Unexpected Effects, Edible vs. Mushrooms

DOSE: T+ 0:00 1 oral Cannabis (edible / food) T+ 0:00

Caffeine (daily) T+ 0:00 2 oral Mushrooms - P. cyanescens (fresh) T+ 1:00 2 oral Mushrooms - P. cyanescens (fresh)

       BODY WEIGHT:
   195 lb
     

Cannabis-oil infused chocolate, psilocybe mushrooms p. cyanescens

This is the story of my first time on a classic psychedelic, and my third time using a cannabis edible. These two experiences, and the contrast between them, surprised me, and may surprise you as well. They support the sometimes-ignored role played by setting on how we experience substances, and the potential effects of differences in presumed brain structure. Finally, they serve as a reminder of the uniqueness of personal experiences.

If you want the short version, here it is; my second experience with a cannabis edible was the most frightening drug experience I have had in my life to date, while my first experience with psychedelic mushrooms was one of the least conflicted or troubling ones. Cannabis rendered me nearly incoherent. By contrast, while I was not eloquent on mushrooms, I was able to speak full sentences, and sometimes I was more articulate than after entactogens. Contrary to my expectation, neither substance deepened my experience of music. In fact, the cannabis edible drained music of its depth and power. Mushrooms gave some music greater or stronger associations, but did not amplify my pre-existing synesthesia or make the music any more profound or beautiful, leading me to conclude that music is best for me when I�m sober. Neither substance permitted more than fleeting visuals in both eyes, and for a long stretch of time, the slight visual alterations brought about by mushrooms completely eliminated my ability to imagine a visual scene of any sort. This didn�t bother me, then or now, but it was striking and completely contrary to expectation. Finally, the cannabis edible made breathing difficult, or at least made it feel difficult, to the point of panic, while mushrooms had a profound and positive effect on my breathing that lasted for several days.

Me: Female (inasmuch as I am gendered) and middle-aged. I have had a profound visual impairment since very early childhood. This is notable for several reasons. One is my experience of visual imagery. When using my �mind�s eye,� I see only with my right eye. Curiously, on the few occasions when entactogens have produced very mild visuals, I saw them with my left eye. Even now, I cannot recall them in in my right eye, despite all other visualization being observed on the right. Secondly, I have strong but purely �internal� (imaginal, not perceptual) timbre-triggered synesthesia. This means that voices and musical instruments have colors for me. Music is powerful for me, to the degree that many familiar songs open up windows to the times and places when I last heard the song or piece. Layered atop that is a general atmosphere or mood experienced with the music. Overall, early visual impairment or its cause may also have shaped my brain so that it is slightly to moderately divergent.

Substance use history/experience: Daily caffeine user, very infrequent drinker (between a drink once a month to a few times a year). Have smoked cannabis several times, with minimal effects, and a couple of experiences with edibles that produced either no effects or only slightly stronger effects, and very moderate entactogen use (about ten uses over a 20-year span).

Other details: I take a diuretic use for hypertension and a statin for high cholesterol.

The edible

Substance: A cannabis-oil infused chocolate �mini� purported to contain 10 mg THC, purchased at a (state-legal) cannabis store.

Setting: Before and during a medium-sized dinner held at a semi-public (but not commercial) space in an unfamiliar location, mostly with people I knew.

I find cannabis slightly more appealing (or less unpleasant) than alcohol, and I found my previous experiences with edibles to be intriguing. Nothing much happened during my first experiences, possibly because the edibles contained little to no active ingredient. The second time produced mild shifts in consciousness that included slower movement and a few mild closed-eye visuals that were not very memorable. At the same time, over the years, my lungs have �just said no� to smoking. Adult cannabis use is now legal where I was, and I decided to buy some edibles. My choice was some cannabis-infused chocolates.

I brought my purchase with me to our dinner gathering. We all bubbled with conversation, glad to see each other. We had all recently arrived at the shared space, and it was relatively new for all of us. I nibbled my edible while the rest of the group drank wine or smoked cannabis, knowing that I would have to wait for the effects to kick in but not minding. I nibbled my edible while the rest of the group drank wine or smoked cannabis, knowing that I would have to wait for the effects to kick in but not minding.