Does marijuana help or harm integration?

[Cheelin]

I see no way how cannabis can help integration. In fact, its tendency to cloud clear-thinking and distract the mind, imo, seems counter to good integration.

Well said.

Caveat: I know you guys are stating things subjectively.

My question, for my own curiosity, do you guys feel this is the case for most people in most instances?

Given the nature of this discussion, I think most here would be interested in the work being done by Medicinal Mindfulness out of Boulder, Co.

One love

I certainly am not a qualified psychologist, and I don’t have much respect for many (not all) practitioners based on the web-page descriptions of their expertise and fields-of-interest that i read when seeking treatment for a child of mine, so take that into consideration - so much wacked-out pseudo-science, imo.

But I do know cannabis well and have had my share of trippage to compare. I have never had anything close to a psychedelic experience eating, smoking, tincturing, dabbing, rubbing it on my belly button, or in any other way with cannabis! Not to say, though, that i haven’t ever been stoned senseless, or that others haven’t been or couldn’t think they were tripping (especially those who have never tripped!).

I do however believe, though, that real trip-inducing medicines have the potential, under the right conditions, to provide significant relief of/repair from emotional trauma, addiction, PTSD, etc. in people who are free from mental illness. And, i personally have benefited in this way,

I did read the assertions posted by Medicinal Mindfulness. Perhaps some or all are true. Maybe they have exceptional practitioners or have found a way to produce true psychedelic effects with cannabis.

However, this has little/nothing to do with the the OP’s question. And, based on the people, tripping, and cannabis experiences that I have known, I’d put money on my opinion about ‘does cannabis help/hurt “integration”?’.

 

[Voidmatrix]

Thank you Cheelin. I appreciate your response.

I have actually practiced with that group, and to my utter shock have had several psychedelic experiences with cannabis. It's now a pretty regular adjunct to my meditation practice, where integration work is done among other kinds of work. Mind you, I am a psychedelic veteran as well as a regular cannabis smoker. And given how long I've been working with cannabis, I still am somewhat surprised by the experiences had in the past year.

To induce these experiences, it boils down to your already stated observation about proper conditions.

And I'm not trying to debate by any means, but more showing why my opinion is what it is. Feel like it's the least I can do since you humored my question.



One love

Edit: Part of me wishes we could experiment with this on you with me facilitating (I am working on a guidework practice), just to see what could come about.

 

[Cheelin]

I don’t comment much on the opinion side of this forum. I do read some of what is over here, and i really like your empathetic & generous attitude.

Also, two of the great things about opinion are that everyone is entitled to their own, and opinions can always change.

So, I respect and value your comments; and, perhaps someday i’ll have a canna experience that changes my mind on its psychedelic potential.

All the best.

 

[Voidmatrix]

I don’t comment much on the opinion side of this forum. I do read some of what is over here, and i really like your empathetic & generous attitude.

Also, two of the great things about opinion are that everyone is entitled to their own, and opinions can always change.

So, I respect and value your comments; and, perhaps someday i’ll have a canna experience that changes my mind on its psychedelic potential.

All the best.

It's ironic, because I remember when I noticed you venturing out a little bit more from the thread you're usually in (ethyl acetate approach if I recall correctly). I enjoy it and enjoy engaging with you.

You seem to be a detailed and incisive thinker, and so became curious about your opinion. You embody certain traits that I am biased towards

And also, thank you very very much.

There's beautiful reciprocity because I respect and value yours as well my friend.

Be well.

One love

 

[shroombee]

And Shroombee, considering what you've shared about commutation outlets, I'm really happy you're still here with us.

Thanks vm. I appreciate you saying so.

I see no way how cannabis can help integration. In fact, its tendency to cloud clear-thinking and distract the mind, imo, seems counter to good integration.

Caveat: I know you guys are stating things subjectively.

My question, for my own curiosity, do you guys feel this is the case for most people in most instances?

In most people, weed does not promote clarity. It seems to accentuate identification with thoughts. It's the opposite of mindfulness meditation practice.

 

[Icyseeker]

I have had psychedelic experiences with weed however for the most part they are few and far between and might have been more of a result of meditation mixed in with getting high.

Now that I am smoking D8 I view it more of something to do on the weekends when listening to music or coloring. Not that I wouldn't do the same if I was smoking D9 but I find that it is way less potent and sort of has a different vibe.

