You need terpenes that help anxiety, now that your girl has turned your space in to a “Penthouse” full of scented candles.
One day you’re a king. You have a queen-sized bed, a single kettlebell in the corner for your morning sets, and enough floor space to do some body weight squats and lunges to kick start leg day. It’s a temple of minimalist efficiency. You even have your original razor boxes neatly stacked under the sink because—let’s be honest—original packaging makes moving easier.
Then, she moves in.
Suddenly, your kettlebell is a doorstop. Your room has been annexed by blackout curtains and a king-sized bed that took up the last of your “activity” space. Your bathroom vanity storage space? Gone. It’s now a graveyard for 14 different lotions that all smell like “Spiced Rain” but serve no discernible purpose.
But that’s not even the scary part.
1. The Shower Wall Resident
You’re mid-shower, washing your business, and you look up. There, at eye level, is a matted mask of hair, clumped up, just… hanging out. You know it’s not yours. But it is a permanent resident of your new life.
2. The Nether-Region Garrote
You ever get halfway through your workday—maybe you’re in a meeting, maybe you’re at the gym—and you feel an aggressive, high-tensile tug? It feels like an invisible Bond villain is trying to reduce the flow of anything to the brains of your operation. Yeah there’s a hair wrapped around your balls bro.
Yeah, there’s a hair wrapped around your balls, bro. It’s the Invisible Assassin. Along with his buddy—the stray strand of your girlfriend’s hair hitching a ride on your caboose like a train-hopping hobo—it’s now flossing your “brown eye” like a piece of high-test dental tape.
How to Survive “Girlfriend HQ” (Without Losing Your Mind)
If the sudden appearance of a vanity full of hairbrushes and girly stuff elevates your heart rate to 120 BPM, nature has a “mute” button. We call them Terpenes.
When your bachelor pad dies and your girlfriend starts tossing all your favourite crap, these terpenes help anxiety and you should look for them when choosing a strain to curb your anxiety:
Terpenes that help anxiety the invisible assassin
Terpenes
The Science
Limonene (The Paranoia Killer):
A 2024 Johns Hopkins study proved that inhaling Limonene with your THC stops that “someone’s trying to suffocate me” anxiety.
Linalool (The Serotonin Shield):
Found in floral strains, this terpene blocks serotonin transporters to keep your “rest and digest” mode active. It turns “Why is there a bar fridge here?” into “Hey, a bar fridge for my whiskey!”
Beta-Caryophyllene (The CB2 Specialist):
It’s spicy, peppery, and hits your body’s calming receptors without making you too stoned to find the drawing of a wang she hid in your suitcase five years ago.
Myrcene (The Relaxation Foundation)
Increases sedation and muscle relaxation; helps cannabinoids hit faster. Earthy, musky, or “skunky” strains—mostly Indicas—are your best bet for a Myrcene fix.
How to Get Your Terps: Product Type Matters
Not all consumption methods are created equal. If you’re trying to outmaneuver the Invisible Assassin, you need to make sure you aren’t literally burning off your relief. Here’s the breakdown of how to get the most out of your terpene profile:
Product Type
The Terpene Delivery
Pro-Tip
Flower
Highest Potential
Vaporize at low temperatures. High heat (combustion) destroys delicate terpenes.
Vapes
Variable
Avoid distillates with “botanical” terps. Look for Live Resin or Full-Spectrum to keep the plant’s soul intact.
Edibles
Low (Usually)
Most terpenes are lost during the infusion process, unless the brand specifically adds them back in.
Tinctures
Consistent
Stick to Full-Spectrum tinctures. Isolates are just the cannabinoids and usually have zero terpene benefit.
The Weird Truth
Relationships are weird. If you aren’t shouting “SHUT UP” at each other when someone sneezes or doing an elaborate mating dance involving one-handed clapping or dong slapping are you even in love?
You might have lost your floor space, but you gained a partner in crime who knows that if you’re happy, she’s happy. She’s just trying to make your space a sanctuary. Think of it like the Batcave—just pour some whiskey from that decanter on top of her fridge and ignore the floral aromas of your new blissful paradise.
Transitioning from a bachelor pad to a shared home is a wild ride, but as long as you’ve got the right Terps and a sense of humor, you’ll survive the “Invisible Assassin.”
Join the Conversation!
What’s the weirdest thing your partner did to your “man cave” after moving in? Have you ever been a victim of the Nether-Region Garrote?Drop a comment below and TAG a homie who’s currently losing the war for his under-sink storage! Don’t forget to share this post to help other brothers in arms survive the “Spiced Rain” invasion.
The Gravity Bong: A DIY Masterpiece (and My Biggest Fail)
Whether you call it a Gravity Bong, a Bucket, or a ‘Geeb,’ this DIY stoner invention is a rite of passage. But as I learned the hard way, water pressure doesn’t care about your plans. Before we dive into the 2,700-year history of weed, let’s talk about the ‘High Lesson’ that left me waking up on a stranger’s couch.
Welcome to Thoughts Off The Stem! Today, we taking a trip down memory lane and sharing my first experience with “Buckets”. That’s right we’re talking about the time I hit that DIY atom bomb of a bong. Where the amount of clouds you have to inhale force their way out your ears like a cartoon and the unexpected Life Lessons that revealed themselves in that moment. Then we’re laughing at some of the more absurd but hilarious Stoner Moments from people online. We’re not just talking about getting high; we’re talking about the lessons that only come from those truly elevated perspectives.
The Bucket that started it all…
My very first experience with a gravity bucket wasn’t just a stoner moment—it was a full-blown initiation into another dimension. It was college, a time for exploration and, in my case, a distinct lack of proper planning.
The Scenario: A makeshift bucket in a cramped dorm room.
The Moment: Taking the rip, and immediately realizing I’d bit off way more than I could chew.
The Fail: Waking up hours later, not in my bed, not in a friend’s bed, but passed out on a total stranger’s couch in a completely different building. The lesson here? Know your limits, and maybe always have a wingman when trying something new.
What is a “Bucket”?
For those new to the game, a “Bucket” (also known as a Gravity Bong) is the ultimate Stoner MacGyver creation. It uses water pressure and gravity to create a vacuum that pulls a massive, concentrated cloud of smoke into a chamber (usually a 2-liter bottle). You then push the chamber down, using water pressure to force that smoke directly into your lungs. It’s effective, it’s intense, and as I learned, it requires a certain level of respect.
Weed Facts: A History of MacGyvering (2,700 Years & Counting)
You think building a bucket from a soda bottle is impressive? As I discuss in this episode, humans have been MacGyvering weed accessories for centuries. The fascinating History of Weed is filled with innovative ways people have utilized this plant for medicine, spiritual practices, and, yes, getting incredibly high.
the History
the findings
The Shaman’s Secret (2,700 Years Ago)
Paleoethnobotanists discovered nearly two pounds of 2,700-year-old cannabis in the burial pit of an ancient Gūshī shaman in China. This wasn’t for rope—analyses concluded this ancient society was already cultivating cannabis for psychoactive and divinatory purposes.
The Oldest Bong? (2,500 Years Ago)
In 2019, archaeologists uncovered 2,500-year-old braziers—vessels designed to burn large quantities of cannabis—which contained potent residues. This proves people were actively burning and inhaling the plant for its effects centuries before the first gravity bucket was made.
The Global History:
Humans were using cannabis 10,000 years ago, and trade routes linking Europe and East Asia likely increased its usage 5,000 years ago. From being an approved medicine in the U.S. Pharmacopeia in 1850 to the futile start of the “War on Drugs” in 1972, the story of this plant is one of invention and innovation.
January 2026Resurrected Enzymes
Scientists “revived” ancient THC enzymes in a lab.
Dude, for Real: The Funniest Things People Do High
To wrap up this signature “High Lessons” launch, we’re looking at the hilarious side of those Stoner Moments. Waking up on a stranger’s couch is just the tip of the iceberg!
Check out this amazing list of “32 of the Funniest Things People Did While They Were High,“ which highlights the kind of creative-but-clumsy genius that only comes from a truly elevated state. From trying to “un-bake” a cake to getting caught in a complex conversation with a houseplants, these stories are the definition of a “High Lesson”.
What’s Your Biggest Stoner Moment?
The history of cannabis shows that we’ve been finding “High Lessons” in this plant for thousands of years. Whether it’s an ancient shaman in China or a college student on a stranger’s couch, the journey of discovery never really ends. These Stoner Moments are more than just funny stories—they are the building blocks of the Life Lessons we share here on Buckets.
Now, I want to hear from you. We’ve all had those moments where things didn’t go quite as planned, but we came out the other side with a great story (and maybe a little more wisdom).
What was your very first “MacGyver” moment—did you build a classic bucket, or were you more of an apple-pipe architect? Let’s hear your most creative (or disastrous) inventions in the comments below! If this story reminded you of a certain someone, share it with your favorite ‘engineering’ buddy!
Paying with exposure is a hustle that belongs in a buddy’s garage, not a professional business.
Why Paying With Exposure Doesn’t Work in the Real World
Imagine walking into a local pot shop, asking for an ounce of top-shelf flower, and offering to settle the tab with a shout-out on your Instagram story. You’d be laughed right out of the building. Why? Because legitimate industries don’t run on “vibes” or “likes,” yet in the podcasting world, my inbox is treated like a black market dealer’s garage where everyone expects a free bag in exchange for a few errands.
Welcome to Thoughts Off The Stem. I’m Justin Barone, and I hope life is being good to you, because lately, life has been acting like a prospecting pimp and I’m his prospective hoe. Recently, a couple of companies reached out with their pimp hand asking for me to get on the track and work for nothing but a slap in the face.
Light them if you got them, ‘cause here’s how these “exposure” deals played out.
