I just wanted to relax. But instead, I begin to experience extremely unpleasant sensations. First is the pins and needles sensation, it’s everywhere, starts in the back of my throat and then travels all over my body. It sucks! Then I expect that the next part is from being far too high, despite only a few drags or the recommended dose of the edible. I think it’s paranoia but I start to believe that I lived someone else’s life (whomever is in the room talking to me) before this one and I know what they’re about to say because I have said it. Or that I’m the center of the universe and so on. As if that’s not bad enough, it becomes impossible for me to understand time, 5 minutes feels like an hour or more, and then it’s just me reassuring myself or getting someone to talk me down until I can function. It’s stressful as fuck and very disorienting. I don’t know if I want to risk that again but I was really hoping for a fun little escape from reality and chronic pain and depression. Maybe even a few giggles as I watch cartoons or whatever, something more fun than this! I am at a point where I think that this just isn’t for me.
It sounds like you’re very sensitive to the effects or maybe just the new sensations. Try drastically lowering your doses. Like instead of a few puffs, just one short one. For edibles take 1/4 of the recommended dose (also remember some of those recommended doses are super high actually, find something with milligrams listed and start with only 2.5mg or even less). Also for flower, try buying something really low percentage like 10% or less and also only take one puff.
My point being start so low you barely feel it and each time you smoke or eat, only increase it a tiny bit until you find the level that’s right for you.
Also fwiw some people just don’t like it and that’s ok too. But your best bet right now is to go as low as possible on the dose and work up from there very slowly. Sounds like you’re overdoing it (even if the doses are objectively small).
Honestly, sometimes it just isn’t for you.
Here in Europe, we tend to smoke weed mixed with tobacco. The main reason is cost, but it significantly reduces the amount you’re smoking and gives you a light buzz similar to a glass or two of alcohol. I’d recommend you try that if you’re looking for pain relief, and if it still is too much then I don’t think it makes sense to continue.
also common in europe is that smoking weed is a social thing, a thing you do with friends. the critical part is that you’re not smoking the entire joint by yourself, and you pass it around, wich means you can give yourself some time between puffs. in general, we also smoke joints pretty slowly while having conversations, like you would sip a beer.
I dunno about the rest, but for the pins and needles you may well be allergic to something in weed. Maybe a terpene.
If a much much lower dose doesnt avoid these things, it might be time to abandon the drug. Have you tried CBD only products? CBD wont give you a high, but may help with pain and anxiety.
Best of luck, hopefully you find a mix or dose that works for you!
Personally, I find that CBD does give a bit of a head buzz. It’s a different kind of high, but still noticable.
How are you taking your cbd? Theres a pretty good chance that, depending on the product, there is still a very minute amount of thc present. Just not enough to matter.
Vape carts. And yeah, I wouldn’t be surprised if it was something other than the CBD causing the high. Our understanding of what is actually going on is still not great. Like I’m pretty sure the sativa/indica classification of a plant is still just based on “probably the same as the parents” or “try some and categorize it based on how it feels”. We know that there’s dozens of caniboids present across various plants but only two of them get most of the attention.
If your smoking in a bad headspace to try to force yourself to relax you’re going to have a bad time.
I had the same experience when I started and so have most of my friends. You are just getting too high. Weed is pretty potent nowadays. Take less. Once you build up some tolerance, you won’t feel anxious anymore. You might want to try THC drinks. They start at about 2.5 mg and the THC is fast-acting, unlike most edibles.
