Activity/Inactivity Levels With Varying Potencies Of Marijuana?

[FoieGrasIsEvil]

OK, this is hard to phrase properly and may just be a stupid question altogether due to it’s anecdotal nature. Here goes:

Is there any basis behind what I consider to be my quasi-objective observation that certain types/potencies/methods of delivery of marijuana affect the physical activity or lack thereof amongst users?

To clarify, in my experiences both as a former user and an observer of other pot smokers, I’ve noticed over the years that the people that tend to smoke the really high-grade, crystally, expenisve ($100 a quarter bag? More these days?) marijuana also tend to NOT be the prototypical stoner, as in, they want to hike, backpack, ride bikes, do stuff OUTSIDE rather than lay around, eat Doritos and play videogames.

I’m wondering if this is more of a measure of strict affluence on the part of the buyer, or if in fact there is indeed a distinct difference between the “types of highs” you get from different grades of marijuana when smoked.

Perhaps this is also a rate/amount of usage thing too, as I’ve also noticed that people that pay a ton of money for very little product (while very high grade) do not smoke as often as people who tend to choke down on the nasty brown buds. The high-end users also smoke far smaller amounts on average (no “blunts”) either because they don’t need to to achieve the same effect or because it’s just that expensive (or both).

So the question in here I suppose is: is there a chemically substantiated difference in the type of pot consumed versus the resultant behavior/physical activity or lack thereof, or is it strictly on a case-by-case basis?

I have experienced different kinds of “highs” when smoking, depending on the herb at hand (“head high” versus “body high” and all that), and found myself in different moods to do different things.

Is this post even legal, man?

[Bootis]

People that have more money to buy the better stuff, I would assume, are also people who have more motivation and energy for activity. I’m only guessing, but I would think that lazy people tend to be poorer than non lazy people. Also, people who don’t care about the quality of their pot more often than not are people who just want it to get a buzz. It’s probably much the same as with the productivity of cheap alcohol drinkers. I bet it doesn’t have much to do with the pot itself.

[FoieGrasIsEvil]

@Bootis

People that have more money to buy the better stuff, I would assume, are also people who have more motivation and energy for activity. I’m only guessing, but I would think that lazy people tend to be poorer than non lazy people. Also, people who don’t care about the quality of their pot more often than not are people who just want it to get a buzz. It’s probably much the same as with the productivity of cheap alcohol drinkers. I bet it doesn’t have much to do with the pot itself.

I think you may have touched on something with the relationship (economically speaking) between “cheap highs” and “expensive highs” in terms of alcohol versus marijuana. I realize that other drugs like cocaine are far more expensive and destructive, but I was really wondering only about pot smokers and if there’s ever been some type of a study that shows a correlation between not only the varying potencies of pot in relation to a concurrent lack or increase in physical activity, but also the varying strains of the plant itself.

Knowing my government’s fear over marijuana in general, I suppose that cerebral topics for pot studies may not garner the necessary “appropriations”.

[bufftabby]

I’ve been a super-puffer of both varieties, and I’d say I tended to get more done when I switched to the good stuff. I just wasn’t as sleepy and lazy. But it’s hard to say which came first, my laziness or the smokeage, as well as my increased productivity and my ability to afford the good stuff, and so on.

[Off-topic]Yes, FoieGrasIsEvil, I now know why I frightened you in that other thread: you’re PARANOID. :dubious:

[unstrung]

@Bootis

People that have more money to buy the better stuff, I would assume, are also people who have more motivation and energy for activity. I’m only guessing, but I would think that lazy people tend to be poorer than non lazy people. Also, people who don’t care about the quality of their pot more often than not are people who just want it to get a buzz. It’s probably much the same as with the productivity of cheap alcohol drinkers. I bet it doesn’t have much to do with the pot itself.

I think this partially true. People who are generally more “high energy” will be that way whether they are high or sober.

However, I do think the quality of the pot also does make a difference. I’ve noticed that I feel more of a “physical high” - i.e. loss of energy/motivation, less conversation, etc. - when I smoke the lower grade ganja. On the rare occasion that I get to sample the finer stuff, I usually want to go out and do something (or build something), and I will most likely talk someone’s ear off.