The Worst “Paying With Exposure” Brand Deals I’ve Seen
Recently, a few companies reached out with “opportunities” that were really just chores in disguise. If you’re a creator, watch out for these red flags.
1. The Tin Joint Holder Tactic
A company reached out wanting a full suite of content: social shorts, feed posts, stories, a website feature on Tots420.com, and a spot on my YouTube review playlist.
The Offer: A free sample.
The Reality: They asked for my rates, saw them, and vanished. If you want a billboard, you have to pay the lease. A $10 tin doesn’t buy a week of production time.
2. The AI Tool That Wanted a Free Employee
This one was a masterclass in audacity. An AI podcast editing tool wanted a “partnership” where I would:
Edit one episode a week for three months using their (buggy) software.
Act as their unpaid QA and R&D department (reporting bugs and UI feedback).
Give them free rights to all my content for their ads.
The Payment: Use of the software.
Pro Tip: If a company asks you to find the bugs in their product while you advertise it for them, they aren’t a partner—you’re an unpaid intern.
Weed Facts: Stop Chasing THC Percentages
Before we get deeper into the “Dude, For Real?” files, let’s clear the air on some cultivation myths. THC potency is not the ultimate qualification for good weed. High potency is a byproduct of great cultivation, but a lower percentage doesn’t mean it’s “bad.”
Beyond the Hype: Weed Facts and Quality Control
Since we’re talking about high-quality work, let’s talk about high-quality flower. THC potency isn’t everything—potency is a byproduct of great cultivation.
How to Spot “Mid” Weed vs. Top-Shelf Flower
Feature
What to Look For
Smell
Pungent, bold, and nuanced. It should make your brain say, “I want to eat this.”
Look
Vibrant colors (whites, reds, oranges) with visible, “frosted” trichomes like a cake.
Feel
Sticky and slightly spongy. Stems should snap, not bend like celery.
Structure
Sativas should be light and fluffy; Indicas should be tight and dense.
The Red Flags of “Bad” Weed:
The “Musty” Nose: If it smells like a damp basement or a pile of straw, it’s aged or compromised.
The “Brown Sugar” Look: If the trichomes are amber and the bud is dirt-brown or lime-green, it’s past its prime.
The “Brittle” Touch: If it crumbles into dust or feels “wet” and tears apart instead of breaking, the cure was botched.
Dude, For Real? The “Exposure” Hall of Fame
They say there are no dumb questions, but the “Choosing Beggars” of the world prove that wrong every day. Whether it’s HuffPo asking for free articles while being a multi-million dollar entity or the guy who thinks Garlic is a valid currency for labor—the entitlement is real.
We’ve all seen the screenshots. The mechanic who gets asked for a “quick fix” for free, or the photographer (shoutout to the legends on BoredPanda) who gets told their work is “overpriced” because “I could do that with a filter.”
The bottom line: Exposure doesn’t pay the bills. Quality—whether in your flower or your content—costs money. If you want the “frosting,” you can’t pay with “crumbs.”
What’s Your Worst “Choosing Beggar” Story?
Have you ever been offered “exposure” in exchange for your hard-earned expertise? Drop a comment below or hit me up on socials. Let’s vent.
Weed and Sleep: What Happens When You Smoke Before Bed
Ever wonder why your dreams get absolutely wild the moment you stop smoking? In this session of Thoughts Off The Stem, Justin Baroni breaks down the “REM Rebound” effect—the scientific reason why taking a tolerance break (T-Break) leads to vivid, Freddy Krueger-style dreamscapes. We’re diving into how THC interacts with your brain’s receptors, what “withdrawal” actually feels like, and why a tea break might be exactly what you need to find your giggle again. Plus, a full review of Tribal’s Galactic Runts Live Resin (76.8% THC).
Resetting your baseline and managing withdrawal symptoms.
5:39
The Science of REM Rebound
How THC blocks REM sleep and what happens when the floodgates open.
12:18
Neurology of a Pot High
Understanding Anandamide, Dopamine, and Serotonin receptors.
24:30
The Giggle Factor & Baseline
How a break restores the “fun” part of being a stoner.
27:43
Sesh Review: Galactic Runts
Lab stats: 76.8% THC Live Resin Indica by Tribal.
0:10
Welcome to Thoughts office, Dad.
Thank you for joining the sesh with me.
Justin Barone.
I hope you’re having a good day, a good week, a good month, a good year.
I hope that life is being good to you is what I’m saying.
Have you ever decided to take a tea break?
Have you ever wondered what happens when you stop smoking weed cold Turkey?
0:27 – Why Weed and Vivid Dreams are Connected
Well, I can tell you there’s a lot of different things that happen, but one of the most major things that happen is you start having vivid dreams and you want to know why you have those vivid dreams.
Well, Simply put, it’s because weed itself blocks your ability to get to REM sleep.
0:45
And REM sleep is where the dreams happen.
Baby.
This last week I’ve been having a hard time sleeping and like it hasn’t been too bad, but there’s been a few nights where I’ve had like you know a couple a couple nights throughout the week where I don’t sleep very well.
1:08
I’m up, I’m in and out of bed.
I’m not really getting that deep sleep.
I mean I feel fine and and rested for the most part the next day.
Like I don’t feel like I’m dragging my ass too bad.
But it just takes me a little while to get started.
Now about like 2 weeks ago I took a tea break because I went on vacation and you can’t really take weed to where I went on vacation nor do I travel with weed anyway because I just think it’s generally a bad idea.
1:38
But I took about 10 to 13 days off weed and I just stopped cold Turkey.
I took a few days off before I left just to be prepared and I came back and when I came back I started having some pretty crazy vivid dreams.
1:55
So I figured I should do a sesh because I’ve talked to a few people in my DMS about the stuff that they’ve learned from the podcast.
And I realized that the last few episodes have been like commentary on social stuff and I and maybe like a few goofy ones, but I just like to try and make people laugh.
2:14 – Taking a Tolerance Break (T-Break) to Reset Your Brain
Like the one about the dog and getting the dog.
But I thought this time what I should do is I should maybe try and help people understand what’s going to happen to them when they take a tea break.
Because ultimately you should take a tea break.
If you don’t know what a tea break is, it’s a tolerance break.
It’s taking some time off so that your body can find its baseline again and you’re not so dependent on weed basically, or pot, whatever you want to call it, right?
2:40
So I took a tea break because I knew I was going away.
I didn’t want to go through some of the symptoms while I was away that I that are typical with taking a break from weed.
So what I did was I started two days ahead of time.
Now, the problem with some of this is, is that you end up having these like crazy vivid dreams and they don’t they’re just nuts.
3:05
Like, you know, if you thought that if you were smoking weed because you thought you were crazy and you were using it to manage your crazy, well, if you stop and then you end up, you know, having a prolonged tea break, you’re going to rediscover you’re crazy because you’re going to end up in dreamscapes that rival like Freddy Krueger.
3:32
You know, they’re very, very vivid.
I forget what the name, what the, what the phrase is called when you have a dream where you can like manipulate what happens in it.
But that’s what I had after my bit of a tea break.
3:47
All of a sudden I started having these dreams, like 1 dream.
I was in this cabin with like college kids, but I’m my age now being mean now with a, with a group of that doesn’t make any sense, right?
And then I’m travelling through this, this this massive sprawling cottage to find these different rooms.
4:06
I finally do, and I find a room which seems to be a bunch of abducted kids.
Like what, you know, what is my brain trying to tell me there?
I don’t know, but it was crazy.
I’m arguing with people in there.
I like, I wake up before there’s any kind of resolve.
4:23
And then throughout the course of the next few days, those are the dreams I have.
They’re not really nightmares.
They’re just more confusing and they’re the like you.
I can instead of it being third person like most, most of my dreams this time it’s like first person full on.
4:41
I can decide what I’m going to say to the people in the dream.
I think that I’m living in the dream for a portion of the dream.
I believe that I’m there and I can control what I do.
So like, for example, when I was in this dream with the cabin, I was in an argument with one of these kids, like I’m 44 years old.
5:00
I’m not arguing with a 20 year old about what the most fun thing to do is that weekend, you know?
So in those dreams I was able to depict and change what I wanted to.
5:15
So all of a sudden I’d open the door and the room would look a certain way.
Then all of a sudden a flash to something different.
It’s very unnerving.
It it creates a very like rocky sleep.
But the reason that you start having these dreams is because when you go on a tea break, all of a sudden the floodgates for regular production of hormones and chemicals in the brain happens.
5:39 – Understanding REM Rebound and Dream Manipulation
And you get flooded with all of the stuff that your brain has been trying to do, but you’ve been preventing it from doing, right.
So, for example, right, the human body is designed to take on cannabis and react to cannabis.
6:03
It’s, it’s adaptable to cannabis, right?
But the one thing the cannabis does is it shuts off your brain’s ability to produce a regulated amount of dopamine and serotonin so that it can function properly.
6:22
And the whole process of dreaming is that it’s, it’s your brains way to file and sort all the events, thoughts and interactions that happened through the day.
6:39
It’s also a way for your subconscious to say, hey, dummy, let me tell you something.
There’s some stuff that’s wrong, right?
So normally dreams are somewhat reflective of what’s going on through the day and what your psyche is trying to organize.
6:59
OK.
These dreams were not like that.
Dude.
My dream had no point.
I found these kids.
I thought that they were trapped in this, this, you know, sprawling estate or this, this sprawling cabin.
And turns out the kids didn’t want to leave and there was a babysitter and the parents had rented out.
7:20
This was the first time they’d rented out the cabin.
And they’d, you know, they’d left for their vacation for a couple days.
And there was supposed to be this babysitter lady watching them, but the babysitter had left.
And all of a sudden it goes to the babysitter is telling me why the babysitter is not there.
