Anybody a retirement druggie?

[Amethyst]

There was a fascinating discussion about this on NPR a while back. The speaker described how a person who was terminally ill, was helped by guided hallucinogen therapy to become better able to face death.

The drug expanded his consciousness, such that he truly perceived himself as a small part of something immense and beautiful. For some reason, he found this comforting, even after the drug itself wore off.

Interesting that hallucinogens are under study as therapeutic drugs for end-of life care. /[/URL]

 

[LRDave]

Cannabis is not just "CBD" and/or "THC". THC delta-9 is the outlawed substance in places where cannabis products are illegal (including the federal government). I can assure you throughout the south (maybe everywhere; but ironically not Colorado) that CBD/smoke shops are selling Delta-8, Delta-10, THC 0, etc., edibles and vape pens like hot cakes. Out in the open - no pretense of being anything other that offering a legal version of the THC experience. And delta-8/delta- 10/etc. all have pretty much the same user experience as THC delta-9. Legality of a THC-based chemical experience is nearly a non-issue almost everywhere. (These other THC compounds will, however, most likely cause one to still fail a drug test - another issue altogether...)

On a personal note, I have found that THC experiences have diminished for me as I have gotten older, so I don't seek them out and rarely partake, even as it is readily available.

I am interested in exploring a psychedelic experience as Michael Pollan describes.

 

[Markola]

^^^^^ I am interested, too. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve developed some unexpected and unwelcome vertigo when I’m driving on a big bridge (hello, Chesapeake Bay Bridge) or through a tunnel (I’m talking to YOU, Boston Big Dig.). If I could get relief from that anxiety through a guided psilocybin session or two, vs. years of talk therapies, sign me up, John’s Hopkins University Medical School.

 

[rodi]

On the medical studies for psilocybin. The dad of one of my son's friends, was at a dinner a few weeks ago as we were all moving our kids into their dorms. (Son and friend go to the same college.) Turns out he's one of psychologist monitors for a study being done through UCSD. One of the mom's works in the field as well and was asking all sorts of questions. It was a great conversation. I had no idea before that night.

 

[skyking1]

It really is fascinating. This has been an informative and useful thread. If anyone has questions about how the use of (mostly) CBD has worked for DW, I am happy to answer.

 

[ncbill]

I figure I'll eventually need some heavy-duty drugs in a therapeutic way so I'd not risk building up a tolerance now.

The relative I buried just a couple of years ago needed an impressive amount of morphine for pain control by the end.

 

[Koolau]

I figure I'll eventually need some heavy-duty drugs in a therapeutic way so I'd not risk building up a tolerance now.

The relative I buried just a couple of years ago needed an impressive amount of morphine for pain control by the end.

I think along these lines as well.

I DO understand the lure of opiates as I've had to use them a few times for various injuries. I try to use the least amount needed to deal with pain. Hopefully, I never face the need for the heavy duty stuff at the end. But, we take the hand we're dealt, so for now, "Take as prescribed" is the watch phrase. YMMV

 

[stepford]

Interestingly, opiates are among the drugs I've found less enjoyable in retirement (despite my comment earlier in this thread about feeling their addictive potential when I was younger).

A year and a half ago I had a dental mini-disaster. A molar needed to come out and my general dentist convinced me that he could perform the extraction. Since COVID was just starting to loom on the horizon (this was at the beginning of March 2020) I decided not to waste time trying to book an oral surgeon and told him to go for it.

This turned out to be a big mistake. The were complications during the extraction. The tooth fragmented into multiple pieces and getting all the pieces out was outside the range of my general dentist's equipment or experience. He struggled for 4 hours and eventually succeeded, but my mouth was pretty traumatized. Needless to say, significant pain killers were required during my recovery.

To my dentist's credit, he recognized this and was willing to prescribe whatever I needed. We started with Hydrocodone (the good stuff - Norco 7mg per tablet). That worked for about a day and a half then I got really nauseated and had to stop. I was still in quite a bit of pain, though, so the dentist then prescribed my old favorite Percocet (5 mg Oxycodone). This worked for a couple of days then again - terrible nausea and dizziness and I had to discontinue use. At this point fortunately the pain had abated to the extent that alternating high doses of Tylenol and Ibuprofen were sufficient to get me through the remaining week or so of mouth pain. (and by then the world was suddenly going to hell and I had other things to worry about).

The point of all of this is that the neither of the standard opiate pain killers seem to have much potential for recreational enjoyment for me anymore. Both effectively deadened pain, but both caused me sufficient nausea if used for more than a day that any euphoric effect was completely overwhelmed. Maybe this is a good thing as my old-man body chemistry now has some kind of built-in addiction resistance. But as other posters have suggested, if I ever end up with some severe illness or injury requiring long term pain relief I may be SOL.

 

[kcowan]

I have had some hash brownies at special occasions, and have both CBD and THC legal potions but use them seldomly.

