5 ms·

Wow, impairment is not my intention at all. But, to not impair myself takes careful moderation and preparation. For cognitive benefits or "virtuous pot smoking

• querez 5y ago
  what kind of music do you use? Any playlists you can share?
  • penjelly 5y ago
    brain food on spotify. or anything with no/low lyrics that has a steady energy to it. deep house, lofi, even piano and strings.
  • dr_dshiv 5y ago
    The flow state music podcast on Spotify is perfect. Anything without lyrics.
    • OJFord 5y ago
      Just curious, have you tried doing everything except smoking? Or maybe a conventional cigarette/something else you like. I just wonder when you have so much other 'theatre' (I don't say that putting it down) around it, how much can actually be ascribed to the cannabis. Also, just listened to a few tracks from that, wow no way I could get anything done, I'd just drift off to sleep! (I've never used cannabis, but I imagine that would only make that more likely if anything, not less?) I listen to much more 'up-beat' music while working sometimes; with lyrics but mostly that I don't understand. Ironically I started the playlist partly out of trying to learn the language (Hindi), but mostly it's too fast/advanced/niche for me to pick up much, so for this purpose it's roughly equivalent to not having lyrics I suppose. Except that I might mouth-along to particularly catchy bits even though I don't know what I'm saying usually.
      • gigaflop 5y ago
        Not parent, but if I could alter my state to be like-high without smoking weed, via sheer mental willpower or focus, I'd have probably started a cult by now. If it was a teachable practice, I'm sure I'd have plenty of followers to boot.
        • dr_dshiv 5y ago
          No one starts cults any more. The lack of drug cults is proof! I'd love to go to some chill temple environment on the weekends and connect to ultimate reality.
          • gigaflop 5y ago
            I've been tossing around the idea of a primarily web-based cult for a few days, I'll let you know if we get any traction. It's still in the ideation stage, and we don't have anything other than a few 'what-ifs', but this is tech, so it's not like we need to be fully implemented before we start taking members.
            • dr_dshiv 5y ago
              Sounds great, let me know
          • alxndr 5y ago
            > No one starts cults any more. The lack of drug cults is proof! Um... https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Church_of_Cannabis https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Church_of_Cann... https://www.thedivineassembly.org/ https://www.thedivineassembly.org/ https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santo_Daime https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santo_Daime
• _fzslm 5y ago
  this is exactly the kind of sweet spot of weed consumption that i’ve been trying to hit lately. a couple of years ago, in my first year of university, i had developed an unfortunate weed addiction (it really is quite convenient for those who want to escape painful lives into fantasy), but after a couple years of cold turkey, i found myself missing the refreshing change of perspective that weed can genuinely provide when used responsibly. these days, i try not to smoke more than once a week, and when i do so i try to make sure it doesn’t bleed into the rest of my life in all the same ways you do. clean room, coffee, music, notepad. i am wary of relying on psychoactive substances to be creative, but whenever i’ve hit a dead end with a project, weed has a way of inspiring me to find new ways to solve a problem — be that aesthetic or technical design. music is godly when high, and i have had many genuinely transformative moments listening to new albums under the substance. for those wanting to “microdose” weed (as opposed to smoking blunt after blunt to get blitzed), i can highly recommend the DynaVap, an analogue weed vaporiser. the extraction of THC is significantly more efficient than combustion, and because the chamber is relatively small, it promotes consuming the substance responsibly. (semi-tangent, but microdosing LSD has also been life changing, and i think delivers similar benefits to “microdosing” weed but with less brain fog, more clarity and more reliability)
• j4hdufd8 5y ago
  > I've been working on moderate, prepared, virtuous pot smoking for years what tips do you have?
  • chillingeffect 5y ago
    For me: Do it alone. Do the first 5% of the task to get the momentum. Vape it slowly while doing the task. Combine w caffeine. Psych youself up by saying "what if...". Use low temp vape so co2 and physical symptoms don't interfere. Use it to let your curiosity propel you. Use the smallest amount you can to achieve the effect. Try different strains and keep track. Sometimes a body strain can put you in touch with your body, pushing you to stretch/lengthen and that makes you more productive. Sometimes heady strains are too weird, but this varies greatly w indiv. Also exercising on weed can be very effective esp in nature... just dont push yourself past limits and stretch and roll after.