And then I wake up.
Like, how am I supposed to interpret that?
7:38
Because I could tell you right now I didn’t have any interactions with a ghost.
I have not been around any college kids, you know, like, I definitely would never be in a, in a very expensive cabin, at least not at this point.
7:53
I’d like to have one.
I’m just saying.
And there’s always this like underlying Rob Zombie level of fear, like something crazy is about to happen.
Like a clown’s going to hop out of the closet and hack my head off, you know what I mean?
So that was one of the dreams that I had.
8:10
And that one was I think the first one, which actually ended up happening on like day 11.
And instead of having to resolve, because most dreams I find don’t really have a resolve, right?
You just kind of do the thing and then you do it.
8:25
And then you wake up and you’re like, whoa, that was that was messed up, dude.
Like what, what’s the problem here?
What’s going on?
You know, you just feel disoriented.
And then for the next three days, I ended up having like, weirder and progressively weirder dreams that literally made no sense.
8:42
So I started to get freaked out because I’m like, every time I close my freaking eyes, I think I’m going to end up in a Freddy Krueger state of mind.
Like I’m going to wake up dead with fingers stuck in me later, you know, I don’t want that to happen.
And then on top of that there I’m a big believer that in dreams you should pay attention to them because they’re trying to tell you something.
9:04
They’re trying to help you work something out right mentally that you’re not getting over.
I used to have a reoccurring zombie dream and it literally went on for like years.
For like 3 years it would reoccur, not all year, but like I’d get it a few times a month and it would progressively get longer and longer until events in my life changed and I made a very drastic life change.
9:30
All of a sudden it stopped because I learned from that dream.
What it was really trying to tell me was that I had to let go of control.
I was trying to control too much and there’s a lot of stuff that you can’t control.
Well, these dreams about being with like college kids and and in in on vacation with them makes no sense to me because like I’m not hanging out with I’m too old for that shit.
9:50
You know what happened?
If I approached a group of college kids and was like, hey, you want to hang out?
They would literally laugh at me and be like, OK, well, guy, get the fuck out of here.
Like, who are we kidding here?
So why is my brain being like, do I miss college?
Because I don’t think I do.
I don’t really miss it.
But yeah, the other problem with having these dreams is that you end up not realizing they’re a dream.
10:17
So there’s a certain point of time where shit starts to hit the fan and you’re panicking because you’re like, I don’t know what’s about to happen here.
And then all of a sudden, like I said, you wake up and you’re just like, what just happened?
You feel uneasy, all that stuff.
10:32
But how are you supposed to organize your dreams and pay attention to them and learn what it is that your subconscious is trying to tell you if there’s a whole bunch of events that don’t make any sense?
I had to go through online symbolism books, dream symbolism like re articles to figure out what each thing did.
10:55
I suggest you do it because if you have reoccurring dreams they might be trying to tell you something and you should probably try and learn something and then that way it takes away some of the anxiety from it too.
But my initial point was, if you’re going to take a tea break, you have to be aware that you are about to have some very vivid nightmares.
11:15
If you don’t like clowns, clowns are coming, baby.
They’re going to come get you.
OK?
If you don’t like dogs and animals or whatever, that’s coming to get you, if you have a fear of drowning or spiders, guess what’s coming to get you?
That’s right, the lake and the spider.
OK?
So don’t be surprised when you start having these outlandishly crazy dreams when you’re trying to understand why you’re having these crazy dreams.
11:40
It’s a little bit it’s actually more simple than trying to figure out the the dream itself.
So I looked up a bunch of articles on why this happens, like what happens in your brain when you quit weed cold Turkey and you start experiencing these like very surreal, very vivid dreams.
11:59
OK, well, based on what is this fhe health?
It’s a rehab, I believe, that basically studies withdrawal symptoms of different types of substances.
And they’ve done some study on how marijuana affects the brain.
12:18 – The Science: How THC Infiltrates Cannabinoid Receptors
So if you want to check out this article, I’m just going to read you how this affects the brain, but it’s at fherehab.com.
OK?
Or you could just look up how marijuana affects the brain.
I believe that there’s neuroscientists involved as well with partnerships.
Anyway, the point is, this is what actually happens.
This is from fhehealth.com.
So the reason why the brain has has receptors designed specifically for marijuana chemicals is that the brain actually produces cannabinoid substances similar to pot psychoactive ingredients.
13:00
Cannabinoids are naturally made in the cortex, an area of the brain that guides movement, process thoughts and emotions, and interpret sensory information.
Anandamide is an important endogenous cannabinoid that functions as a neurotransmitter in the brain.
13:20
Anandamide facilitates chemical messaging among neurons and the central nervous system.
Sorry, let me do that one again.
Anandamide facilitates chemical messaging among neurons and the central nervous system nerve cells.
Because marijuana is primarily psychoactive chemical, THC is so comparable molecularly to anandamide and other cannabinoids.
13:44
THC is easily infiltrates and activate activates cannabinoid receptors.
OK, so disruption of the normal cannabinoid receptor activity causes the mental and physical effects of a pot high.
In addition, smoking pot increases the level of dopamine and serotonin, 2 neurotransmitters implicated in sleep, mood and pleasure.
14:09
The brains of daily marijuana smokers eventually develop a tolerance to excess excessive serotonin and dopamine levels, which forces the the Bourdain the brain to reduce its natural release of these two chemicals.
14:25
Consequently, having intense dreams after quitting weed could be due to a lack of serotonin and dopamine in the brain.
So you’re overdoing it.
That’s really what’s happening.
You’re cutting off these receptors or you’re flooding these receptors with an excessive amount that they stop production.
14:42
They get fat and lazy.
It’s like, it’s kind of like feeding, you know, a fat guy cake.
As soon as he gets an excessive amount of cake, he’s not getting off the couch, right?
Well, that’s what’s happening to these receptors in your brain.
You’re feeding it on a daily, whatever amount of marijuana you feed it.
14:59
So they’re over satisfied and they’ve got like, you know, the Turkey sleeps.
What’s it called?
I forget, but you basically, you know, after you eat Turkey, you get a little nap in.
Well, that’s what’s happening with this.
And so those receptors have become super lazy and they don’t do anything anymore.
15:16
And when they’re and then it takes roughly I don’t know for me, I found that it took within well, it took ten days to have the dreams, but I think that’s because I was away.
So I was mentally stimulated in other, you know, forms.
So it made it a little easier to not smoke weed because let’s be honest, a lot of people will go through withdrawal symptoms from weed, right.
15:40
Well, that makes trying to take a tea break that much harder because a lot of people get very irritable.
Some people are using it for sleep, like specifically to go to sleep.
Now with the, if you’re using it for sleep, the reason that you’re not having any dreams is because again, you’re overloading those receptors.
16:01
So you never actually hit that R.E.M. state cycle.
So you don’t actually have those dreams.
You might actually, that’s a lie.
You might end up having dreams, but you won’t remember them, and you also may feel like you get a better rested sleep and you may get a little more sleep when you smoke weed, but there are some lingering effects that you don’t notice over time.
16:20
So the next day, sure you’re not hungover and you’re not freaking out or you’re not hungover and you’re not, you’re not noticeably dragging ass, but inside you sort of feel like a little to the left.
16:36
Think about when you first used to smoke weed, right?
You smoked weed and the next day you were kind of off a little for the next day or two because you were your body was just getting introduced to it.
Now 20-30 years later, you’re smoking weed and your body’s just gotten used to it.
16:52
So you don’t actually feel what the difference is the next day.
So even though you don’t have a hangover, you’re a little more rest rested.
Your brain is definitely a little more sluggish because all these receptors are, are like, it’s like they got home from a rave, you know?
17:09
And they’re just like, OK, make it stop for a bit.
And then you get like 9 hours in the day where you’re like, OK, I’m good.
And the receptors have time to rejuvenate.
And then the next thing you know, it’s not one O clock at night and they’re all like, OK, but I slept all day, we’re good.
Let’s now hit me up because I can’t get my dopamine fixed.
17:26
That’s basically what I think kind of happens or that’s the way that I would depict it as I’m explaining it because that seems to, you have to visualize it sometimes I do.
So a lot of a lot of users when they stop cold Turkey, they’re going to go, they’re going to have some what they call withdrawal symptoms.
17:45 – Managing Cannabis Withdrawal Symptoms vs. Everyday Life
Now, I have a little disagreement with calling this stuff withdrawal symptoms because like, listen to this.
This is what withdrawal symptoms are OK?
Irritability and anger, aggression, lack of appetite, anxiety and nervousness, depression, insomnia and disturbing dreams, vivid dreams, nightmares that make you feel like you’re actually going to die there, you know?
18:11
But other than the disturbing dreams, insomnia and depression, OK, the irritability and anger, aggression, lack of appetite, anxiety and nervousness, isn’t that just like everyday life?
Like, like, don’t, don’t most people just go through life trying to manage that anyway, sober?
18:31
So like, as potheads, does that make us a little weaker?
Because those aren’t really symptoms.
Those are just momentary emotions you know, that you have to relearn to manage because you’ve been managing it with the ganja for way too long.
18:47
And now your brain’s all, I don’t know what to do, man.
And now your brain’s got to sort itself out.
And that takes a few days.
I noticed that within about 3 days I kind of hit back to my baseline where not having weed I stopped.
19:05
I gradually slowly stopped worrying about having weed.
Now at first I was a little panicked because I did like I did smoke it before bed because I felt like I got a better rest.
Here’s the thing when I was on vacation, yes we were doing more too.
So I was more tired at the end of the day and we were in the sun a lot.
19:21
But one of the things was I didn’t have a problem sleeping and it wasn’t like I switched weed for booze.
I just, I just didn’t have weed and then some nights I had like 4 cappuccinos a day or espressos, cappuccinos, cappuccinos.
