August 17, 2011

• This Just In: Variety is the "spice" of life

  I used to smoke pot. Now I'm not. But there's a new smoke in town, and I'm smokin' right now!

  I won't lie. I'm a marijuana advocate. I've written about how I voted for the legalization of the potent herb here on my blog last year when we had a ballot measure in my state. I wrote that the only thing which stopped me from toking up in the evenings after a hard day's work was the fact that I'm on a budget, and the price was pretty, well, not to mince words, "high." The entry to which I link above gives a "history" of my "herbalizing." I also have written about my "history" of "partying" and how I still "party" today, although not, at the age of 58, with as much unabashed carelessness as in my youth, but certainly with as much brio and energy.

  I don't condone the use of any illegal substance and I don't condone keeping one's activities secret from one's parents. To be sure. I'm an adult. I'm single. I discuss with my doctor about everything I ingest into my body when I see him during my yearly physical. I believe I'm rational and intelligent. I don't overindulge in anything, although I will honestly avow that I have overindulged in a LOT of things in the past. That's part, I think, of why my life has been so interesting to my readers here on WhenWordsCollide on the Xanga service.

  

  So, I still don't smoke pot, and I wrote that I would if I could afford the price, or fit the activity into my budget somehow. But in the headline, I tell you I'm smokin'. I am. I'm smoking a legal substance called "spice". And I gotta tell ya. It's getting me high, and I'm lovin' it.

  (Only people of legal age (21 in the state of California) should partake in any activity which alters their perception. People who alter their perception in any way should never get in a situation where they are "addicted" to anything which does so. When ingesting anything in one's body which changes mood or perception, one should NEVER drive, operate machinery of any kind (like saws or drills) or put oneself in a position where snap judgements have to be made. Spice, like marijuana, alters the senses, and this can be a good thing in the right circumstances, and a terrible thing in the wrong ones.)

   I started drinking and smoking marijuana at the age of 21 while in college. I smoked almost a bowl of marijuana daily since then, up until 2003 or so. (When offered a puff, I have always toked. It was bad karma not to "back in the day." So even after 2003, if someone I know drops by and offers, I will smoke with him/her.

  Spice is a relatively new way to get high. It is herbal material laced with a synthetic cannaboid. Some of these are illegal. Just like LSD back in the 60s, this is legal now, but probably will be banned soon. Already, it is banned in Kansas, Kentucky, Alabama, and Tennesee here in the states, and in the country of Ireland. It is legal in California, and I love the fact I can blog about getting high and it's legal. I dreamed of this. I always felt we'd be able to go into the local 7-11 and get "Panama Red" or "Maui Wowie." Well, we can't (yet.) But we can get "K-2 Skull" or "Happy Tiger." Notice the label says "not for human consumption" however. This product (sold right at the counter at my local head shop, er, I mean "smoke shop" HERE's a LINK to their Facebook page. Sweet.) is incense. Pot pipes are "incense burners." Bongs are "water pipes." I needed some new screens for my incense burner, by the way. It's been a long time.

  

  A little over a month ago, somebody I know asked me if I'd ever heard of "spice", which was "legal marijuana" made with "synthetic THC." THC is the active ingredient in marijuana which makes one act stupid, forget stuff, laugh a lot, and get hungry. I told my friend I hadn't heard of "spice" but I once bought some "fake ecstasy" and found it was a waste of money.

  This being the age of information, I looked it up on the internet. A few weeks ago, my friend and I took a jaunt to the Deja Vu Smoke Shop and inquired about "spice". I bought a 3 gram bag for $26.99. It lasted me about a month. (I work on weekdays and get up at four in the morning, so I only "imbibe" on Friday and Saturday nights. I know, I say in the headline "I'm smoking it now." Well, that's not entirely true. I lit up for the photo session, but I didn't inhale.)

  I just have to proclaim that I feel great having a "legal high." And at a good price. If I wanted, I could get my doctor to give me a prescription for "medical marijuana" by the way. I have had enough aches and pains, just with my pinched nerve, to give me a "medical reason" for using marijuana. I used to love the fact that my now deceased roommate "Cancerboy" had a jar full of "pot pills." I'll bet they were juiced with the same synthetic cannaboids as are in "spice."

  They say variety is the spice of life. I took a photo above of my new "spice wall." I'll post another photo next year, and lets see how many of the little bags are pinned to it!

  Until next time, I'm living the "high life" and having some "high times."   

  

  I want to emphasize that this might be a great thing for me, but might not be a great thing for a great many people. "Spice" is stronger than marijuana, and some people have had to be "treated" because they might have taken a bit too much. As I always maintain, too much of ANYTHING is not a good thing. HERE is an article on the NORML website which I found interesting. Just because I'm writing about something which I do doesn't mean I'm telling Xangans to go out and get wasted on this stuff, especially not children or teens. People should drink responsibly, and get high responsibly. Nuff said?

  EDIT 7:48pm pdt: Caitlin @livexlovexlaughter left a sobering comment below. Please also take a look at it and my reply. MFN/ppf

  • 9:47 pm
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