But that’s just one man’s perspective…

[FoieGrasIsEvil]

@unstrung

I think this partially true. People who are generally more “high energy” will be that way whether they are high or sober.

However, I do think the quality of the pot also does make a difference. I’ve noticed that I feel more of a “physical high” - i.e. loss of energy/motivation, less conversation, etc. - when I smoke the lower grade ganja. On the rare occasion that I get to sample the finer stuff, I usually want to go out and do something (or build something), and I will most likely talk someone’s ear off.

But that’s just one man’s perspective…

This is the sentiment I was getting at. I wonder if there’s any way to quantify this based on the substance alone or whether it’s all just a YMMV instance due to a combination of situation, personality and such.

[FoieGrasIsEvil]

@bufftabby

I’ve been a super-puffer of both varieties, and I’d say I tended to get more done when I switched to the good stuff. I just wasn’t as sleepy and lazy. But it’s hard to say which came first, my laziness or the smokeage, as well as my increased productivity and my ability to afford the good stuff, and so on.

[Off-topic]Yes, FoieGrasIsEvil, I now know why I frightened you in that other thread: you’re PARANOID. :dubious:

Me? Paranoid?
peeps through blinds

Why, I’ve got my pistol right here beside me, loaded and ready to go!

What do I have to worry about?

[Larry_Mudd]

The common generalization is that your high-grade “crystally” bud is going to have a higher ratio of tetrahydracannabinol to cannabidiol.

Cannabidiol has a sedative effect that THC alone does not have.

Also, much of the THC in lower-grade weed may have degraded into non-psychoactive cannabinol, skewing the THC/CBD ratio even higher.

Schwag has a substantially different pharmacological effect than top buds.

[FoieGrasIsEvil]

@Larry Mudd

The common generalization is that your high-grade “crystally” bud is going to have a higher ratio of tetrahydracannabinol to cannabidiol.

Cannabidiol has a sedative effect that THC alone does not have.

Also, much of the THC in lower-grade weed may have degraded into non-psychoactive cannabinol, skewing the THC/CBD ratio even higher.

Schwag has a substantially different pharmacological effect than top buds.

Thank you, I did not know that. So by your reasoning, someone smoking higher-grade stuff would be more inclined towards activity solely because the “better stuff” is more THC concentrated as opposed to cannabidiol-concentrated, which has been demonstrated to have sedative effects that THC alone does not.

Is that right?

[ThirdCultureKid]

@Larry Mudd

The common generalization is that your high-grade “crystally” bud is going to have a higher ratio of tetrahydracannabinol to cannabidiol.

Cannabidiol has a sedative effect that THC alone does not have.

Also, much of the THC in lower-grade weed may have degraded into non-psychoactive cannabinol, skewing the THC/CBD ratio even higher.

Schwag has a substantially different pharmacological effect than top buds.

That is way cool! Do you have a cite for that info ? I’m not doubting you, I just can’t seem to find anything similar via googling and I’d be interested to read more on the topic.

[Quercus]

@Larry Mudd

The common generalization is that your high-grade “crystally” bud is going to have a higher ratio of tetrahydracannabinol to cannabidiol.

Cannabidiol has a sedative effect that THC alone does not have.

Also, much of the THC in lower-grade weed may have degraded into non-psychoactive cannabinol, skewing the THC/CBD ratio even higher.

Schwag has a substantially different pharmacological effect than top buds.

That’s at least vaguely plausible, BUT remember that all kinds of people swear up and down that rum gives them a different drunk than tequila, and it’s very well established that the psychoactive ingredient in the two (alcohol) is identical.

So I think it’s at least as likely that it’s all due to self-selection (e.g. more active people have more money), and setting and expectation by the consumer.

[Madd_Maxx]

Not IME. I have a friend that can afford (and does when the opportunity arises) to smoke the good sh*t, and is perfectly happy to veg out on the couch and watch TV or play a video game. Although, he does say that toking up can make yard work and physical labor less of a monotonous chore.

[Larry_Mudd]

@ThirdCultureKid

That is way cool! Do you have a cite for that info ? I’m not doubting you, I just can’t seem to find anything similar via googling and I’d be interested to read more on the topic.