19:39
I had four cappuccinos a day.
Dude.
I was like wired.
I don’t have a cappuccino at 3:00 in the afternoon.
Still go to bed at like 10.
OK, so don’t tell me you can’t sleep because quite honestly, you can’t sleep.
You just, I think that a lot of people when they get into the tea break mode, right, they are just very worried about not having weed.
20:02
I think that you have a mental connection to that weed and your your your mental connection is making you think that you need it.
Some people get a physical dependency.
I understand that.
I’m not trying to diminish it.
I’m just saying that I think most of that part of it is mental because think about it this way.
20:22
Weed is legal in Canada.
If you take a break, there’s going to be more.
There used to be a time when it wasn’t going to be that way.
Like there was no chance in hell that you were going to get, you know, more weed if you took a tea break because who knows?
People could crack down on it.
Your dealer could go bust.
20:38
Like he could take off and be like, I’m not selling weight anymore and you’re out.
You know, that’s not the case.
You can literally go to any, almost any corner store in Canada and pick up some weed.
Like there’s an abundance, dude.
You can always find some.
So you just have to kind of tell yourself that like, hey, it’s OK, the weed’s not going anywhere.
20:57
So if I take a 10 day break, I’ll just go get weed later, you know?
But too many people, too many people get caught up in in the worry of having weed or not having weed, sorry, or running out of weed or whatever.
21:14
So I think that that plays into it.
But I think that’s a mental thing.
I don’t think that’s a physical addiction thing.
I think that some people want to use say that it’s a mental or sorry, a physical addiction thing when realistically it’s not.
You just kind of got to find other things that occupy your time and your focus, you know?
21:31
But yeah, if you were wondering what was going to happen if you quit weed cold Turkey and you were trying to prepare for like a 10 day excursion on the on the Tea Break express and try to reset your reset your baseline, which I think is a good idea.
21:48
As a guy who smoked, who has smoked weed consistently every day for like fuck over 20 years, no, 20 years, about 20 years, I would say that one of the best things I could rediscover is taking a tea break, even though it was inadvertent.
Over the last little while, I’ve slowly been smoking less and less in terms of every day.
22:10
So now I’ll go a couple days between smoke sessions, right?
And then if I do this podcast, I’ll smoke a little more while I’m on there.
But overall, I’ve kind of mitigated the amount of weed that I’m smoking on an overtly regular basis just because I’m old and it’s probably time to settle it down a bit, you know?
22:42
But I highly recommend it because I feel like as weed smokers, we just get so norm with the whole being high and thinking that the high is helping us with all our mental ailments and all that fun stuff.
I think that we forget that we at one point in life didn’t always need this to to, to, you know, maintain.
23:01
And as a recreational user, I’ll say that as a recreational user, yeah, we didn’t.
We don’t really, we put too much emphasis on trying to use weed to maintain.
So I think it’s a good idea that sometimes we take a tea break maybe every, you know, couple months or so for a couple weeks just to kind of get back to basics, get back to the baseline of, of what it was like.
23:24
Because don’t you notice now that you like, you don’t giggle?
There’s really no giggle factor anymore unless you find some like really crazy strain.
Back in the day when you first started smoking it, it was almost like every time you hit the joint, you couldn’t stop giggling.
When you take a tea break for two weeks or longer, you start to hit that baseline again where if you smoke a couple things, you say some dumb shit and you giggle a lot.
23:45
OK, so if you’re looking for the giggle, take a tea break.
If you find that you’re basically living in the haze and you’re and you just you kind of feel off, maybe take a tea break.
That might be time.
But because of the receptors in your brain regarding dopamine and serotonin, if you take that tea break and you have an angry brain, your angry brain is going to scare the shit out of you.
24:10
OK, So be aware of that.
If you have like a, a brain like mine that’s a little off to the left, sometime one night you might get scared.
The next night you might be chasing, chased by a giant gummy bear.
You might be getting, you know, eaten by like a a sloth.
24:26
I don’t know.
But I do know that when you’re in that dreamscape, it’s going to be very vivid.
You’re going to feel like you can interact with it.
You’re going to feel like you can’t get away.
OK?
Don’t be terrified.
It’s not the end of the world.
It will be all right.
24:42
You will wake up.
That’s all I have to say about that.
OK, So, yeah, just take a tea break every now and then.
Get yourself back to baseline.
Because then once you get to baseline, let me tell you, it takes a it takes a few days, but you don’t need to smoke as much.
So like, you can actually conserve weed.
24:59
And if you don’t overdo it, like when I got back from my vacation, I had a bong hit and I filled the bowl wasn’t it’s one of those small little, you know, like funnel style bowls.
So I put a little in there, I lit it, I made sure it was all burning.
I took the hit.
25:14
It’s not a big bong, it’s a little bong.
So it’s just like A1 little one hitter.
I took that hit.
I was like, oh, that’s delicious.
I really like that.
So I hit it again.
I didn’t even pack repack the bowl.
I just smoked a red like a bit more of the bowl and after I took that hit, maybe about 45 minutes later, I was staring off into space like I was floating through the cosmos.
25:36
Dude, my brain was out there.
It was gone.
Like I had no thoughts.
OK, so like if you to and that’s not even probably a gram.
It was probably like half gram and I was just boom gone.
And the weed was not overly strong.
It was sort of middle of the road weed.
25:52
So a tea break can do a lot of things for you.
It can reset your baseline.
It helps your brain and your mind allow the filing and and organization of the memories from the day and the things that your subconscious is worrying is worrying about or, or thinking about and trying to resolve in your life.
26:26
So let that happen because weed, as we all know, just keeps asking questions about why this is this and why do we feel like this and why do I like that?
You know, there’s no end result with weed.
You might go back, go down a thought path and be like, oh, that’s crazy.
26:41
But the weed is always asking why, Why do I get along with it?
Why do I accept it?
Why there’s no real definitive.
Like, I do this now because as soon as you think that when you’re smoking, the weed goes, yeah, but what about this?
So I think you need the shut off of the weed sometimes so that your brain can then reorganize all of its conscious and subconscious thoughts so that it can, you know, make you a relatively regular member of society.
27:09
Because you don’t necessarily realize how far off the path you are until you get off the path.
And then you’re like, whoa, what happened there?
Dude, You went way left.
So take a tea break.
Expect crazy visions and dreams.
Enjoy them.
27:26
Like, I mean, realistically, it’s a new experience, right?
So just enjoy them because it’s your, your it’s your psyche coming back to you like a like a kid and be like, hey, come here and look at me, you know?
Product Profile: Galactic Runts (Tribal)
Feature
Details
Product Type
Live Resin Vape Cartridge
Strain Type
Indica
THC Potency
76.8%
Terpene %
8.5%
Top Terpenes
Limonene, Caryophyllene, Linalool
Flavor Profile
Mixed Berry, Pine, “Gummy Bears”
Effect
Thoughtful, Body Buzz, Giggles, Sleep Aid
27:43 – Sesh Review: Tribal Galactic Runts Live Resin Vape
So do that.
Yeah.
So I just wanted to let you know that was the case.
And for this sesh, I’ve been smoking Tribal’s Galactic Runts vape cart.
It’s an indica, it’s 76%, it’s a live resin.
It’s really tasty.
28:02
If you’re looking for something that’ll make you thoughtful and something that will make you feel like you’re, you know, floating in space, this is a good one.
28:19
It’s a good body buzz.
It gives you.
If this one actually gives you a bit of the giggles you feel a little in your eyes, it’s not overwhelming.
You’re not going to pass out.
You’re not going to fall over.
It will help you go to sleep.
28:35
So if you’re taking a tea break, obviously don’t smoke this.
It’s tasty.
What does it taste like?
It’s hard to say.
Like a mixed Berry pack of like Motts, gummy bears that kids take to school and the little yellow packages, you know what I’m saying?
28:53
Tastes kind of like that.
Tastes a little fruity, like a Berry, you know, kind of like a little Piney flavor in there.
So let’s see, Does it tell me what the terps are?
Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn’t.
29:14
OK, so the terp profile is 8 point.
Five.
No, Yeah. 8.5% You got limonene, carophylline and linalool as the top three terps.
It’s 76.8%.
THC so one.
29:31
Of the things about live resin is that live resin is always a little bit.
It’s lower in percentage, but it is it’s a little stronger in the high because it’s more natural.
A distillate is, is more manufactured.
29:48
It’s it’s a different form of extraction, whereas I feel like live resin is a little bit more natural.
It stays to.
It’s like original.
It stays more true to its original product.
But this one is.
30:04
Really good.
I enjoy it because it’s a it’s an indica that gives you a little fun before it makes you have a little nap.
You know what I’m saying?
It’s a good time.
It’s a good one to smoke as a treat after you’ve created after you’ve completed your tea break.
30:25
Yeah.
So if you’re.
Going to get something for tribal.
They’re a little more expensive because they’re live resin, but they’re totally worth it.
They last a little longer.
The high itself lasts a little longer.
The example is if you are smoking a distillate, let’s say you get high for like 45 minutes to an hour.
30:42
This high, you could potentially feel the effects for like an hour and a half, two hours kind of thing.
If it’s really good, it’ll last longer than that.
But generally that’s where you know, if you’re, if you’re still feeling it a little bit two hours later, that’s a good solid cart.
It’s kind of like diamonds.
30:58
Diamonds are a rush of high and then they sort of like teeter out after a bit.
Live resin like these ones, I feel like what they do is they just continue the high and ride it right out.
It’s kind of a nice little, it’s like a blanket of high that just stays, keeps you all cozy and happy, you know, And you don’t have to re up your dopamine and serotonin levels as often as you do with some of the other stuff.
31:28
So if you’re going.
