MMJ: No Brain Strain With the Right Strain

I used to smoke a lot of weed but I quit because it was making me feel weird. I had auditory hallucinations. My brother also had to quit when he got back from the armed forces, pretty much for the same reasons, but he has mental health issues anyway. My question: Are there strains I can try that won’t give me these problems? – Random dude sitting next to you at the coffee shop

Dude. Weed isn’t for everybody. I know pot activists are fanatically gung-ho about how medical marijuana can help just about anyone with just about anything, but there are people that shouldn’t use cannabis at all. For every study you can find saying that marijuana is no good for people with mental health issues (PTSD, bipolar disorder, schizo-affective disorder, etc.), you can find one stating that marijuana is beneficial. The brain is tricky and powerful, so if you use cannabis and you feel like you are overly paranoid or super anxious or having hallucinations, you should probably stop using cannabis. It’s really that simple.

Although I did smoke this one strain one time when I was on the East Coast. It was great. I wish I knew what it was.

I know some people who only like Blue Dream or Granddaddy Purple, or maybe they don’t smoke any Afghani variants or they hate Romulan, whatever. There are over one thousand different marijuana strains in the world today and the breeders are making new kinds of weed even as you read this column. It is problematic, I think is the new buzzword, that, as of now the only way to find a cannabis strain that suits you is good old-fashioned trial and error. There are some sites (leafly.com is a good one) where folks have uploaded all kinds of information about how certain strains made them feel. You could always keep a weed diary and make a record of your feelings and reactions to the strains you have tried. Good luck on your journey.

Is it too soon to put my plants in the ground?

So close. Wait another week or two. In the meantime, get your dirt ready, make sure your spot is secure and that your garden area either meets all the local laws or is very well hidden because your county is full of prohibitionist legislators. These guys have some good tips: www.marijuanagrowershq.com/10-tips-for-growing-outdoor. Have fun!