Where to Start if You’re New To Weed – or Back After A Long Break!

Ellen Lee Scanlon (00:00):

This podcast discusses cannabis, and is intended for audiences 21 and over.

Alyssa Yeoman (00:06):

I still consume it sometimes recreationally just for fun, but a lot of times it has another purpose. So I think that’s why I consume weed, is because it really truly is a magical plant that has multiple dimensions to it and can do multiple things for you.

Ellen Lee Scanlon (00:26):

Welcome to How To Do The Pot, a podcast demystifying cannabis for women. I’m Ellen Scanlon. You just heard from Alyssa Yeoman, a journalist at Leafly, one of our favorite resources for cannabis questions. To me, her quote kind of encompasses everything we’re trying to share with you about modern legal weed. And on today’s show, we are focused on the listeners who might want a little extra support navigating the many ways that women are bringing weed into their lives.

Ellen Lee Scanlon (00:57):

Maybe you’re a newer consumer or coming back to the plant after a long break. It’s not like it used to be. We’ve talked a lot about what is legal, where? So check out our legalization 101 episodes if you have any questions. And I get it, if you’re a little nervous, confused, excited, or maybe the questions are coming from your mom or your close friend, really anyone who could use a little extra support in this very complicated moment where cannabis is legal, kind of, in some places, more all the time, but every state really is different.

Ellen Lee Scanlon (01:37):

When I think back over the past few years, I realized that the questions I get from women are mostly in five categories, how to use cannabis for stress, sleep, sex, chronic pain, and fun. So that’s where we’re going to start. We have a lot of episodes that cover those topics, and today we’re going to make it really easy for you with an enticing clip from an episode, and a little guidance for when you’re ready to learn more.

Ellen Lee Scanlon (02:07):

We also have a new section on our website, dothepot.com, called New To Weed, that has all the episodes on today’s show. All of these shows will also be in our show notes, in case episode numbers jumble your brain, like they do to mine sometimes. We also always try to have fun titles to the shows so that you can just scroll through our feed and find the answers to your questions. So whether you want to smile and laugh, relax at the end of the day, improve your sex drive, or just get a good night’s sleep, you’ll know just where to start.

Ellen Lee Scanlon (02:44):

I also can’t say this enough, finding the right cannabis for your body and for whatever you’re trying to achieve might take some experimentation. So be patient, pay attention to how you feel, and have fun. Last thing. Do you get How To Do The Pots newsletter? Twice a month, we give you five fun ideas for doing the pot plus a strain recommendation, and we share two of our favorite podcasts. You can sign up at dothepot.com.

Ellen Lee Scanlon (03:25):

Number one, stress. When cannabis was named an essential service in the early days of COVID in 2020, I got a lot of texts and calls from friends asking how cannabis could help manage their skyrocketing stress? And when we talk about stress and weed, I want to make sure you understand how cannabis affects your body differently than pharmaceuticals. Luckily, we know some amazing medical professionals and trusted experts who really understand cannabis and traditional medicine.

Ellen Lee Scanlon (03:58):

Dr. Jessica Knox is a Harvard-trained physician and co-founder of the American Cannabinoid Clinics. Dr. Jess gives us really important context for how cannabis connects with our bodies in episode 36.

Dr. Jessica Knox (04:12):

So most people know about the cardiovascular system, our heart. They know about the neurological system, the respiratory system. These are the systems we all learned about out in health class in high school. The endocannabinoid system, really important system that’s sort of balancing and modulating all of these other systems in our body to maintain what we call homeostasis or balance in our body.

Dr. Jessica Knox (04:33):

But the endocannabinoid system, as powerful as it is, can be worn down by various inputs. The most common inputs that are wearing down the system are our food or our poor quality food, for most of us Americans, pollution or chemicals, pharmaceutical drugs are a big one that can wear down the endocannabinoid system, stress, just like the daily anxiety and stress of our very fast-paced lives and social media, aging, genetics. All of these things can work against the health of our endocannabinoid system.