To get a new cart or you’re looking for something that’s got some flavor and a really wicked high, Definitely go for the tribal galactic runts if you can find it.
Again, it’s an indica, so if you don’t like indicas, don’t get it because you will be more relaxed, your brains a little more clear, but your body’s definitely more.
31:45
Oh, I could take a nap right now.
Yeah, those are my thoughts off the stem for this week.
I hope you enjoyed the sesh.
Thank you for joining me, Justin Barone, your friendly neighborhood pothead on Thoughts off the stem on Spotify, Google Podcast, Apple Podcast, iTunes Anchor, YouTube Anchors Gone YouTube Pod Chaser, Good pods, Pandora, pod bean, wherever you get a podcast, it’s out there, baby.
32:16
So help me out if you’ve got this far and subscribe to the show, let your friends know, like it, leave some comments, tell me what you like.
Tell me what you don’t like.
Tell me what you want to see me do.
I’ll do order.
I’ll do stuff on the the requests of you guys and don’t forget to check checkouttalks420.com and subscribe on YouTube.
32:36
I say that I might have subscribe on everywhere.
Wherever you’re watching this subscribe, follow it man.
Let me know what you think.
I really want some feedback here.
Also, we can get more of a dialogue going on if you tell me what you want to hear, because then I can do a better job of making things that you might want to know about, even if it’s ridiculous.
32:54
You’ve seen if you are a lot, if you’re a follower that I do ridiculous shit doesn’t matter.
There’s no topic off off the table.
Whatever you have on your mind, let me know, yeah.
And check out Talks 420.com for a bunch of different things like episode lists, links, blog posts.
33:15
Weed facts, some crazy other just.
Daily People facts.
That’s pretty much it, yeah.
So I hope you had a good time, hope you enjoyed the sesh.
And until next time.
Keep.
33:36
Your lids low baby.
At the end of the day, understanding the connection between weed and vivid dreams is the best way to handle the intensity of a tolerance break. While the ‘REM Rebound’ might feel like a trip through a Freddy Krueger movie, it’s actually a sign that your brain is resetting and finding its baseline again. Whether you’re chasing the ‘giggle factor’ or just clearing out the mental haze, taking a tea break is a powerful tool for any enthusiast. Don’t let the wild dreams keep you from the reset you need—just keep your lids low, stay thoughtful, and I’ll see you in the next sesh.
Enjoyed this sesh? Subscribe to Thoughts Off The Stem on Spotify, YouTube, or Apple Podcasts. Check out more weed facts and episode deep-dives at tots420.com. Until next time!
Thoughts Off The Stem | Weed Infused Comedy Podcast
What You Really Need to Know About Cuba – Seshisode 195 Transcript
Traveling to Cuba in 2026: Fuel, Food, and Fines
Before you pack your bags, know that Cuba in 2026 is facing a major humanitarian and energy crisis. With frequent blackouts and shortages of basic goods like bottled water and medicine, your ‘relaxing getaway’ might require more planning than usual. Most importantly, while Canada has embraced the leaf, Cuba remains a Zero Tolerance zone. Vapes, gummies, and flower are all fast tracks to a long stay in a Cuban prison.
What You Really Need to Know About Cuba 0:06
What You Really Need to Know About Cuba: Adventures With an Infused Tourist!
went on vacation and lost weight.
How does that happen?
Well, you go to Cuba, of course.
The beaches are amazing, that the food is questionable at best.
Let me take you on a little journey this sesh.
It all starts in the bathroom of Toronto airport before we get on a plane to go to Cuba.
Before we head to the gate and after we deal with the bags, Captain Justin decides that he’s got to take a tinkle.
0:26
So off to the washroom.
My prance.
Now I’m walking in as the dudes walking out of the last stall.
Of course, it’s the only available spot to go, so I guess I’m going to do my business in there.
Well, that dude, he decimated it, man.
Decimated it.
0:42
It was a tsunami of shit inside and outside the bowl.
Do you have any idea how hard it is to take a leak while you’re straddling poop landmines?
Yeah, that’s right.
Poop was on the floor, dude.
And no, it’s not easy to arc your pee from the door of the stall to the bowl and not hit your pants or shoes.
1:02
So I finish up in the stall and I’m leaving, and as I walk out of the stall I almost run into this dude in the middle of the room who’s repeatedly slamming his hat on the floor and yelling and fighting ghosts.
And no, the floor wasn’t even kind of clean.
1:18
Poop landmines, dude.
So I squeeze by Captain Fights a ghost, and I wash my hands real quick because I got to get the hell out of there before feces start getting chucked across the room.
That was the beginning of the trip, dude.
1:34
That’s right.
We hadn’t even got to the gate yet.
So we get to the gate, we’re waiting to board the plane, and now it’s my girlfriend’s turn to get a little visit from the Tinkle Fairy.
So off she goes to the bathroom.
Boop A doop.
A doop.
Just after she leaves, these two ditzy college chicks walk past me and ask if this is the line for the plane.
1:54
There’s only one line, dude, and I’m not even kind of in it.
I’m kind of off to the side ’cause, you know, they bored you by section, so the line is kind of pointless and a little dumb.
Anyway, I say yeah, yeah, it is.
As my girlfriend comes back, she’s just in time to see Ditzy 1 and Ditzy 2 come walking by again, trying to retrieve reusable plastic Starbucks water cups from this oversized shoulder bag they’re carrying.
2:19
Now, as they’re walking, they realize that they’ve spilled all the water in the bag.
Now you’d think they’d be line it to the bathroom, right?
To clean it out before they board the plane.
Nope, not even kinda.
No, not these chicks.
These chicks pop a squat in the middle of the seating area, empty the contents and dump the water right there.
2:41
Why?
Why you ask?
Well, ’cause people are dumb, dude.
So finally the call for boarding goes out.
Now guess who gets on the plane first?
That’s right.
This guy right here.
As I said, lines are dumb and it’s kind of pointless.
3:02
So we get on the plane, we find out we’re on the emergency row, and that’s why we boarded the plane first.
This also means legroom, and that’s a hot commodity on a plane.
So excitement.
Yeah, out 100.
Added bonus, we get to watch all the people board the plane.
And since we like the people, watch it talk shit.
3:20
It’s like a celebration of joy.
You ever seen a selfie queen?
Me neither, until this day.
On this day, I got to witness one in the wild.
Baby.
This chick 2 rows in front of us took selfies the whole time at literally from the time she sat in her seat to the time we got off the plane.
Then there’s these two chicks behind us and they’re talking about their boyfriend’s red flags.
Apparently this one dude asked why way too often and it drove one of the girls nuts.
3:57
So of course, I had to eavesdrop on the conversation to find out what their red flags were.
You know what they were?
Well, I must have heard the phrase and like about 900 times.
Dude, imagine listening to this for half of a three hour flight.
And like I was at work and like I was wearing my red dress with like the open back and like I got really cold and Bonnie didn’t even like offer me her cardigan when the air conditioner broke and like made it like a meat locker in the office office.
4:21
And like when I called my boyfriend at lunch, he didn’t even like ask why my like, well, like, like my teeth were chattering like and like I was very hurt and like I was expecting him to like say something and and like I wanted him to say something.
So like I would I could feel better because like I wanted to be warm and I couldn’t be warm and like he didn’t care And like Bonnie was being a total bitch.
4:41
And then like my nipples got cold.
And then Robert made a comment and like, I just wanted to die.
But like, I didn’t, I didn’t die.
The flight to Cuba is 3 hours, 3 1/2 tops.
Imagine half of that.
This.
Now our flight was not 3 hours.
No, our travel time was about 9 hours because five other dopes delayed the flight by half an hour because apparently planes don’t wait for people.
What You Really Need to Know About Cuba 5:04
Now who knew?
The last time I was in an airport missing the plane, I had to Sprint across the whole airport just in time to see the plane taxi to the runway.
And I was only 5 minutes late.
Dude, WestJet doesn’t play by those rules.
They hang out on the tarmac until you show up.
5:20
You don’t have your documents ready?
No worries.
No problem dude, we’ll help you fill them out at the boarding desk.
Because forget that 200 other people have been waiting 45 minutes for your dumbass.
Why do we have a rule that people have to be at the airport 3 hours ahead of their international flight if the departure time is just kind of a guideline?
5:45
So we finally take off about 45 minutes late.
No big deal, right?
It’s only 45 minutes. 45 minutes doesn’t make that much of a difference, except for the giant storm over the airport we have to circle on our arrival to Cuba.
So now we’re circling Cuba for two hours, just flying up and down the coast, just cruising up and down the coast in the plane baller, right?
6:05
No, no, it’s not.
You know why?
Because this is how dumb people are.
You can see the giant storm cloud and lightning flashing outside the right side of the plane.
Now people start asking the crew at this point why we haven’t landed yet.
Seriously, half the plane is taking videos out their window of lightning going off, lighting up the cabin like mortar shells, and you don’t know why we’re still in the air.
6:31
This is the same time when you can see the mob mentality starting to build.
Just as tension builds to a boil, the cabin crew comes out all smooth.
That’s right, they soothe us like babies breaking out chocolate chip cookies and some sweet treats because just like toddlers, you can’t talk when you’re chewing.
What You Really Need to Know About Cuba 6:54
Finally we’re able to land right and it’s about midnight and we make our way through customs, then to the baggage carousel and the bags start coming out on the carousel along with a dude and his drug sniffing Cocker spaniel.
7:11
They’re walking over the bags and of course the dog stops at my bag and gives it a pretty good huff a couple times, You know?
I mean I get it, my bag was in my basement before I left, so it might have smelled like weed a bit, but also cat, cat litter and dog.
So I take the bag off the carousel, right?
7:29
Well, doesn’t Buddy and his drug sniffing Cocker spaniel beeline it right to me?
