I know every old guy in the history of old guys has said this, but I’ll just steer into the stereotype as a fattening 44-year-old dad": I loved smoking when when I was 15 and when I was 20, and gradually liked it less and less, and now I absolutely hate it, and I’m convinced that the reason isn’t nostalgia but rather that the average potency of weed now is like 25 times stronger than it was when I first smoked in the mid-1990s. I really do think that’s the problem -it’s too fucking strong now. And I don’t know why a lot of people seem not to want to admit that.
When I was a teenager, I’d smoke and get giggly and chilled out and goof around with friends. The last few times I smoked, which was a few years ago, I got stapled to the couch, felt completely terrified, and barely spoke. It’s not fun! It’s so funny to see old school weed stereotypes of being giggly or laid back, to me, given that so many people I know report that when they smoke 2020s weed they get blasted to another dimension and it’s an extremely unpleasant experience.
I went to a dispensary a couple years ago and I asked the guy, hey, do you have something particularly low potency? And he said, you mean just CBD. And I said no, I just want weed with THC levels similar to that of decades ago. He looked at me like I was crazy and said “Yeah, dispensaries don’t really do low-potency flower.” I thought the whole point of decriminalization, aside from avoiding the fear of arrest, was choice, variety! When I lived in NYC a few years back I had a delivery service, but you never knew what they would have in their bag, and even if they reassured me that a particular strain was more “chill,” it was always massively more potent than I wanted. It sucks.
I’m an old man with a kid now and probably wouldn’t smoke much regardless. But it would be a nice option, honestly, if I could just get my hands on some of the weed from my youth and feel a little silly and blissed out instead of having a near-psychedelic experience. Like I said, I know it’s a stereotype. But I feel like a lot of the problems with psychosis and addiction lately are downstream of the fact that the entire industry sprinted towards higher and higher potency in the past couple of decades, and I have no idea why.
I 100% agree with you about potency. While I was tapering down, I noticed stomach issues and restless limbs. And I’ve met enough heavy smokers who got CHS (cannabis hyperemesis syndrome) aka screaming vomiting, that I’m convinced that weed is possible to overdose on . And although I was waiting for cannabis to turn on me, to be honest hoping for a case of CHS that would turn me off and prohibit my enjoyment of the feeling, which is insane. I assumed weed would let me go of it, because I heard stories like yours, but it never did. I just have to accept that while I wish it were the case that I felt completely neutral about it, it just might be the case that this day might not come. But who knows. I’m open
There’s a dedicated effort to keep low THC weed out of dispensaries, and also out of genetics! But also a dedicated effort to keep it in. Many in the industry are screaming for it. Would love to turn you on to the folks who are engaging in this if it’s interesting (and if you’ve over it, I don’t blame you! The weed’s too blasted these days and it will be an uphill battle to get anything balanced back unless you’re growing yourself)
I would love to connect you; they are in California and well-spoken botanists and farmers specifically breeding and growing non-THC cannabinoids for the legal market! And specifically for many of the reasons mentioned above, and other medical or therapeutic reasons. Plus, the plants are truly gorgeous and smell great, too! Please email me jabryant@sdsu.edu (or Substack dm!) and I’ll put you in touch. No stake in the game, just stoked on what they do and love to connect them with interested parties.
My brother-on-law is a roofer and one of his clients is an 80-year old hippie that has always grown his own low-potency weed like we smoked in high school. He gave me a dime bag… yes, a dime bag which happened to have four seeds. Sprouted and now growing. What I used to love was chilling and passing joints and never getting too high, not this puff puff pass out stuff. Anyway, excited to see what comes of these plants.
Yup! Weed sober after many (mannnnyyyyyyy) years of being a very happy stoner. It eventually stopped being fun, but i couldn’t stop using. Until I did. (First for 5+ years, relapsed during my separation, quit again.) It’s very tough when the consumption is part the personality, but i do think it’s possible to still be a stoner without THC. I met a lot of sober stoners in MA meetings. My people! My inner child is a hardcore stoner. love her.
I love reading this, and am glad you're here. High Maintenance is one of my favorite shows, and my husband and I revisit it often, "Love Letter to New York" is a favorite genre of ours, and you did it so incredibly well.
I remember reading somewhere about you spending time at Ram Dass' house in recent years, which brought me a lot of joy; those guys are all so close to my heart. It's a brilliant funky crew, that community, and I imagine that's just one of many formative chapters that have shaped who you are now, and who you are becoming. I look forward to seeing what creativity comes through you here.
I appreciate your description of the departure. I was stuck in a habit that was keeping me stuck in an identity and when that became clear to me it was easy to quit. I keep weed around for my friends who enjoy it but never feel a temptation anymore as I’ve truly become a different person. Quite liberating. Your show was/is so beautiful and the colorful characters and setting as well as your character touched me deeply. Excited to see what you come up oath next.
Very cool concept and post. Identity shift and role exit are particularly prominent as athletes retire from sport (my struggle) and veterans retire from military. I would imagine something similar happens for artists (also me!) after projects. Helping all of those communities navigate those transitions is an area of deep interest for me and, it seems, you. Good luck, I’ll be cheering.
Ben, I’m so happy to be here and follow along with you! I have searched the web in the past to try to send you a note to say how grateful I am for your incredible work on High Maintenance (you are unfindable which I respect). One of the best shows ever on TV and a masterclass for emerging writers, storytellers, and depth-seekers. Looking forward to your continued shares.