    • mandmandam 5y ago
      This is great advice, have found much the same (different people are different). I'd only add to make sure you're drinking enough water and have some quality snacks nearby.
      • dr_dshiv 5y ago
        I drink a lot of water and never eat until I want to come down. When I eat, I become mortal again. Really, if you can just avoid eating, it is a completely different high. I definitely agree with doing it alone. I also use a fake cigarette "one hitter," as it is a minimal amount. It is always enough to work. Also, yoga. Going to a Yoga class after a puff is just so healthy. Building health habits into drug use is a very good harmony of interests. Helps convince my wife that I'm not just getting stoned-- if I smoke, do work, work out, generate, etc—its hard to judge. (She also likes the sex—which Carl Sagan also talked about-- search for Mr x). I believe Cannabis has a sort of state dependent memory. If you make an effort to fill cannabis experiences with lots of positive, productive, aesthetic events, it kind of "comes out" other times when you smoke. So, it takes practice! So, smoke before going to a museum, a concert or upon reaching the top of a mountain-- positive recreational use is another way to prepare for applied work-oriented use. Never use it to escape. Use it to sensitize. And if you need it to solve your problems, that's a good sign that you might want to take a break.
• suifbwish 5y ago
  Have you ever tried going on a hike in a forest during one of the experiences? It’s there you can realize we are living at the bottom of a sea of air. The trees are like coral and everything feels so alive. It’s like exploring the planet for the first time.
  • MarcelOlsz 5y ago
    Wait til you try acid!
  • sizzle 5y ago
    Also mushrooms and DMT
• lancesells 5y ago
  This is fairly similar to my work day. I paint 5+ hours a day and use very small amounts of THC in liquid form with headphones. I get into a flow state where time either slows down or speeds up but I'm rarely "impaired" unless it's accidental. What's maybe a little different than some people is the music I listen to is anything but chill. Death metal, hip-hop, classical, IDM, etc. I originally started doing this because I've got chronic pain and it helps replace the pain signal. The flow state is an added benefit.
  • sizzle 5y ago
    Nice music genres, got a link to your artwork?
    • deleted 5y ago
      [deleted]
• cthalupa 5y ago
  >It is still a challenge, but I know i'm not the only high functioning cannabis user. There are plenty of people that are highly functioning and regular smokers of pot that don't go through this level of ceremony about their usage, and I am somewhat skeptical this level of preparation is even particularly helpful in making someone a high functioning cannabis user in general. Not saying it doesn't work for you, but this sort of story is something of a shibboleth on HN where someone claims that they do X process with Y substance or even just mental attitude and produce Z results.
  • stuaxo 5y ago
    There was an article on newscientist about how people get good results using rituals, the ritual itself can be arbitrary.
    • kdasgupta 5y ago
      Link?
  • sexy_panda 5y ago
    It's the same as with other drugs, set and setting really change the quality of the overall experience. Preparation is usually important to have a good time. e.g. I clean up my apartment, buy groceries, do anything that needs to be done. This is sort of what gets me high already. It's a success and smoking after having everything done is a blast. My head is empty and I have nothing on my mind. The perfect mix to really enjoy it (for me).
    • cthalupa 5y ago
      I don't disagree that set and setting will impact things, but this isn't really being presented as a "If I do these things I am more likely to enjoy the experience", but rather as "I have to do all of these challenging things to make the experience one that meaningful and otherwise it's just a stoner getting a stoned, but this challenge is what makes me a high functioning user of marijuana" To me, it's the distinction between "being stoned" and "virtuous pot smoking" and the connection being made between the latter being something that "high functioning cannabis users" do. Lots of people just get stoned. That isn't what makes them high functioning or not - it's whether that impacts their ability to have a productive and fulfilling life. For me, and the many people I know that are regular users, the answer is not really. I imagine there are likely some trade offs, but I and the people I know have good careers, fulfilling personal lives, and do it because we enjoy it, the same way I partake in other hobbies I enjoy.
