Overcoming Your Fear of Marijuana and Embracing New “Highs”

Despite its rise in popularity over recent years, marijuana continues to fight against a bad rap. Will its public perception ever change? For those who have a fear of marijuana, or simply find the topic to be off-putting, we encourage you to keep on reading. Maybe, just maybe, we’ll change your mind.

Trying anything for the first time can be scary, and the fact that you can look most anything up online is a blessing and a curse. Depending on the site you land on, the stories shared will either increase and/or confirm your worst fears as folk share extreme horror stories, and, unfortunately all too often, misinformation; or you will land on a site where the facts presented by experts and those with first-hand experience will allay your fear of marijuana and give you that added boost of confidence to go ahead and try this new thing.

As such, if you’ve never tried weed before, it’s understandable why you might have concerns or fears, and it makes sense that you’d be conducting some of your own online research so that you can make an informed decision. So, it’s good you’ve landed here where you can get some tips, in no particular order, on how to overcome any fears you might have about using marijuana.

Tips to Overcome Your Fear of Marijuana

Take the Worst With a Grain of Salt

While I do not doubt that there are a few out there who truly had some kind of negative experience with weed, the truth is, these stories are few and far between.  Think of it like this: Say you live in the Midwest and you’ve always wanted to go to Paris, but you’ve never been there before. So, of course, you do a lot of advanced research about tickets, accommodations, dining, sightseeing, etc. The reality is, you will come across websites where someone shares a story about how Paris was terrible and awful, that they couldn’t find a place to stay, their bank card didn’t work at the ATMs, etc.

You can take their story at face value, never travel again, and miss out on the beauty, history, art, culture, food, architecture, and ambiance of this stunning city; or, you can realize that: a) the chances of your having the same experience is pretty much close to zero, and b) remember that there’s often something that isn’t being said, i.e., Do they explain that the reason their Paris trip was so bad was that they didn’t do any research beforehand–that they went in the busiest tourist season and didn’t book their accommodations before leaving or check with their bank to make sure that their debit card would work at French ATMs, etc?

The same applies to fear of marijuana horror stories. You can take the negative stories of others at face value and miss out on something that could help give you the relaxation feeling from stress you need, or you can take everything with a grain of salt and remember that there’s a good chance there’s something you aren’t being told like, the reason that this person felt so “paralyzed” and “paranoid” is because they didn’t listen to the advice of their budtender at a dispensary about which strain is best for a first time user and how much to start with, and instead chose a strain that has way too much THC for a first-time user and chose to exceed their tolerance level, etc.

Refer to the Experts

Again, using the Paris example, if you want to determine the best place to stay, whose advice do you trust? Travel agencies, established accommodations, reputable travel websites, and blogs by clearly-experienced travelers or the social media account of a random stranger who’s only left their hometown once in their life? 

So, when you have very legitimate questions or concerns about using weed, does it make more sense to refer to the information provided by professionals in the cannabis industry like Pacific Seed Bank, are medical marijuana providers, are science-based websites, and/or are very experienced weed users, or is a blogger who tried weed once and culled most of their information from saying conservative, anti-weed groups who get their jollies off of inciting fear of marijuana by spreading misinformation?

Ask a Budtender at Your Dispensary for Advice

If going into a dispensary feels uncomfortable, call one and ask any and everything you need to. Dispensary budtenders are marijuana experts who are always more than happy to listen and help guide you. They can recommend strains that will best suit your needs and give input as to which method will work best for you, i.e., if you hate smoking or have lung issues, there are so many other ways to ingest weed be it edibles, drinks, tinctures, etc.

Talk to People You Know and Trust

One of the things that always helps me when I am uncertain about something that I’ve never done before, is asking close friends whom I know have real-life experience with whatever it is I am feeling fearful about trying. So, if you have people you trust in your life who use weed, be it recreationally or medically, share your fears with them, ask them about their experiences, and get their advice. Chances are, they will also be more than happy to smoke a joint or share some edibles, etc. with you your first time so that you feel safe.

One Person’s Fear of Marijuana

I want to end by sharing my own story to hopefully help you feel more confident about exploring the benefits of weed for yourself. The first time I smoked marijuana decades ago, I was nervous that it would “mess me up” or turn me into some kind of addict, etc. It was my close friends who’d all been using weed for a while who listened to my concerns, soothed my fears, explained some facts, and smoked with me so that I felt safe–which I did. 

Now, all these years later, as one who uses weed almost every night to deal with my bouts of insomnia but has also very easily gone long stretches of time, as in years, without ever using it, I am here to tell you that while fear of the unknown is really normal, there is nothing to be afraid of when it comes to embracing the new high-ts that weed can take you to.