If the name of your coffee beverage takes five minutes to pronounce, you're the coolest cat in town.
    - asdff 7y ago
      I mean there are still plenty of alcoholics and people with beer bellies. Light beer is more conducive to American activities, maybe. If you are sitting out in the hot sun, are you going to start ripping shots or drinking red wine, or a cold beer? A cup of drip coffee is typically stronger than espresso as well.
      - malvosenior 7y ago
        My original point was that maybe strong weed was more conducive to American activities :)
- say_it_as_it_is 7y ago
  I replied this in another comment but think it is worth repeating here: We're experiencing a product made by the underground cannabis community for that community -- habitual consumers. The tolerance level of a habitual consumer is really high. So, for decades, breeders chose to continue growing the strongest strain, every time, for years and years. Then, when commercial players entered the market, they took those high-thc strains and put them through even greater quality controls, making strains even more potent. So, while people in the US do want everything bigger and "better", this doesn't apply to casual alcohol consumption. Americans aren't hammering down shots of grain alcohol. For casual drug use, though, there's a wider preference. The cannabis product that growers and breeders are making was crafted for the OG cannabis community. As they make their own strains with mass appeal, those strains will be far friendlier to casual consumption.
  - malvosenior 7y ago
    I agree, although I think it's not just tolerance level. Until recently, smoking was the most popular way to ingest marijuana. Smoking kind of sucks though, so it's best to smoke as little as possible to get the desired effects. Ironically, the strongest strains are in a way the healthiest for you as you can do a very small amount vs smoking a large quantity of plant material.
    - geebee 7y ago
      That's a good point, though we may be dealing with small amounts regardless. For instance, I read that for one study of tobacco lung cancer, a "moderate" smoker starts at 10 cigarettes a day. (woah). So let's say someone smokes 10 cigarettes a day, every day, and let's say a single cigarette takes 10 moderate drags (I'm getting this by googling and using the first reddit thread I find, I don't smoke). Ok, so 103010 = 3000 drags a month for a light/moderate smoker. Now, imagine a casual (2x a month) cannabis user who actually smokes most of a smallish preroll, 6 drags (though they may be deeper). So we're looking 12 drags a month vs 3000. I have no idea if the extra 8-10 drags from weaker cannabis make a difference vs 1-2 on something stronger, but we're talking about an extremely low dose, either way, compared to any kind of cigarette smoking, maybe low enough that the difference isn't measurable.
geebee 7y ago
I’ve read that one consequence of legalization in California has been an explosion of interest in CBD and low THC/ high CBD strains, along with greater interest from women. This surprised a lot of people. In an interview with the owner of Henry’s (sorry no cite), he said that originally the company devoted 5% of grow to such strains, now they’re close to 40%. Things may be moving in the direction you’re hoping for, at least in CA. It’d be interesting to see what’s happening in other states. But there is some evidence that the market that emerges post legalization is mainly interested in the equivalent of a pint of Pilsner or a glass or two of wine
taurath 7y ago
I feel like one could say the same about cafes in the netherlands. There's no option for "weak" stuff.
saturdaysaint 7y ago
I disagree - the last 2 years of the legal US marijuana market were arguably dominated by vape carts, which are generally considered lightweight and weak for the connoisseurs of high-THC flower/concentrates. With the lung disease outbreak, it's already remembered as an ugly/dumb fad, but in a sense it validated the market for a product that gives a lighter high.
- asdff 7y ago
  Vape carts hit very strongly. Most are over 80% THC.

malvosenior 7y ago

I wonder how much of this has to do with US infrastructure and lifestyle in general. In the majority of the US (and definitely California) you have to drive long distances to do pretty much anything. While it's not as bad as drinking I don't think it's safe or recommended to drive while high. People in the US also generally have large screen TVs, lots of channels on cable satellite, large living rooms., large refrigerators.. all of which are fairly conducive to using high powered weed and zoning out on your couch.

