Carole Nelson BrownSo, most of us are aware that there is a culture of cannabis use associated with musicians. Many musicians are very upfront about how they find that using cannabis helps to stimulate their creativity. From Willy Nelson to Jayz, all the way back to 1909 when the first recorded use of “marihuana” occurred.
Back then, in the bordellos of New Orleans, weed became an integral part of the jazz era. Alcohol dulls the senses and makes you sluggish and pass out, but weed make it possible to play all night. They could remain completely focused on what they were creating. It also became apparent that, for the listeners, the sound seemed more intense and creative, a sensory experience on a different plane.
In fact, the great Louis Armstrong told a biographer “We always looked at pot as a sort of medicine, a cheap drunk and with much better thoughts than one that’s full of liquor” He was even one of the first celebrities to be arrested for cannabis possession in the 1930’s
Cannabis and music go hand in hand.
I was fortunate to be invited to spend an evening listening to Dr. Daniel Levitin explain the physical reaction your brain has to listening to music after you consume THC. We were offered a selection of infused beverages, delicious food and after the talk, we were whisked over to the Harry Styles concert to experience what Levetin shared with us, first hand.
I had no idea that our brain actually produces cannabinoids all on it’s own. When we ingest cannabis, it activates these receptors so we are actually facilitating neural pathways that are already there.
Cannabis helps to still your mind and block out internal brain chatter so that you can just focus on the sound, note by note and feel it with your entire being. Weed is just enhancing what is already there.
When the music is great, the rhythm supports the melody and they support the lyrics and we can allow ourselves a deeper sense of connection between each element and just get lost in all it’s complexity. It was so fascinating to hear from someone who uses cannabis, is a musician AND a neuroscientist with the chops to back it all up.
Daniel Levitin is a widely respected neuroscientist with five best selling books under his belt, including “This Is Your Brain On Music” and has published 100’s of scientific articles in respected journals. He is credited with the fundamental discoveries about musical memory, pitch and the role of the cerebellum in mediating musical emotion. If that’s not enough, he is a musician and record producer who has recently released his first solo album, “Sex & Math”. He knows of what he speaks.
There is more than one way to consume cannabis
That takes us to how cannabis consumption has changed. I haven’t smoked pot in 25 years, apart from the odd toke or hit from a vape. I have asthma, my lungs hate it, I can’t smell like a walking joint for work reasons and it gives me insane munchies.
Before legalization, I taught myself to decarb and infuse bud into oils and fats. In fact, I taught a very popular class on this very subject for years and also catered private cannabis infused dinners right up until Covid shut all that down. I much preferred this to smoking but I still didn’t like how long it took it start feeling anything. It often led to overconsumption and I wanted the ability to slowly control my dosing. I also didn’t know how to solve the problem of my guests getting high at the end of the dinner instead of at the beginning, so their experience could be truly enhanced.
Enter cannabis infused drinks.
You stay hydrated, most drinks have about a 15 minutes onset so I can make one 10mg drink last all night. by drinking it, 1/4 at a time throughout the evening, I can stop when I am happy with where I am at. I often mix it with soda water and drink it like a G&T, stretching the contents over 3 or 4 “cocktails”. Everyone has to find their “sweet spot” as far as dosage, but by drinking these in moderation, building it layer by layer, it’s easier to find yours.
So, back to the Canopy Growth event. I am going to tell you right here and now, that Deep Space was already my drink of choice. I have a half a can of the black Deep Space (10mg THC) every night about an hour or so before bed to help me relax and sleep. I may or may not have a bar fridge to house our Deep Space. Needless to say I was thrilled that the entire range of Deep Space was there for us to enjoy.
We also had the full line of Tweed 5mg drinks and, from Ace Valley, a 2.5mg TCH/5mg CBD Daylight: Citrus Ginger and a 2mg THC/10mg CBD Moonwave: Blackberry Lavender. There was a THC/CBD level for everyone. I find a good balance of THC and CBD produce a more mellow, tempered high so I had about half a can of Deep SPcae Orange Orbit early on and a can of the Ace Valley Moonwave right before the concert and it was perfect.
These Ace Valley drinks are the perfect intro to cannabis drinks. They are also a great top up when you want just a liiiiitle bit more.
The final test. Attending a concert with music I was not familiar with and that I would not normally listen to. In a stadium full of screaming youngsters. It felt a bit like We Day BUT I absolutely enjoyed the music and being high allowed me to shut out the screams of 23K young fans and just hear. So, his music is quite the bop and Harry Styles is ridiculously charming and joyful but I feel like I really did experience it on a much deeper level, thanks to my Deep Space with the Ace chaser.
Bottom line is that Cannabis beverages, for me, have been a game changer. I can go to a concert, get high, have a hoot, really get everything I can out of the music and no hangover. I have been to concerts in my younger days that I can barely remember because we drank too much. Alcohol is great, but it’s a toxin, it dulls the senses and can be a depressant so is that really the stimulant of choice for a musical experince?
Not anymore.
I’d like to thank Canopy Growth for allowing me to participate in this fabulous evening. All my favourite things: great food, my favourite cannabis drinks, a super informative talk and my new husband, Harry.