So I push the bag out towards them so the dog can sniff it again.
Because what kind of drug mule puts the bag full of drugs in front of the drug sniffing dog, right?
That’s my logic.
7:45
So the dog sniffs at once and then moves along.
No Cuba gel for Justin baby.
After about an hour bus ride we finally get to the resort.
We’re definitely we’re exhausted, we’re definitely agitated, and we’re definitely ready for sleep.
8:02
So we check in and the room they give us was gross dude with a capital GROSS.
OK, the air wasn’t on in the room and it was the most humid.
OK, everything was damp or at least it felt damp.
The worst part was my fat ass couldn’t even handle the humidity for the first two days.
8:19
I was sweating like a pedo and gentpop dude.
That’s right.
So the next day we had them change our room and that’s when I figured out you if you tip the right person you can get pretty much anything you want to.
Also dudes will try and get you to give them your shoes, especially if you have some slick ass Nikes because they love that shit.
What You Really Need to Know About Cuba 8:37
It’s definitely a little off putting though when a waiter comes up to you after breakfast grilling you about the cost of your shoes and he’s trying to find a way to ask you to give him your shoes without actually asking you to give him your shoes.
You know it’s weird dude.
So when we got our new room, we were introduced to the concierge and she set us up with obviously the way better room on the opposite side of the resort.
8:59
It was much quieter, there were fewer people, the the room was nice and cool when we got there, there were no wet sheets or moist towels, and the tub didn’t look like a breeding ground for alien dude.
OK, it was definitely a step up, but I learned very quickly that you don’t go to Cuba for the hotel rooms or the food.
What You Really Need to Know About Cuba 9:16
You go for the vibes bro.
Now here’s something to keep in mind.
I’m the kind of guy who has some stupid thing happened to him on the first day, like a wicked sunburn or a broken ankle, you know?
And then it’ll limits my ability to do things for the rest of the trip.
9:32
So I tried to take every precaution not to have that happen.
So I spent a week working in my new slide so I wouldn’t get blisters.
I sunscreen regularly so I wouldn’t burn.
I watched what food I was I was eating so that I wouldn’t poop myself.
You know, all the good stuff.
After one day of being a bobbing head in the ocean, I get back to the room and I’m as red as a lobster and my feet are burnt.
9:52
Burnt dude who burns her feet?
This guy, This guy burns their feet.
There’s wicked blisters on both my big toes and again, I’m pouring sweat like a waterfall in the Burmese jungle.
OK.
Oh, and I had a heat rash that made me look like a bright red beacon of disease.
10:11
You want to know what’s good for all of that though?
Salt water, dude.
That’s right, Just a little salt water.
Three days in the ocean and it all started to clear up except the feet.
The feet didn’t get better till like you know, the last day.
In fact, these puppies are still peeling and healing.
10:27
I’ve been home for like 3 weeks too.
We spent all our days on the beach, My girl getting bronze like a goddess and me showing up like you know, half boiled bull meat.
But otherwise good time.
The ocean was pretty awesome.
It was amazing actually.
Item
Status in Cuba (2026)
The TOTS420 Advice
Cannabis / Edibles
Strictly Illegal
Don’t even bring a stray seed.
Vapes / E-cigarettes
Confiscated
They will take them at the airport.
Cigars (Export)
50 loose / 200 with receipt
The only thing you should be smoking.
Cash (USD/EUR)
Essential
Cuba is cash-only; your cards won’t work.
What You Really Need to Know About Cuba 10:42
The beach was clean, the water was so clear that you could see the bottom.
You know what was gross?
The pools, dude.
Resort pools with the swim up bar, Those are gross.
You want to know why resort pools with the swim up bar are gross?
Because everyone’s just sitting there all day warming the water periodically so they don’t have to get up and lose their spot.
11:05
Yeah, that’s right.
You’re swimming and pee, dude.
For sure.
I mean, I know people pee in the ocean, but I feel like based on the size of the ocean versus a pool, there’s a lot more particulate dilution happening in the ocean.
Plus it’s just better for your skin.
What You Really Need to Know About Cuba 11:21
Dude, in between ocean Bob sessions, we hit up to 24 hour snack bar for hot dogs, fries and beer.
Or sometimes, you know, we go to the main buffet for rice and bread because that’s all we ate for seven days.
Because apparently you don’t go to Cuba for the food.
Dude, you can ask anybody.
Normally when you hear buffet, your heart flutters and you get a little rush of excitement, right?
What You Really Need to Know About Cuba 11:42
Not in Cuba.
In Cuba, your butthole puckers and your stomach becomes a Nazi dietitian.
Yeah, that’s what happens.
Actually, we did have eggs and sometimes sausage in the morning, but it was definitely limited.
You know, the rest of the time we were fueled by cappuccino and beer.
11:59
From time to time, we heard some people talking about how good the food actually was, and quite frankly, it blew our minds.
Yeah, that’s right.
Do you know what it’s like to be terrified of ice?
Getting ice in your cup was like having your worst nightmare manifest into reality or a spider run up your leg.
12:20
For the next hour, you’re on high alert, waiting to see if you shit your pants or develop puncture wounds.
Dude, I’m just saying there’s nothing like wondering if you’re going to wake up the next day with a deformity.
OK, then about four or five days in, we catch ourselves talking about how good some of the food was.
12:36
You know what that taught me?
Well, it takes five days to reset your standards for greatness.
All you need is a little deprivation and bam, your standards drop faster than a boner being bit by a hooker.
What I’m saying is, the food is not great, but after a few days rice can be as satisfying as a Big Mac.
12:58
We met some pretty awesome folks, but like I said, it also helps that we figured out who to tip right.
We worked it out so that almost every spot through the resort we had somebody taking care of us.
Our waiters at the buffet made sure we had the table we liked, the beer we liked, and they always gave us a heads up on the state of the buffet before we went to the buffet.
What You Really Need to Know About Cuba 13:16
You got to have an inside man.
Dude, it was awesome and we met a couple ladies in the coffee lounge who made sure that we always had drinks or cappuccino when we passed through.
We never had to actually go to the bar when they were working, they always came and found us.
So we got served while we were sitting there doing whatever we were doing.
What You Really Need to Know About Cuba 13:35
I think it started to make an impression though, like kind of across the resort, because within a few days we started to notice more of the staff making a point of acknowledging us just in passing.
Waiters also started to meet us at the entrance to the buffet and entice us to sit in their section.
13:51
Then one night a gardener comes out of nowhere while while I’m smoking a cigar on a patio and gives flowers to my girlfriend.
Now you didn’t want to tell me that guy didn’t want a tip.
If I’m being honest, it was kind of awesome, but it was also kind of off putting and because you know, so we had to get a little more strategic with our tipping.
What You Really Need to Know About Cuba 14:10
Overall it was a pretty good experience.
So it was my first time to Cuba and I definitely go back.
Maybe I’ll check out a different resort though.
Here’s the thing, you just, you can’t have expectations and you have to be adaptable, right?
Because the Cuban people, like I said, are awesome.
The travelling people, not so much.
Man people are much more selfish than I remember.
What You Really Need to Know About Cuba 14:28
A lot of people they would actually empty trays from the buffet onto plates just for their table without like any regard to the fact that there were, you know, hundreds of other people there.
Manners and etiquette were definitely lacking from most of the tourists I saw.
14:45
The messed up part was there were very few Americans though.
Because they can’t go.
I’m just saying that’s behavior that we would expect because, you know, let the the resort population was basically Europeans, Canadians and French Canadians.
15:01
So what made the food hoarders even more surprising?
We’re we’re supposed to be like a nicer people.
Maybe we are, but we’re definitely a selfish, OK?
There was a lot of questionable fashion sense, which makes people watching super fun.
15:21
I don’t think I saw so many shiny fake accessories like the big wannabe Gucci sunglasses.
Old dudes were wearing those.
Dude, there were fake gold watches everywhere.
Rings, chains, chains.
People wear the chains in the ocean.
It looked ridiculous, tacky.
You know, it kind of came across as a little desperate.
15:38
Maybe pay attention to me, attention seeking.
But I guess, you know, whatever makes whatever makes you feel good about being you.
I’m just saying I’d rather not be chuckled out in passing, that’s all.
So by the time the food seemed to be running out and my skin started to clear up, it was time to fly home.
15:59
And of course, our return flight was like 11:00 PM and luckily it was on time, right?
And the flight only took about 3 hours this time.
The downside was that the end of our flight was through a thunderstorm.
This time there was no circling though.
No, the pilot just took us right through that bitch.
16:17
It didn’t seem to matter that at any moment the cabin could have been filled with an excessive amount of barf.
There was a lot of turbulence, a lot of lowering levels really quickly.
So other than flying through storms on the front and back leg of the trip, the first night’s room, and the, you know, 7 days of starvation, the trip was a great time.
16:36
I was able to forget I had kids.
I got to enjoy the moment.
Get lost to the fantasy of being present.
You know, drink some decent beer and have a few cigars.
Because that’s what Cuba is about, baby.
I will say this though, research your destination before you go so you have an idea of what to expect and then keep those expectations low.
What You Really Need to Know About Cuba 17:00
Be flexible because shit’s going to happen and you don’t want to let it ruin your perfectly good time, dude.
Overall, I give my first visit to Cuba a pretty good experience dude.
I thoroughly enjoyed myself even though I came home a little redder than I wished with a few more foot injuries than I had planned, you know what I’m saying?
What You Really Need to Know About Cuba 17:25
And because I liked it so much, I try to keep the vibes going and it gives what gives me the laid back vibe.
OK, is low key what is it?
Let me try that again MTL cannabis low key frosted flakes.
17:42
It’s pre rolls they’re half grams, they are 32% THC and they’re a nice laid back indica.
