An alcoholic’s guide to cannabis use

The other day I stumbled upon a post on Reddit written by a former snap dog who switched to cannabis to stop drinking.

The post went like this:

I stopped drinking about 16 months ago, but immediately started smoking more weed. Then I started vaporizing the highly concentrated waxes and shatters and drinking tonics with 100 mg of THC per bottle. I added huge amounts of THC to myself. So I was obviously sober from alcohol, but not addiction free because I was on THC. If you do – watch out – I stopped taking THC a few months ago and had major depression for a few weeks after that. People say there is no payout from pot – they are trying to sell you pot or they just don’t know. There is retreat and it is NOT fun. I’m sure the severity varies from person to person. So if you are consuming weed I would recommend small doses! I’ve quit since then .. maybe once a month I’ll smoke a flower. (Pot is legal in my state) – Reddit

Photo by Guillermo Nolasco via Unsplash

While it’s a good thing that the Redditor in question has managed to wean off high doses of weed and essentially break the cycle of addiction.

This is one of the main problems with substitution: you don’t necessarily get rid of the addiction simply by changing hats.

It also inspired me to write this guide from the perspective of an alcohol, creating a correspondence between certain types of cannabis use methods and their transfer to the world of alcohol.

Of course, it has to be said that this is purely subjective and should be enjoyed with caution – or in this case with a grain of malt!

Joints – The beer made from marijuana

Let’s start with the most widely consumed alcohol after Baijiu, the most widely consumed spirits in the world – beer!

Similarly, the most popular way of consuming cannabis remains the flower, which is mostly smoked in joints. Approximately 37% of the market share of cannabis products is in bloom.

A suitable comparison would be joints with beer. If you’re looking for a gentle way of consuming cannabis that won’t knock you down right away, pipes or joints are your best bet.

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Similar to beer, it is less intoxicating than the other products on our list and you can titrate your consumption.

Think of a joint as your six pack; You can take a few hits of it, and when you feel the buzz you can turn it off.

I smoked a joint for days, just taking small puffs here and there, which is why I believe that flower and beer have most in common when trying to equate the two completely different substances.

Vapes – The wine made from marijuana

Next, we start to hit the vapes which take 32% of the cannabis market share. The reason I would say vaping is more like wine is not because of the THC content, but more because of the type of consumer who is similar to wine drinkers.

First, steamers can get quite expensive. Pax has cut its prices, but the Pax 2 still comes with a $ 150 price tag. A Pax 3 costs about $ 100 more. This price point sets it apart from the average flower consumer, who could very easily smoke their weed in an apple if needed.

Photo by HighGradeRoots / Getty Images

While vaping doesn’t necessarily increase THC levels, it does refine the draw a bit more by eliminating burn from the equation.

Personally, I love vaping dry herb, it just allows you to get more bang for your buck in my opinion.

Concentrates – The Spirits of Marijuana

Equating dabs with booze is a breeze. Some concentrates can have a THC prevalence of 99%, which may sound like a lot, but you need to understand that there is a bioavailability factor to be considered. Not all of the 99% THC will get into your system.

Nonetheless, it’s a straightforward comparison that dabs can separate what vodka is with alcohol. It’s strong, it’s powerful, and you really don’t need a lot of it to get the job done.

If you’re looking for something to pack a punch, a dab is enough!

Edibles – The cocktails of cannabis

Finally, let’s take a look at edibles and why I think it’s the cannabis cocktail.

First, it comes in all flavors and even in liquid form. Second, just like cocktails that mask the taste of alcohol, you can have completely “one too many” which sends you down a rabbit hole with dire consequences.

Photo by Sarah Pender / Getty Images

As with cocktails, with edibles, the best approach is to exercise yourself, and waiting at least an hour between edibles will allow you to titrate your high.

RELATED: Why You Must Be Careful With Edibles the First Time

Technically, out of all cannabis users, edibles have the greatest chance of sending you into the ninth cloud. This is because when the liver breaks down THC, it converts it to 11-hydroxy-THC, which is said to be 10x stronger than delta-9-THC.

How to stop using weed on alcohol

As we saw in the original example, replacing your alcohol addiction with a weed addiction is not the right way to go. However, with the little guide I have created for you here, you can have an idea of ​​how to replace and not abuse these cannabis products.

Alcohol withdrawal can be fatal, depending on the severity of the addiction. Cannabis can help mitigate some of these effects, but if you’re trying to replace one addiction with another, cannabis won’t be of much help in the long run.

It is best to have a game plan, and hopefully with this article you should already have an idea.

Much luck!

This article originally appeared on Cannabis.net and was republished with permission.