Wikipedia is not a great cite, but in turn cites the British Journal of Pharmacology.

(For my own anecdotal part, I should say that regardless of quality I’m gonna be sitting there on the sofa, watching a movie - because that’s generally what makes me want to have a puff – movie enhancement. …but I notice with nice resiny bud I am much less apt to feel sleepy and lose the ability to carry on a conversation.)

[NajaNivea]

@FoieGrasIsEvil

To clarify, in my experiences both as a former user and an observer of other pot smokers, I’ve noticed over the years that the people that tend to smoke the really high-grade, crystally, expenisve ($100 a quarter bag? More these days?) marijuana also tend to NOT be the prototypical stoner, as in, they want to hike, backpack, ride bikes, do stuff OUTSIDE rather than lay around, eat Doritos and play videogames.

I’m wondering if this is more of a measure of strict affluence on the part of the buyer, or if in fact there is indeed a distinct difference between the “types of highs” you get from different grades of marijuana when smoked.

Perhaps this is also a rate/amount of usage thing too, as I’ve also noticed that people that pay a ton of money for very little product (while very high grade) do not smoke as often as people who tend to choke down on the nasty brown buds. The high-end users also smoke far smaller amounts on average (no “blunts”) either because they don’t need to to achieve the same effect or because it’s just that expensive (or both).

This is me. I smoke very small amounts of very fine product for recreational or medicinal purposes. I generally don’t bother to buy crap vegetation because it 1) doesn’t give me the same effect at all, and 2) I have to smoke loads of the stuff (hack, cough, ugh). If lower-grade herbage crosses my path, I tend to cook it into butter or oil or make a tincture out of it. It’s not worth smoking because of the crap effects, but for medicinal purposes, the extraction of active ingredients into oil or alcohol solutions means I can use it without the nasty smoking process of that much poor-quality herb. The effects of the preparations are nothing like the effects of a quick toke, and I won’t use them for much of anything except treatment of insomnia–they knock me right the eff out and if taken during the day make me mostly non-functional. Okay if I’ve got a migraine and am staying in bed all day, but if I need to do some sewing or take care of other business, not so much. This seems to support Larry Mudd’s commentary on the properties of Cannabidiol’s sedative effects vs. THC.

In terms of self-selection for this sort of thing, I am an extremely busy and motivated individual, both in terms of business and physical activities. The daily-maintenance potheads I know that are content to smoke schwag, mostly smoke a metric fuckton of it and do very little else. I’ve got too much else going on to spend all day, every day, on the couch with a Wii and a bag of cheetos, though I won’t deny that the good stuff is quite excellent for enhancement of the enjoyment of a Pixar film and a pizza, on occasion.

I suspect that if your major goals in life are the acquiring and smoking of as much weed as possible, you’re going to spend every $20 you get on a bag of schwag instead of saving your pennies and buying a QO of the good stuff. If you’re not really enjoying it for the effects, anyway, then it doesn’t matter a whole lot to you. Smokers like that burn through the $150 weed just as quickly.

[Colibri]

@NajaNivea

I smoke very small amounts of very fine product for recreational or medicinal purposes.

[Moderating]

From the Board FAQ:

Drugs that are illegal in the US: You may discuss the effects of drugs, but not where to obtain them. **Limited discussion of past use of drugs is OK, but discussion of current use is not. **Please include a disclaimer that the drug is illegal in the US.

Bolding mine.

Folks, let’s keep this this as much as possible on the subject of scientific studies of pharmacological effects of the drugs in question on users. If this devolves too much into a series of anecdotes about personal drug experiences, I will be forced to close it.

Colibri
General Questions Moderator

[SeanArenas]

The way I understand it (and as per Colibri, this is all just as I understand it, not from my experience, just to make sure we’re all on the same page?) buds come in several different flavors based on two main strains.

