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Alcohol and Other Drugs

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You are: The Economist

Illustration of an economist holding a laptop and with a bluetooth speaker in her ear. There are money charts, a piggy bank and awards in the office in the background

You understand the power of incentives and use cannabis as a reward after your work is done. “It was a long day. I worked hard and deserve this,” you think to yourself. 

You are disciplined and hardworking, and use cannabis as a way to slow your thoughts down and just chill. To you, cannabis is a means to an end rather than a lifestyle or identity. It’s all about unwinding and self-care.

  • What started as a way to relax in the evening or to feel sleepy before bed has turned into an evening ritual. 
  • Your practical side encourages you to buy in bulk to save money because you know you’re going to use it all eventually. 
  • But now you find yourself using more often. “Hey, it’s there—I could really use this right now,” you say to yourself on a work night. Or a school night. Or a weekend.

Luckily, you’re disciplined enough to take a break to bring your tolerance back down, but be wary of your quick trick turning into a crutch. 

Tips for safer experiences

Consider these tips to keep yourself and others safe.

  • Don’t trust everything you read on the Internet.
  • Remember cannabis’ effects fall on a spectrum, and your experience will be different from someone else’s.
  • If it’s totally new to you, try a smaller amount first. And don’t be afraid to tell someone “That’s all for now, thanks.”
  • Remember that cannabis smoke contains toxins, and avoid smoking tobacco at the same time.
  • Long inhalations aren’t necessary—in fact, they can be a little dangerous. Shallow and slow FTW.
  • Edibles can taste yummy, but their effects are slow to notice. So moderate yourself and don’t eat the entire tin of brownies all at once, okay?
  • Be someplace safe. Don’t smoke in a car or someplace you can’t sleep it off.
  • Remember to slow down, breathe in…breathe out…
  • Be careful when inhaling or ingesting mixed powders, oils, hashes, and unfamiliar substances.
  • Listen to your friends and respect their desire to slow down sometimes.
  • Practice ways to hang out with others that don’t involve weed all the time. You’ll be a more interesting person for it.
  • Do the right thing if a friend seems in serious medical trouble. Call 911 immediately, tell the operator what happened, and monitor them closely until help arrives.

Alcohol and Other Drugs resources

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