Ellen Lee Scanlon (05:08):

Many women are finding relief easing daily stress with a combination of CBD and THC. We talk more about this in episode 18. There are also some very popular strains that can help with stress, and we’ve created a list of the 12 essential strains for women, each with their own five minute episode. So check those out in our feed. We started with high CBD strains that will not make you feel intoxicated, and go all the way up to higher THC strains that will definitely get you high. For stress, women love the non-intoxicating mellowness of a high CBD strain called ACDC. That’s a lot of letters. And if you’re looking for more of a high, try the very popular strain known for its stress-relieving benefits, OG Kush.

Ellen Lee Scanlon (05:59):

Number two, sleep. If you’ve ever had any trouble sleeping, you know what an important role it has in feeling good. We hear from a lot of women finding relief with cannabis for their sleep issues, whether it’s struggling to fall asleep or to stay asleep. In episode six, California-based Julia Jacobson, the CEO of sustainable cannabis brand Aster Farms, shares how she found cannabis for her chronic insomnia.

Julia Jacobson (06:27):

Since I was very little, I have struggled with anxiety and insomnia. When my head hits the pillow, my mind starts racing. When I was little, it was all about analyzing everything that happened on the playground that day, but today, it’s running through every detail of our business. When I do finally fall asleep, I wake up almost every hour and I’m forced to battle my racing mind again.

Julia Jacobson (06:48):

As I got older, I was prescribed Ambien and Lorazepam to help me get a normal night’s sleep, but there were consequences, both big and small, to being on those medications. I woke up in the morning feeling groggy and hungover, and if I didn’t fall asleep right away, I would actually hallucinate. Once, my printer actually grew legs and crawled across the room to me, which was not as cool as it may sound, but worse, by my senior year of high school, I was addicted.

Julia Jacobson (07:18):

The details of that struggle are private, but the consequences extended far beyond myself. I hurt my family, I lost friends, I lost a boyfriend, and I was almost kicked out of school. It was the darkest time of my life, but then in college, I happened to discover that if I smoked weed before bed, I slept through most of the night and I didn’t feel hungover, and I wasn’t hallucinating about printers coming to life, and best of all, no relationships were hurt in the process.

Julia Jacobson (07:51):

When I consume cannabis before bed, it stops my mind from racing. It shuts it all down. I can hear the ambient details like rain or my dog snoring, and my mind is able to wander off to sleep. It’s absolute heaven, after a life-long struggle with insomnia.

Ellen Lee Scanlon (08:09):

For more on sleep, check out episode 17, and stay tuned because we have a whole series on sleep and weed coming soon. Number three, pain. Chronic pain is kind of shockingly common, especially for women. And we have heard incredible moving stories of how cannabis has eased the pain of autoimmune disorders, endometriosis, period pain, migraines, and more.

Ellen Lee Scanlon (08:40):

In episode 57, Kerrigan Behrens, the co-founder of CBD topical company, Sagely Naturals, tells us about how a cup of tea with CBD honey changed her life.

Kerrigan Behrens (08:52):

In 2015, when I saw it on a friend’s kitchen counter, it was CBD honey. And I basically ran over to it and was like, “Can I have some?” And I dissolved some into a cup of hot water, and an hour later, my body was just more relaxed than it had been in a really long time. And when you deal with chronic pain, I don’t think you even realize how much your body tenses up between anxiety and then pain. I think I’m just in a constant state of tension, clenching my muscles.

Kerrigan Behrens (09:33):

And so that was the first that I noticed, was that my body kind of relaxed. And then I noticed that I was in less pain. And then I noticed that I was also feeling less anxious than I normally do. And that was the true aha moment, like, “Wow, this is going to change my life.”

Ellen Lee Scanlon (09:55):

Number four, sex. Our sex episodes are always very popular, especially during the pandemic. The increased stress and isolation has not been great for anyone’s sex life, but cannabis to the rescue. It can help you feel more present, confident, and connected with yourself or with a partner.

Ellen Lee Scanlon (10:19):

Carlen Costa, a clinical sexologist, psychotherapist, cannabis advocate, and bestselling author, explains how she uses weed in the bedroom in episode 53.