I’ve heard it described that one type of flavor will affect your “head” more, which is Sativa, and another flavor will affect your “body” more, called Indica. Everything else from there is a mix of the two, with names like Afghani, Kush, Northern Lights, White Widow, etc. (Cite: http://www.marijuanastrains.com/ )

I’m going to be guessing here, since my understanding is based on what I have heard from people who live on the West Coast of the US, and from what I read online … but I am guessing that there’s going to be “good” and “bad” levels of both, since there’s so many strains bred from the two.

So I would guess low grade Indica would make one sleepy, and low grade Sativa would make one loopy but not sleepy. A high grade of each should do the same, but with less consumption.

The less consumption thing is probably key, especially if we’re talking about a person who is smoking it. If you smoked a lot of cigarettes and then tried to run around the block, you would probably have less energy for doing it. I bet the recent coating of the lungs with something (not to mention, possible long-term coating) will make your ability to get oxygen lower. IANAD so I don’t know for sure, I’m just guessing based on my own past experiences. (I can admit to past tobacco usage, right? I quit cold turkey over 5 years ago.)

The same should hold true if a person has an Indica or a Sativa – if that person has a lot of it, they will probably process oxygen less well. (Again, IANAD).

Also, I have a question for Colibri … while it’s not federally legal, there are some states, counties, and cities which have made it legal for doctors to prescribe it, and for those patients to purchase it. I am not one of these people, so this doesn’t apply to me, but I do know two of them, so I’m curious – would they be allowed to post their experiences on this board?

[SmartAleq]

Another factor in the mix is how the stuff was cured. One of the reasons schwag weed is brown is that it was probably “cured” by leaving it out in the sun. Exposure to heat and light during the curing process is a definite factor in the conversion of THC into the much less desirable cannabidiol. Growers of top flight weed would no more cure by sun or heat exposure than a chef would try to accelerate the baking of a cake by cranking the oven up to 600[sup]o[/sup]. Some things can’t be rushed, y’know?

Just as one should avoid the brown acid, one should equally eschew the brown weed!

Genetics plays a big part in the characteristics of the high involved in different strains of weed. Vegging on the couch incoherently jamming chee-tohs down one’s throat is not as desirable an effect as scintillating conversation, enhancement of the libido and a boost in energy levels. Growers grow what the customers like, and fewer customers than you’d think find it amusing or useful to be stupid and boring while baked. One of the major reasons cannabis is used as an alternative pain medication is to avoid the stupor brought on by opiates and other big gun painkillers.

As to the illegality of weed in the US as a whole, it’s by no means uniform. There are many legal users of cannabis in the States, including a friend of mine who’s so legal he can transport pounds across state lines and probably couldn’t be arrested were he to fire one up on the steps of the White House–unless it was for littering with the roach. Agent Orange veteran with a Washington grower/user card and a grandfathered federal exemption for certain 'Nam vets. I feel that it’s only polite to assume that any personal anecdotes are coming from people who are legally allowed to experience the ganja.

[Colibri]

@SeanArenas

Also, I have a question for Colibri … while it’s not federally legal, there are some states, counties, and cities which have made it legal for doctors to prescribe it, and for those patients to purchase it. I am not one of these people, so this doesn’t apply to me, but I do know two of them, so I’m curious – would they be allowed to post their experiences on this board?

Given that it’s not legal federally, I would consider that to be the default for the purposes of the rules.

[Moriarty]

According to a friend of mine who traveled to Amsterdam (honest, it’s not me. I’ve never had the pleasure to make the trip), their coffee shops offer different strands depending on the type of high you want. Some are good for being active, others are more mellow. So I would tend to believe, based on that anecdote, that there are indeed different types of marijuana highs.

Also, I have (in the past - again, I’m being honest. This was about 5 years ago) gone to the gym after getting stoned. My endurance was affected, but I was able to get a good workout, mainly because the burn of the exercises wasn’t as pronounced. That also tells me that some weed doesn’t make you lethargic.

[NajaNivea]

@SeanArenas

Also, I have a question for Colibri … while it’s not federally legal, there are some states, counties, and cities which have made it legal for doctors to prescribe it, and for those patients to purchase it. I am not one of these people, so this doesn’t apply to me, but I do know two of them, so I’m curious – would they be allowed to post their experiences on this board?

For the record, I do live in a medical marijuana state and am a legal cardholder.