And if you want to tell me this isn’t an indica, if you want to label it something like that, it’s a hybrid leaning indica, whatever.
17:59
It’s nice and relaxing.
So it makes me kind of like feel like I’m back in Cuba because when I got back a few weeks ago, you know, I was just cruising along and then all of a sudden you get back into like, you know, regular life and you start to speed up a bit.
18:17
I want to be island slow again.
That’s my plan.
So when I want to feel like that, I smoke these because they’re actually pretty good.
They’re a little peppery.
The pre rolls are a little tight, so they burn a little more like they burn a little faster than you want them to.
18:36
But yeah, if you want to relax, if you want to take the edge off, it’s a good after work weed.
When you get to sit down, you just get to, you know, lay back and do your thing.
I wonder if it tells us what the terps are on here.
So the terps.
Oh, I can’t read when I’m high.
It’s an indica, the mix.
OK, so here are the stats.
18:55
Frosted Flakes by MTL Cannabis.
They’re low key brand or version?
It’s indica, it’s cereal, milk and Mach one mixed together.
There’s farnacine, limonene, linaluol, Osamine and bazabilol, bazabilol, bizbolol, whatever that is.
19:22
Those are your terps.
And I think it’s like a one point something.
It doesn’t say does it say I don’t see anything that says what the percentage is, but it’s a good smoke if you want to relax.
It’s nice and tasty.
You got to like the peppery side of things though, because it is a it does have like that peppery taste to it.
19:47
But I’ve been smoking these for like a week now and I got to say I quite enjoy them.
They’re pretty good.
So if you’re looking for something laid back and you’re looking, they’re a little more expensive though, if I remember correctly.
No, I think it’s like 7 pack for like 25 bucks maybe.
Anyway, it was pretty good.
20:03
It was a pretty good pick.
I say if you’re looking for something relaxing, get that.
It’s a good smoke.
It’s Hardy, gives you good mouth feel, you know, good exhale, nice clouds.
20:21
Yeah.
So those are my thoughts off the stem for this week.
If you get a chance, go to Cuba.
Keep your expectations low.
But overall, if you just expect to drink and visit the beach, you’re going to have a great time.
I would have liked to go out into Havana, but time did not permit.
20:37
And also, I hadn’t been on vacation in 20 years.
So, you know, I wanted to sit on a beach and think about nothing.
I achieved that.
So yeah, so that’s what I say.
Go to Cuba, don’t take weed.
But when you get back and you want to feel like you were you’re back there, then smoke some of this Frosted Flakes.
20:56
They’re good.
Thank you for joining me, Justin Peroni, your friendly neighborhood pod head on thoughts off the stem.
Hope you come back next week and join me for another session on Spotify, Google Podcast, Apple Podcast, iTunes, YouTube Pod, Chaser, Pandora, Good pods Pod being whenever you get a podcast, it’s out there.
21:25
And don’t forget to check out tots420.com.
Follow us, follow us, follow me on Instagram.
You can follow me on Facebook.
All of it under thoughts off the stem at thoughts off the stem.
Yeah, until next time, keep your lids low, baby.
Why You Should Leave the Stash at Home
The Airport Trap: Cuban customs dogs are highly trained, and vapes are often flagged as “drug paraphernalia” even if they only contain nicotine.
Severe Penalties: We aren’t talking about a small fine. Drug offenses in Cuba carry lengthy prison sentences in very harsh conditions.
The “Zero Gravity” Rule: If it’s in your system or your suitcase, you are under Cuban law the moment you enter their airspace.
Have you ever had a “close call” with customs while traveling, or do you play it strictly by the book? Share your travel horror stories (or tips) in the comments below! If you have a friend heading to the Caribbean this year, send them this guide before they pack their bags!
THCV a cannabinoid with unique potential stands out as a fascinating compound with distinct characteristics and promising therapeutic potential. While THC and CBD often dominate the spotlight. THCV quietly garners attention for its unique properties and emerging research findings. Join us as we embark on a journey to unravel the mysteries of THCV, exploring its diverse effects and potential benefits.
**Understanding THCV:**
THCV is a naturally occurring cannabinoid found in cannabis plants, albeit in smaller quantities compared to THC and CBD. Like other cannabinoids, THCV interacts with the body’s endocannabinoid system. Which plays a crucial role in regulating various physiological functions, including mood, appetite, and pain perception. However, what sets THCV apart is its distinct molecular structure.
**Distinct Properties of THCV:**
One of the most intriguing aspects of THCV is its biphasic nature, meaning its effects can vary depending on the dosage consumed. At lower doses, THCV may act as an antagonist, blocking the effects of THC and dampening its psychoactive effects. Conversely, at higher doses, THCV can exert psychoactive effects of its own. Albeit with a shorter duration compared to THC.
Moreover, THCV is known for its potential to modulate appetite and metabolism. Unlike THC, which is often associated with stimulating appetite, THCV has been found to suppress appetite in some individuals. This appetite-suppressing effect has sparked interest in THCV as a potential treatment for obesity and related metabolic disorders.
**Potential Benefits of THCV:**
While research on THCV is still in its early stages, preliminary studies suggest it may offer a range of potential health benefits:
1. **Weight Management:** THCV’s ability to suppress appetite and potentially enhance metabolism makes it a promising candidate for weight management interventions. Some studies have suggested that THCV may help regulate blood sugar levels and improve insulin sensitivity. Which are crucial factors in managing obesity and type 2 diabetes.
2. **Neuroprotective Effects:** There is growing evidence to suggest that THCV may possess neuroprotective properties, offering potential benefits for neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis. THCV’s ability to modulate neurotransmitter levels and reduce inflammation in the brain could play a role in its neuroprotective effects.
3. **Mood Regulation:** Preliminary research indicates that THCV may have mood-regulating properties. Some studies suggesting that it could have antidepressant and anxiolytic effects. By modulating neurotransmitter activity in the brain, THCV may help alleviate symptoms of mood disorders and improve overall emotional well-being.
**Conclusion:**
THCV represents a promising frontier in cannabinoid research, with its unique properties and potential benefits capturing the interest of scientists, healthcare professionals, and consumers alike. As our understanding of THCV continues to evolve, so too does the potential for harnessing its therapeutic properties to improve human health and well-being. By delving deeper into the science behind THCV and conducting further research, we can unlock new avenues for utilizing this fascinating cannabinoid to address a wide range of medical conditions and enhance overall quality of life.
In recent years, the wellness world has been abuzz with excitement over a natural compound called CBD, or cannabidiol. Derived from the cannabis plant, CBD has been touted for its potential to promote health and well-being in a variety of ways. Let’s delve into why CBD is gaining popularity and explore some ways of unlocking its potential benefits.
What is CBD?
CBD, short for cannabidiol, is one of over 100 cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant. Unlike its counterpart THC, CBD is non-psychoactive, meaning it doesn’t induce a “high” sensation. Instead, CBD interacts with the body’s endocannabinoid system, a complex network of receptors that helps regulate various physiological functions, including mood, sleep, appetite, and pain sensation. Lets see what potential benefits we can start unlocking from cbd.
Benefits of CBD:
1. unlocking the benefits of cbd FOR Pain Management:
One of the most well-known uses of CBD is for pain relief. Research suggests that CBD may help alleviate chronic pain by reducing inflammation and interacting with neurotransmitters involved in pain signaling. Whether it’s arthritis, migraines, or neuropathic pain, many individuals report finding relief through CBD products.
2. unlocking the benefits of cbd TO REDUCE Anxiety and Stress Reduction:
In our fast-paced world, anxiety and stress have become increasingly prevalent. CBD shows promise as a natural remedy for anxiety disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), social anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). By modulating serotonin receptors in the brain, CBD may help promote feelings of calmness and relaxation.
3. unlocking the potential of CBD to Improve Sleep:
Quality sleep is essential for overall health and well-being, yet many struggle with insomnia and sleep disturbances. CBD may offer a solution, as studies suggest it could help regulate sleep patterns and promote deeper, more restful sleep. By reducing anxiety and promoting relaxation, CBD may help individuals achieve a better night’s rest.
4. unlocking The benefits of cbd as A Neuroprotection:
CBD has garnered interest for its potential neuroprotective properties, particularly in the treatment of neurological disorders such as epilepsy and multiple sclerosis (MS). Some studies suggest that CBD may help reduce seizure frequency in individuals with epilepsy and alleviate symptoms associated with MS, such as muscle spasms and pain.
5. cbd Anti-inflammatory Effects:
Chronic inflammation is linked to a host of health problems, including cardiovascular disease, autoimmune disorders, and chronic pain conditions. CBD’s anti-inflammatory properties make it a promising candidate for managing inflammation and associated symptoms. Whether applied topically or ingested orally, CBD may help reduce inflammation and promote healing.
6. Potential Cancer Treatment Support:
While more research is needed, preliminary studies suggest that CBD may have anti-cancer properties. CBD has been shown to inhibit the growth of cancer cells and induce apoptosis (cell death) in certain types of cancer. Additionally, CBD may help alleviate cancer-related symptoms such as pain, nausea, and loss of appetite in cancer patients undergoing treatment.
Conclusion:
CBD holds tremendous promise as a natural remedy for a wide range of health concerns. From pain management and anxiety relief to improved sleep and neuroprotection, the potential benefits of CBD are vast. However, it’s essential to note that CBD is not a one-size-fits-all solution, and individual responses may vary. As with any supplement or wellness product, it’s crucial to consult with a healthcare professional before incorporating CBD into your routine, especially if you have underlying medical conditions or are taking medications.
As research into CBD continues to evolve, we’re only beginning to scratch the surface of its therapeutic potential. Whether you’re seeking relief from chronic pain, looking to reduce stress and anxiety, or simply striving to enhance your overall well-being, CBD offers a natural and holistic approach to wellness that’s worth exploring.