Carlen Costa (10:30):

So CBD we use for relaxation, pain relief. THC, however, exalts you. THC is the one that brings in the blood, that brings in increased sensations, that allows you to feel things better, deeper. Like when they say, when you consume cannabis, everything tastes better. Everything smells a little bit better. That is mostly because of THC that brings in that euphoria.

Carlen Costa (11:01):

You have to be aware and use cannabis. If you’re going to use cannabis for the first time, don’t do it with the intention of like, “I’m going to have this crazy orgasm.” Do it with the intention of, “I’m going to connect and learn what this does and how my body responds to it.”

Carlen Costa (11:19):

If you don’t know how to achieve pleasure with yourself, you cannot expect someone else to meet you there. No one gives you an orgasm, and if you don’t self-pleasure or know how to touch your body and how your body likes to be touched, or if you don’t use your words and express to your partner when things feel good or they don’t, and you keep faking orgasm after faking orgasm after faking orgasm, let me tell you, the only person that’s suffering is you, not them.

Ellen Lee Scanlon (11:50):

We love to talk about sex, and if you love to hear about it, head to our series, The Best Weed For Sex, episodes 52, 53, and 54.

Ellen Lee Scanlon (12:03):

Number five, fun. So remember when Alyssa, at the top of the episode said that cannabis is a magical plant that can do many amazing things for you? Do not underestimate the power of having fun, and when you find the right cannabis for you, it can really enhance the things you already love to do. Abby Weems, the singer and guitarist for the band Potty Mouth explains how cannabis affects her relationship to music in episode 61.

Abby Weems (12:36):

Getting high makes you appreciate music for what it is, and it’s less about comparing yourself and how being a professional musician, it can suck all of the life out of music sometimes because you’re just listening to other artists, and you’re like, “This is so good. They did it like this, and this is so cool.” And I just feel like we’re always overanalyzing other music and comparing ourselves.

Abby Weems (13:10):

But then when you get high, you sort of are released from that, and you’re able to re-appreciate something, and make it less personal in a way, or just sort of get lost in it.

Ellen Lee Scanlon (13:24):

And if you’re ready to have some fun, take a little nibble of an edible or smoke a joint, and listen to our latest series, Weed Words. Weed words is your go-to source for defining all things cannabis. And have you ever wondered why cannabis makes food taste and smell extra delicious? Episode 110 is all about the munchies.

Ellen Lee Scanlon (13:49):

The term munchies was first coined in 1971 by an American psychologist who researched the effects of cannabis. He observed how cannabis consumption led to taste sensations taking on new qualities, and an overall increase in appetite. He labeled this phenomenon, the munchies, and the rest is history.

Ellen Lee Scanlon (14:11):

From skits and sketches mocking the cannabis-induced increase in appetite, to full-blown films like Half Baked using hyperbole to joke about this desire to snack, and entire categories of food being labeled as stoner food, the munchies haven’t exactly been synonymous with eating reasonable portions, and they often stretch beyond decadent, mainstream flavor combinations, like the magical duo of peanut butter and Nutella.

Ellen Lee Scanlon (14:42):

If any, or all of these sound like episodes you want to listen to, you can scroll through our podcast feed or visit the New To Weed section on our website, dothepot.com.

Ellen Lee Scanlon (14:57):

Do you have a friend who’s new to weed? Please, we would love it if you would send them this episode, or maybe you’re new to weed and you still have more questions, email us at hi, that’s H-I, @dothepot.com. We love to hear from you.

Ellen Lee Scanlon (15:13):

Thank you for listening to How To Do The Pot. For lots more information and past episodes, visit dothepot.com, and that’s also where you can sign up for our newsletter, which comes out every other Friday. And if you like How To Do The Pot, please rate and review us on Apple Podcast. It helps more people find the show.

Ellen Lee Scanlon (15:32):

Thanks to Madi Fair, our Brand Manager, and our producer, Nick Patri. I’m Ellen Scanlon, and we’ll be back soon with more of How To Do The Pot.