In this way my current stance is that if you are dealing with something serious that needs your full attention smoking weed is not the move. It might be the move later once everything has died down and you understand the lessons you were supposed to learn.

 

[Voidmatrix]

And Shroombee, considering what you've shared about commutation outlets, I'm really happy you're still here with us.

Thanks vm. I appreciate you saying so.

I see no way how cannabis can help integration. In fact, its tendency to cloud clear-thinking and distract the mind, imo, seems counter to good integration.

Caveat: I know you guys are stating things subjectively.

My question, for my own curiosity, do you guys feel this is the case for most people in most instances?

In most people, weed does not promote clarity. It seems to accentuate identification with thoughts. It's the opposite of mindfulness meditation practice.

Of course.

And thank you

And thanks for sharing. I am certainly an outlier in this discussion (which is totally fine, I just enjoy understanding other stances).

I have had psychedelic experiences with weed however for the most part they are few and far between and might have been more of a result of meditation mixed in with getting high.

Now that I am smoking D8 I view it more of something to do on the weekends when listening to music or coloring. Not that I wouldn't do the same if I was smoking D9 but I find that it is way less potent and sort of has a different vibe.

In this way my current stance is that if you are dealing with something serious that needs your full attention smoking weed is not the move. It might be the move later once everything has died down and you understand the lessons you were supposed to learn.

Definitely get you.

I will say that there is a very heavy focus in method and intent in order to elicit the experiences that I've been having with cannabis. It's not quite as automatic as it is with other psychoactive. One retains a great deal more agency with cannabis.

One love

 

[doubledog]

I also like cannabis but always try to decrease its consumption before and after any entheogenic experience. For me, it definitely harms the integration. In fact, when I started to take ayahuasca, my main goal was to somehow normalize my relationships with this plant as I used to smoke it too often.

I've never received any strong message about cannabis during aya session, but my consumption became much more normal after few trips with it. So I am quite satisfied that it worked. On the other side, during my mushroom experiences, I always got a strong message: "you smoke too much" but was never able to do anything with it. Quite interesting difference for me.

I agree that cannabis could produce effect similar to psychedelics, but I am definitely not capable to use it that way.

 

[murklan]

I might trail of a bit from the topic here, regarding cannabis and integration. But since cannabis psychedelic properties has been mentioned I just like to add that it also can be used together with other 'teacher plants'. Lately I've been vaping (in a dynavap) together with syrian rue. I would not say that it 'proper psychedelic' in a classical sense. But for me at least it really gives it another twist. Clarity and intoxication at the same time. I like it!

Like I've written before cannabis can make me to reconnect to the 'other spaces' and consciousness experienced from DMT/harmalas. And it can also awaken emotions to be creative and create things based on these experiences.

In most people, weed does not promote clarity. It seems to accentuate identification with thoughts. It's the opposite of mindfulness meditation practice.

Interesting thought and I agree to some extent. It might 'accentuate identification with thoughts' but not give the push to pursue to manifest these thoughts. This takes practice. Or mindfullness to let the thoughts just be

I think I like to have them both, or many, states of mind. I often used to say that one of my fundamental early teachings from cannabis was not the state I came to, but to experience the shift in perspective on many things. This is really important, at least it was so for me.

 

[dragonrider]

If you let yourself go, it will definately harm integration.

Cannabis is a great plant. But don't allow it to get between you and your actual life.

The moment there are things that you believe you realy should be doing, that are being postponed because of your use of cannabis, you are using it too often and you are no longer in controll.

 

[ControlledChaos]

Update: after my last psilocybin sitting I once again was told during my experience that marijuana does not serve me. Ayahausca tells me this almost every time. I'm not saying it can't be good, but for my brain chemistry and my respiratory issue (asthma and allergies) marijuana can post a physical health issue. And many people have told me it makes me far too complacent and open to suggestion. And the way I feel on mushrooms and Ayahausca feels much more like who I am and what I want than how I feel on cannabis. So until something changes and if it changes, I think it's time to say goodbye to cannabis. And with that, I'm down to only my psychedelic use and caffeine use.