dwoozle 7y ago
I think it’s more that Americans culturally tend to the “extreme sports” mentality in many aspects of their lives. Biggest baddest loudest most intense most successful mosh committed hardest working are all excessively venerated here.
- malvosenior 7y ago
  That's not particularly reflected in other forms of intoxication though. A ton of people in the US drink super light beer for instance (vs hard alcohol). They also tend to avoid espresso shots in favor of shake-like products. I'm not saying you're incorrect but other consumption habits don't always lean toward the most extreme option.
  - catalogia 7y ago
    > they also tend to avoid espresso shots in favor of shake-like products. Maybe they're just competing to see who can have the biggest, sweetest, most extravagant beverage, rather than who can make it the most concentrated. If the name of your coffee beverage takes five minutes to pronounce, you're the coolest cat in town.
  - asdff 7y ago
    I mean there are still plenty of alcoholics and people with beer bellies. Light beer is more conducive to American activities, maybe. If you are sitting out in the hot sun, are you going to start ripping shots or drinking red wine, or a cold beer? A cup of drip coffee is typically stronger than espresso as well.
    - malvosenior 7y ago
      My original point was that maybe strong weed was more conducive to American activities :)
say_it_as_it_is 7y ago
I replied this in another comment but think it is worth repeating here: We're experiencing a product made by the underground cannabis community for that community -- habitual consumers. The tolerance level of a habitual consumer is really high. So, for decades, breeders chose to continue growing the strongest strain, every time, for years and years. Then, when commercial players entered the market, they took those high-thc strains and put them through even greater quality controls, making strains even more potent. So, while people in the US do want everything bigger and "better", this doesn't apply to casual alcohol consumption. Americans aren't hammering down shots of grain alcohol. For casual drug use, though, there's a wider preference. The cannabis product that growers and breeders are making was crafted for the OG cannabis community. As they make their own strains with mass appeal, those strains will be far friendlier to casual consumption.
- malvosenior 7y ago
  I agree, although I think it's not just tolerance level. Until recently, smoking was the most popular way to ingest marijuana. Smoking kind of sucks though, so it's best to smoke as little as possible to get the desired effects. Ironically, the strongest strains are in a way the healthiest for you as you can do a very small amount vs smoking a large quantity of plant material.
  - geebee 7y ago
    That's a good point, though we may be dealing with small amounts regardless. For instance, I read that for one study of tobacco lung cancer, a "moderate" smoker starts at 10 cigarettes a day. (woah). So let's say someone smokes 10 cigarettes a day, every day, and let's say a single cigarette takes 10 moderate drags (I'm getting this by googling and using the first reddit thread I find, I don't smoke). Ok, so 103010 = 3000 drags a month for a light/moderate smoker. Now, imagine a casual (2x a month) cannabis user who actually smokes most of a smallish preroll, 6 drags (though they may be deeper). So we're looking 12 drags a month vs 3000. I have no idea if the extra 8-10 drags from weaker cannabis make a difference vs 1-2 on something stronger, but we're talking about an extremely low dose, either way, compared to any kind of cigarette smoking, maybe low enough that the difference isn't measurable.

geebee 7y ago

I’ve read that one consequence of legalization in California has been an explosion of interest in CBD and low THC/ high CBD strains, along with greater interest from women. This surprised a lot of people. In an interview with the owner of Henry’s (sorry no cite), he said that originally the company devoted 5% of grow to such strains, now they’re close to 40%. Things may be moving in the direction you’re hoping for, at least in CA. It’d be interesting to see what’s happening in other states. But there is some evidence that the market that emerges post legalization is mainly interested in the equivalent of a pint of Pilsner or a glass or two of wine

taurath 7y ago

I feel like one could say the same about cafes in the netherlands. There's no option for "weak" stuff.

saturdaysaint 7y ago

I disagree - the last 2 years of the legal US marijuana market were arguably dominated by vape carts, which are generally considered lightweight and weak for the connoisseurs of high-THC flower/concentrates. With the lung disease outbreak, it's already remembered as an ugly/dumb fad, but in a sense it validated the market for a product that gives a lighter high.

asdff 7y ago
Vape carts hit very strongly. Most are over 80% THC.