 

[gcgang]

Interesting that hallucinogens are under study as therapeutic drugs for end-of life care. Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research is in phase III clinical trials to approve psilocybin for market as a prescription medication. https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/psychedelics-in-palliative-care/

A friend in college said he looked forward to getting old, then he would do serious tripping without having to worry about the long term effects.

In college, I did LSD once - on a camping trip in the U.P. after we had settled our camp for a couple days. Still remember noticing all the almost vibrating greenery. Picked up a book and read a little - Kafka’s Metamorphosis. Talk about someone who was tripping - writing a guy who wakes up as a cockroach,lol. Found a water well, and felt like I snapped back to “ normal” when I ran the ice cold water over my head.

Like they say, reality is for people who can’t handle drugs.

 

[kgtest]

Cannabis is not just "CBD" and/or "THC". THC delta-9 is the outlawed substance in places where cannabis products are illegal (including the federal government). I can assure you throughout the south (maybe everywhere; but ironically not Colorado) that CBD/smoke shops are selling Delta-8, Delta-10, THC 0, etc., edibles and vape pens like hot cakes. Out in the open - no pretense of being anything other that offering a legal version of the THC experience. And delta-8/delta- 10/etc. all have pretty much the same user experience as THC delta-9. Legality of a THC-based chemical experience is nearly a non-issue almost everywhere. (These other THC compounds will, however, most likely cause one to still fail a drug test - another issue altogether...)

On a personal note, I have found that THC experiences have diminished for me as I have gotten older, so I don't seek them out and rarely partake, even as it is readily available.

I am interested in exploring a psychedelic experience as Michael Pollan describes.

A friend mail orders his Delta 8. Was harping on me to give it a try based on convenience and essentially NO diff in the "high". I haven't tried it. One thing to stay away from is that "spice stuff" I tried that almost 10 years ago and thought I was going to die. BIG mistake on my part...stuff smelled and smoked like a potpourri or something.

 

[donheff]

Yup. Me too.

My whole circle of school chums (U of M, go Blue) did all the stuff I did. LSD, mushrooms, cocaine, pot, speed and downers too.

We're all retired millionaires -

I new a couple of guys who got in trouble with drugs but many who did everything under the sun and then dropped it to go on to other things. I would put myself in RobbieB's camp, I tried just about everything out of curiosity and eventually dropped it. When drug testing came along at work I stopped completely until after retirement.

I learned from all this (and from drinking) that I don't have a propensity for addiction. But, in retrospect, I have to say it was a risky crap shoot. If I had the genetics, emotional needs, or whatever leads to hard and fast addictions, I could have gone down the tubes like some others did. I'm just glad that most of us don't have that propensity.

 

[MC Rider]

I don't see it as being much different than a nice craft beer, or glass of wine.

 

[runchman]

For anyone interested in the psilocybin experience, go to reddit and search for unclebens. It's ridiculously easy to grow your own little crop of mushrooms at home. I knew it was popular when I put a bag of rice in my amazon cart and saw 'frequently purchased together' with 2 other things needed in the process!

 

[Koolau]

For anyone interested in the psilocybin experience, go to reddit and search for unclebens. It's ridiculously easy to grow your own little crop of mushrooms at home. I knew it was popular when I put a bag of rice in my amazon cart and saw 'frequently purchased together' with 2 other things needed in the process!

I wonder who else gets to pursue such orders for the ingredients. I recall when simply ordering grow lights was sufficient to get a search warrant. I always wondered what happened to the couple of guys who had a bunch of grow lights, got their houses broken into and trashed by the authorities only to find a love of orchids or some such. "Ooops! Sorry! But I digress so YMMV.

 

[mboley]

Im surprised at the lack of posts from regular THC users in this thread. I know you're out there, I see you at the local dispensaries, you're middle aged like me( Im 62, retired 6.5 years. There are five within 10 minutes of my home, in addition to dozens of illegal on-line delivery services. I see the proliferation of Hydroponics shops too; its an amazing plant and a hobby now to grow your own. The acceleration of acceptance in society is really surprising for those of us who have been around for a while.

I think the lack of posts from regular users tells us there is still a stigma. I suppose that will go away over time. What do you think?

Personally I like catching a buzz, I use it to relax at home, to help me sleep, and reduce anxiety. You would be amazed at what just one or two hits off a Vape Pen can do for you, and no it doesn't smell. You also will feel it within 2 minutes max. And I promise you can still carry on with your day.

I sent some pot to an old friend in an Illegal state just recently. He wanted to try it and hadnt smoked in 40 years, and that was only a few times. After smoking it he kept telling me he couldnt feel anything. I said thats not possible, smoke more! Long story short, we concluded his expectation was he should feel "wasted" but he felt something; he was high. Those Stoner movies and Reefer Madness films must have affected his expectations.[emoji1786]

 

[MC Rider]

Reefer Madness film

A comedy really, with no basis in Reality.
The war on drugs was really a war on certain groups of people.