Ask Old Hippie: How Did Cannabis Help Your Depression?

Old Hippie Kenobi

Q: What methods of smoking worked best for your depression? What caused you to turn to cannabis for help with your depression? Any tips?

A: What got me to try cannabis was literally a throwaway remark from a friend of mine about how I lived in a MMJ state. That made me snort with derision because up until that moment I had only thought of MMJ as either a joke (nudge, nudge, wink, medical marijuana LOL) or something only for terminally ill people that was just different from loading them up with morphine.

In short, even though I had spent all my formative years smoking pot, it had never occurred to me there might be something to it past giggling and the munchies. I suspect that this is why it has the reputation it does…many people “grow up” and then think of it as just one of their childish habits like picking their nose in public.

But just like I fell in love with my high school girlfriend again in the 90s, Mary Jane was still out there patiENTly waiting for me. So I did a bunch of research online (which apparENTly I’m good at), found out about depression and sativas and vaporizers and such, got a MMJ recommendation, and on June 4 walked into a dispensary like a kid in a candy store and bought one of everything that seemed likely to help.

I had told my wife that I was going through this entire thing legally and hopefully, but was willing to drop it if it really didn’t do anything. What I didn’t tell her was that I felt I was literally at the end of my rope, and this was my last chance. I was so close to the edge…I felt content but hadn’t been actually happy in years. But on bad days…well.

Anyway, on /r/trees I like to talk about how it took only two weeks for me to feel cured. Actually, that’s bullshit because the true story sounds even less believable. It was only 2 or 3 days before I said to myself “This is the shiznitz” and took the final step of ordering a vaporizer (MFLB). Within the first week (and I only know all this because I just went through my back email records) I had decided to start my blog because I just had to tell other people how great this was.

Maybe I’m just very, very lucky. But I also have this theory that I’ve been working towards, involving people’s brain/blood chemistry and how cannabis “fills in” any “holes”. So that if people have certain physical or mental problems, cannabis fills in the gaps between “lacking” and “normal”. If you find the right strain and the right dose, then you return to normal (any more and you just get high).

In my case, I find that two long hits of Sour Diesel every few hours blows the cobwebs and fuzziness right out of my head…and doesn’t get me high (maybe [1] or [2] level…enough to feel that there’s something in me but not enough to make me really feel high). Sometimes I have another hit “just for luck” or if the battery is somewhat run down and then usually I do end up getting high and then I crawl back to bed and sleep for 2 hours (what can I say, I’m old 🙂

Since you don’t have access to a dispensary, I would talk to your guy and tell him your problem. Maybe you can take a few hits of any sativas he has (not all at once LOL), and then buy a quantity of anything that seems to make you feel better.

Good luck and please keep in touch!

Hugs and nugs,
Old Hippie

http://BeyondChronic.com

Old Hippie is a father of two boys and thankfully living in California where all this kind of thing is legal. He started smoking marijuana in 1967 in high school, experimented with mind-expanding drugs of all kinds, and then straightened out 15 or so years later to become an airplane pilot. After being diagnosed with depression in 2000, he lost his job and most of the following decade to prescription medications (such as antidepressants) which sapped his energy and will. Finally, a chance conversation with a friend led to a doctor’s recommendation for medical marijuana (MMJ). This changed his entire life, health, and outlook for the better. BeyondChronic.com is his continuing story. It’s also his way to provide experienced advice on using medical marijuana effectively and responsibly, as well as advocacy, activism, and support for others. Old Hippie teaches about safe use of cannabis edibles, Canna Caps, vaporizers, dosing, and even microdosing.

7 comments

OldHippie, thank you. I just stumbled across your site from r/trees (of course) and honestly, I am currently right where you were when you wrote this post. I have been dealing/suffering with constant daily back pain for over 2 years now. I have tried prescription drugs, physical therapy, yoga, etc, etc, etc and nothing helped. Well the Vicodin helped, but only because it put me to sleep for hours. I got my MMJ card on new years eve, and I finally have RELIEF! I know what you mean about the right strain and right dose.. I’m not trying to get completely blitzed anymore (that’s what college was for). But a couple of tokes out of my MFLB after a day at work and I can relax without pain for the rest of the day.

So, thanks for writing about this, it’s great to hear another success story about our favorite little plant. Hugs&Nugs!

Thank you, Jonathan! It’s knowing there are people out there like you that really help me keep going on bad days!

Old Hippie,

I am researching why these strains work on depression and clearing the bad brain fog……
I do not think it is the CBD because the types that seem to work are low CBD and high CBD strains do not have this effect.
I am looking into THCV at this point but not much info available…..
Amazing that this works so fast and better that prescription drugs…….

Thanks for your blog.

The governing bodies just need to eliminate the prohibition so people don’t have to suffer needlessly! I found out about MMJ sort of by accident.

really enjoying the blog, glad I found it.

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