In recent years, the spotlight on cannabinoids has intensified. Illuminating CBG and a vast array of potential benefits and applications beyond their recreational use. While THC and CBD have long been the center of attention. A lesser-known cannabinoid is emerging as a promising player in the field: Cannabigerol, or CBG. Often referred to as the “mother cannabinoid,” CBG is garnering attention for its unique properties and potential therapeutic effects. Let’s delve into the world of CBG and explore its burgeoning significance.
Understanding CBG the mother cannabinoid:
One of over a hundred cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant is CBG. Considered a precursor to other cannabinoids such as THC and CBD. It’s the first cannabinoid produced by the plant’s genetics. As the cannabis plant matures, CBG converts into other cannabinoids through natural processes. CBG is typically found in low concentrations due to this. Making it relatively rare and more challenging to extract compared to THC and CBD.
The Therapeutic Potential of CBG:
While research on CBG is still in its infancy. Preliminary studies and anecdotal evidence suggest that this cannabinoid may offer a range of potential therapeutic benefits. Areas of exploration include:
Neuroprotective Effects: CBG has shown promise in protecting neurons in the brain, which could have implications for neurodegenerative conditions. Such as Parkinson’s and Huntington’s disease.
Anti-Inflammatory Properties: Like other cannabinoids, CBG exhibits anti-inflammatory properties. Which could make it a valuable tool in managing conditions characterized by inflammation. Such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and arthritis.
Antibacterial Activity: CBG has demonstrated antibacterial properties against common pathogens. Suggesting potential applications in fighting bacterial infections, including those resistant to traditional antibiotics.
Pain Relief: Early research suggests that CBG may help alleviate pain by interacting with the body’s endocannabinoid system. Which regulates various physiological processes, including pain sensation.
Potential Cancer-Fighting Properties: Some studies indicate that CBG may inhibit the growth of cancer cells. Particularly in forms of cancer such as colon cancer, making it a subject of interest in oncology research.
Overcoming Challenges:
Despite its promising potential, CBG faces several challenges that hinder its widespread adoption and research progress. These challenges include:
Limited Availability of the Cannabinoid: Due to its low concentrations in mature cannabis plants. Obtaining significant quantities of CBG for research or commercial purposes can be challenging and costly.
Regulatory Hurdles: The legal status of cannabinoids varies from one jurisdiction to another. Thus creating regulatory obstacles that impede research and development efforts.
Lack of Research on CBG: While interest in CBG is growing. There’s still a significant gap in our understanding of its mechanisms of action, potential side effects, and long-term safety profile.
The Future of CBG:
Despite these challenges, the future looks promising for CBG. As research continues to expand and technologies for cannabinoid extraction and synthesis advance, we can expect to unlock more of CBG’s therapeutic potential. Moreover, as public perception of cannabis evolves and regulatory frameworks adapt, the landscape for cannabinoid-based therapies, including CBG, is likely to become more conducive to innovation and exploration.
In conclusion, Cannabigerol (CBG) represents a fascinating frontier in the realm of cannabinoids. Offering a wealth of potential therapeutic benefits yet to be fully realized. The growing body of research and anecdotal evidence underscores the importance of exploring CBG’s properties further. As we navigate this exciting journey of discovery. CBG stands poised to make significant contributions to the fields of medicine, health, and wellness.
Cannabis has long been celebrated for its ability to foster a sense of community and camaraderie among enthusiasts. From ancient rituals to modern social gatherings. The shared experience of cannabis consumption has played a central role in bringing people together and strengthening bonds. In this blog post, we’ll explore how cannabis positively impacts community dynamics and fosters connections among individuals.
1. Breaking Down Barriers
One of the most remarkable aspects of cannabis is its ability to dissolve social barriers and facilitate open communication. From passing a joint among friends or sharing a bowl at a community event. The act of smoking together creates an atmosphere of inclusivity and acceptance. Cannabis has a way of bringing people from all walks of life together, transcending differences in age, background, and culture. In a world that often feels divided, cannabis serves as a unifying force that reminds us of our shared humanity.
2. Fostering Creativity and Collaboration
Cannabis has long been associated with creativity and innovation, and its effects on community dynamics are no exception. People coming together to smoke and share ideas, often find themselves inspired to collaborate on creative projects or pursue shared interests. Whether it’s brainstorming ideas for a new business venture or jamming with fellow musicians. Cannabis has a way of fueling creativity and fostering collaboration. In this way, cannabis serves as a catalyst for collective growth and self-expression within communities.
3. Cultivating Compassion and Empathy
The experience of sharing cannabis with others often leads to deeper connections and a heightened sense of empathy. As individuals come together to smoke and share stories. They inevitably develop a greater understanding and appreciation for one another’s perspectives. Cannabis has a way of fostering compassion and empathy. It encourages individuals to listen with an open heart and offer support to those in need. In this way, cannabis helps build stronger, more resilient communities where individuals feel valued and supported.
4. Creating Spaces for Connection
Cannabis consumption has inspired the creation of unique social spaces where individuals can come together to connect, relax, and unwind. From cannabis-friendly cafes and lounges to outdoor festivals and events. These spaces provide a welcoming environment for enthusiasts to gather and share their love of the plant. By providing opportunities for meaningful interaction and engagement. Cannabis-friendly spaces play a vital role in strengthening community bonds and fostering a sense of belonging.
5. Sparking Conversations and Building Bridges
Cannabis has a way of sparking meaningful conversations and breaking down barriers to communication. Whether it’s discussing the latest strain or sharing personal experiences. The act of smoking together often leads to deep and meaningful exchanges. These conversations have the power to build bridges between individuals, fostering understanding and connection in the process. By creating opportunities for dialogue and reflection, cannabis helps bridge divides and promote unity within communities.
Cannabis and Community
In summary, cannabis has a profound impact on community dynamics. Fostering connections, and strengthening bonds among individuals. It breaks down social barriers, promotes creativity and collaboration and cultivates compassion and empathy. Cannabis serves as a powerful force for positive change within communities. As we continue to explore the potential of this remarkable plant. Let us embrace its ability to bring people together and celebrate the rich tapestry of human connection it inspires.
Ah, Canada – land of maple syrup, hockey, and now, legal weed. Since the legalization of recreational cannabis in 2018, the Great White North has become a beacon of hope for stoners everywhere. But behind the haze of smoke and celebration lies a tale of irony, because the cannabis regulations in Canada seem to be more tangled than a bowl of spaghetti.
What’s Changing in 2026? The “Red Tape” Review
Five years after legalization, Canada is finally loosening the belt—slightly. Health Canada’s recent ‘Red Tape Review’ has started streamlining the rules that make legal weed feel like it was packaged by a high-security prison. We’re seeing more flexibility in co-packaging (finally, multi-packs!) and a shift away from the boring, uniform font sizes that made every bag look like a prescription for blood pressure meds.
Let’s start with the basics. In Canada, cannabis is legal for both medical and recreational use. Sounds simple, right? Wrong. The regulations governing the production, distribution, and consumption of cannabis would make even the most seasoned bureaucrat’s head spin.
First off, let’s talk about the licensing process for cannabis producers. In order to legally grow and sell cannabis in Canada, companies must jump through more hoops than a circus poodle. From rigorous background checks to strict security measures, obtaining a cannabis license is no small feat. And don’t even get me started on the mountain of paperwork involved. It’s enough to make even the most dedicated entrepreneur question their life choices.
But wait, it gets better. Once a company has managed to navigate the treacherous waters of licensing, they’re faced with another challenge: marketing regulations. In an effort to curb underage consumption and promote responsible use, Health Canada has imposed strict rules on how cannabis products can be advertised. Forget about flashy commercials or catchy jingles – cannabis advertising in Canada is about as exciting as watching paint dry. And don’t even think about using celebrity endorsements to boost sales. Unless your spokesperson is a talking beaver, you’re out of luck.
Then there’s the issue of product packaging. In an attempt to make cannabis products less appealing to children, Health Canada has mandated that all packaging be plain, standardized, and devoid of any flashy graphics or colours. Because nothing says “fun” like a plain white box with the word “CANNABIS” stamped on it in bold letters.
3 Absurd Realities of Buying Legal Weed in Canada
The Reality
the reason
The Sticker Shock
Between the “sin tax” and provincial markups, legal prices often stay 20-30% higher than the legacy market.
The Plastic Graveyard
Even with 2025/2026 updates allowing for “recycling symbols,” the sheer amount of waste in a single 3.5g purchase is still a punchline in every stoner’s house.
Marketing Muzzles
Budtenders still can’t technically tell you if a strain will make you feel “happy” or “creative” without catching a compliance violation.
But perhaps the greatest irony of all lies in the price of legal cannabis. Despite the government’s best efforts to stamp out the black market, legal weed in Canada remains prohibitively expensive for many consumers. Between hefty taxes and production costs, buying legal cannabis is enough to make even the most die-hard supporter of legalization question whether it was all worth it.
So, what’s the solution to this regulatory quagmire? Well, that’s a question for the ages. In the meantime, Canadian cannabis enthusiasts will continue to roll with the punches, navigating the murky waters of regulation with a joint in one hand and a copy of the Cannabis Act in the other. After all, where there’s a will, there’s a way – even if that way involves jumping through more hoops than a circus poodle.
Canadian cannabis regulations are the equivalent of an over bearing “helicopter” parent. The government needs to back off, give us space, let us run and most importantly let us live damn it!
Which part of the Canadian “Red Tape” drives you the craziest—the packaging waste or the pricing? Let’s get a debate going in the comments! And if you’re tired of the bureaucracy, share this post to help wake people up!
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