• picklesman 5y ago
  I recently started infusing my own oils to then use sublingually for similar reasons and it's been a revelation! You can know pretty much exactly how much THC you're getting and adjust / repeat as necessary. I haven't smoked in years but I've been vaping (with a Pax) for the past couple of years and attempted to "microdose" but it was very unpredictable and sometimes I would get higher than I wanted which is not good when using it for "work" purposes (programming, music, video editing, etc). I've also recently come to the conclusion that for me, Cannabis definitely falls into the "less is more" category, and I limit regular doses (ie vaping to get high) to once a week. I can use the oils multiple times (at doses of roughly 5mg) to get into the zone without negative consequences. When I overdo it with vaping I have the usual issues with forgetfulness (struggle to find words etc) and my motivation definitely takes a hit. Also I've found that tolerance grows very fast the more you use it and it becomes quite unpredictable. Oh and for me it helps to mix it with a bit of caffeine as well. Slightly off topic but as someone sensitive to caffeine, the perfect "delivery mechanism" for me is a small shot of espresso in the morning and then a whole bunch of Sencha the rest of the day. Calm focus and good mood and still able to fall asleep :)
  • aradox66 5y ago
    Love this. As an aside, espresso + a whole bunch of sencha = calm + still able to fall asleep ==/==> "sensitive to caffeine", at least to my eyes!
    • picklesman 5y ago
      Hah fair enough. Whole bunch is usually is 2 pots of 4 grams, 3 infusions each. But some people (like my wife) can guzzle filter coffee (much more total caffeine than my single shot) all day and have no trouble getting to sleep. Which makes me jealous. It’s all relative I guess
• goodoldneon 5y ago
  Sounds similar to me! Cannabis makes me think in a significantly different way, often going down rabbit holes. When something in my life isn't ideal (overweight, disorganized, sleep deprived, etc.), my high mind will go down negative rabbit holes. But if everything's going well, my high mind will come up with fantastic solutions to work problems or give me insight into how I can be a better person.
• irrational 5y ago
  Music being key is what kills it for me. Music does absolutely nothing for me. High or not. I have no emotional response to any music.
  • _smmt 5y ago
    That's crazy. I have a playlist I've been adding to slowly since I was a kid of songs I cannot listen to because the emotional response is too much, it makes my skin physically crawl all over my body and I can't contain my emotions.
  • sizzle 5y ago
    What about a good scene in a movie that speaks to you personally, I had a friend who had a go to movie that left him sobbing that he would watch to remind him he’s human, because he didn’t react to music and was pretty muted emotionally in general. I thought that was a cool trick for him.
    • irrational 5y ago
      Not really. Really no. My wife will be crying during parts of movies and looks over and ask me why I am not crying. She doesn't like my usual response, "This is a movie. None of this is real. They are actors." Also, I don't like watching movies more than once (too much to do, too much to see, too much to read in our short lifetimes to do any of it more than once).
• idontknowifican 5y ago
  how do you define “high functioning”?
  • LeSaucy 5y ago
    High functioning, or high functioning?
• Syzygies 5y ago
  I'm a mathematician. Back in the day, cannabis was a source of impairment. Now, a minimum effective dose of Indica from a vape pen helps me sleep. Except when it doesn't. We value disruption in tech industries but our normative language for concentration, "focus" is lethal to creative thought. Reading math or daydreaming about research, one wants discursive ideas to intrude. This tool could be used for that... One wants to see with a generality not found in the source material, not be a good little "Simon Says" player. Daytime consciousness is cognitive impairment. I wish the middle of the night could last forever. There's the old trope that cannabis simply makes us believe we're being fantastically creative. So what? We're creatures who need affirmation. Interest, not raw technical reasoning ability, is the primary driver for creative research. Cannabis in moderation enhances interest.
• anoojb 5y ago
  Are there specific "strains" or formats/consumption methods that work best for you? I find it to be quite impairing or sedating...and sometimes even confounding. I can see how music can induce creativity. But even so I often find myself unable to get into the same intentional creative state that even green tea and natural motivation provides.