 

[Voidmatrix]

Update: after my last psilocybin sitting I once again was told during my experience that marijuana does not serve me. Ayahausca tells me this almost every time. I'm not saying it can't be good, but for my brain chemistry and my respiratory issue (asthma and allergies) marijuana can post a physical health issue. And many people have told me it makes me far too complacent and open to suggestion. And the way I feel on mushrooms and Ayahausca feels much more like who I am and what I want than how I feel on cannabis. So until something changes and if it changes, I think it's time to say goodbye to cannabis. And with that, I'm down to only my psychedelic use and caffeine use.

Do what suits you most! We're all different

Traverse your path your way.



One love

 

[shroombee]

In most people, weed does not promote clarity. It seems to accentuate identification with thoughts. It's the opposite of mindfulness meditation practice.

Interesting thought and I agree to some extent. It might 'accentuate identification with thoughts' but not give the push to pursue to manifest these thoughts. This takes practice. Or mindfullness to let the thoughts just be

I'm probably not describing "accentuate identification with thoughts" very well. It's like when I smoke weed, my thoughts are distorted and I'm more likely to take seriously whatever distortions those thoughts are telling me.

However, it's with weed that I first experienced what it felt like to be totally present. So it seems to be an intensity of either no thoughts (wonderful) or distorted BS thoughts (not good).

 

[M0K0]

Im smoking weed on an everyday basis since 10 years, with a break of about 1 and a half years in between.
I got diagnosed ADHS two times and i refused taking Ritalin after trying it one time.
Weed accompanied me my whole life.
Basically i was high all the time.
I got my "German" high school degree i learned gardening and now i am studying philosophy on university.
Ive stopped weed this year because i am becoming a self-employed tree worker and the physic curses on my university a ripping me pretty hard.
So my cons against regular weed use wich are directly notable are that you dont work for your future if you are high all the time, you dont sacrifice time for a reward further in the future than 24 hours.
Next thing is that i dont dream when i smoke weed. I did not dream any dreams for 2 years.
But here is the other side of the coin.
Im much more disagreeable when im not high.
On weed everybody liked me, now this is not the case anymore because i instantly show people what i dont like about them.
I am more goal oriented wich made me loose having fun while doing video games or watching movies.
I honored the weed and i have come to the conclusion that i never was an real addict.
I saved myself of recognizing what a monster i am inside and that was the case ive never stopped doing it.
Now after being clean for one month and also doing no other drugs except psychedelica, while im locked inside my apartment because i got corona and the boredom is killing me, i am dreaming every night of smoking a joint and then regretting it. Im gonne do this break until my next candyflipp wich will be on a festival in 5 month.
The biggest challange for me in stopping it is, that i don't like myself this way and that i am afraid that people will also not like me anymore.
On the one hand i never want to do it on a reagular basis again, on the other hand it was the only medicine that ever worked for me. Any suggestions? Everything has two sides i guess.

In Short, weed will form a great character inside of you but this is not you, it is the character of the plant. If you are high all the time you will miss developing your own.

 

[third-eye-open]

This discussion reminds me of another great thread worthy of reading.
The I Hate Cannabis Thread

 

[Sabnock1990]

Personally, me and Cannabis have had a little bit of a rocky relationship, i was an all day everyday toker for a total of 10 years, quit last January and then months later found out about D8 and then HHC and some others, which i've been using since.

When it comes to Aya (and other Entheogens), i find Cannabis to be quite beneficial, especially Cannabis and Harmalas, they synergize very well and bring out aspects of each other.

Cannabis never got in the way for me, that i'm aware of, and i'd say i've been able to integrate things fairly well, however i was using Cannabis too much and it started giving me more in the way of negative side-effects like increased anxiety, paranoia, mental trippiness/intensity, i just couldn't tolerate smoking it anymore so i had to quit.

Awhile after i quit Cannabis though, i smoked it a few times here and there and it doesn't seem to cause me those negative side-effects anymore, that i can tell. Although i will say that i've learned my lesson not to become too habitual with the Cannabis, it has it's purpose and place, and makes a great tool/ally with the Entheogens (especially Aya), for me anyways, but as far as all day everyday use goes, better to stick with occasional or rare use imo, or use with a purpose (besides medicinal or recreational), personally i find Cannabis to be quite therapeutic, inspiring and even Entheogenic in it's own right sometimes. Cannabis has it's positives and negatives much like anything else, if used more rightly though it can be a very beneficial tool.