This show helped me through a very tough time in life. It’s one of my favorites and hands down one of the best soundtracks. So excited to see what’s to come, thank you for sharing!
excited to read more, ben. i was an extremely early watcher of the web series. early enough that I remember the episodes that were posted with music that you didn't have the licensing for, and it was jarring when I went to show a friend and I saw that the music had been changed!
it was one of the best portrayals of both New York City culture and stoner culture that I've ever seen. excited to see you on the platform.
I know every old guy in the history of old guys has said this, but I’ll just steer into the stereotype as a fattening 44-year-old dad": I loved smoking when when I was 15 and when I was 20, and gradually liked it less and less, and now I absolutely hate it, and I’m convinced that the reason isn’t nostalgia but rather that the average potency of weed now is like 25 times stronger than it was when I first smoked in the mid-1990s. I really do think that’s the problem -it’s too fucking strong now. And I don’t know why a lot of people seem not to want to admit that.
When I was a teenager, I’d smoke and get giggly and chilled out and goof around with friends. The last few times I smoked, which was a few years ago, I got stapled to the couch, felt completely terrified, and barely spoke. It’s not fun! It’s so funny to see old school weed stereotypes of being giggly or laid back, to me, given that so many people I know report that when they smoke 2020s weed they get blasted to another dimension and it’s an extremely unpleasant experience.
I went to a dispensary a couple years ago and I asked the guy, hey, do you have something particularly low potency? And he said, you mean just CBD. And I said no, I just want weed with THC levels similar to that of decades ago. He looked at me like I was crazy and said “Yeah, dispensaries don’t really do low-potency flower.” I thought the whole point of decriminalization, aside from avoiding the fear of arrest, was choice, variety! When I lived in NYC a few years back I had a delivery service, but you never knew what they would have in their bag, and even if they reassured me that a particular strain was more “chill,” it was always massively more potent than I wanted. It sucks.
I’m an old man with a kid now and probably wouldn’t smoke much regardless. But it would be a nice option, honestly, if I could just get my hands on some of the weed from my youth and feel a little silly and blissed out instead of having a near-psychedelic experience. Like I said, I know it’s a stereotype. But I feel like a lot of the problems with psychosis and addiction lately are downstream of the fact that the entire industry sprinted towards higher and higher potency in the past couple of decades, and I have no idea why.
I 100% agree with you about potency. While I was tapering down, I noticed stomach issues and restless limbs. And I’ve met enough heavy smokers who got CHS (cannabis hyperemesis syndrome) aka screaming vomiting, that I’m convinced that weed is possible to overdose on . And although I was waiting for cannabis to turn on me, to be honest hoping for a case of CHS that would turn me off and prohibit my enjoyment of the feeling, which is insane. I assumed weed would let me go of it, because I heard stories like yours, but it never did. I just have to accept that while I wish it were the case that I felt completely neutral about it, it just might be the case that this day might not come. But who knows. I’m open
There’s a dedicated effort to keep low THC weed out of dispensaries, and also out of genetics! But also a dedicated effort to keep it in. Many in the industry are screaming for it. Would love to turn you on to the folks who are engaging in this if it’s interesting (and if you’ve over it, I don’t blame you! The weed’s too blasted these days and it will be an uphill battle to get anything balanced back unless you’re growing yourself)
Please do connect me. This is a cause I want to get behind.
I would love to connect you; they are in California and well-spoken botanists and farmers specifically breeding and growing non-THC cannabinoids for the legal market! And specifically for many of the reasons mentioned above, and other medical or therapeutic reasons. Plus, the plants are truly gorgeous and smell great, too! Please email me jabryant@sdsu.edu (or Substack dm!) and I’ll put you in touch. No stake in the game, just stoked on what they do and love to connect them with interested parties.
My brother-on-law is a roofer and one of his clients is an 80-year old hippie that has always grown his own low-potency weed like we smoked in high school. He gave me a dime bag… yes, a dime bag which happened to have four seeds. Sprouted and now growing. What I used to love was chilling and passing joints and never getting too high, not this puff puff pass out stuff. Anyway, excited to see what comes of these plants.
Yup! Weed sober after many (mannnnyyyyyyy) years of being a very happy stoner. It eventually stopped being fun, but i couldn’t stop using. Until I did. (First for 5+ years, relapsed during my separation, quit again.) It’s very tough when the consumption is part the personality, but i do think it’s possible to still be a stoner without THC. I met a lot of sober stoners in MA meetings. My people! My inner child is a hardcore stoner. love her.
I love reading this, and am glad you're here. High Maintenance is one of my favorite shows, and my husband and I revisit it often, "Love Letter to New York" is a favorite genre of ours, and you did it so incredibly well.
I remember reading somewhere about you spending time at Ram Dass' house in recent years, which brought me a lot of joy; those guys are all so close to my heart. It's a brilliant funky crew, that community, and I imagine that's just one of many formative chapters that have shaped who you are now, and who you are becoming. I look forward to seeing what creativity comes through you here.
this post has convinced me to quit for the new year. If The Guy can go sober, so can I.
I appreciate your description of the departure. I was stuck in a habit that was keeping me stuck in an identity and when that became clear to me it was easy to quit. I keep weed around for my friends who enjoy it but never feel a temptation anymore as I’ve truly become a different person. Quite liberating. Your show was/is so beautiful and the colorful characters and setting as well as your character touched me deeply. Excited to see what you come up oath next.
Very cool concept and post. Identity shift and role exit are particularly prominent as athletes retire from sport (my struggle) and veterans retire from military. I would imagine something similar happens for artists (also me!) after projects. Helping all of those communities navigate those transitions is an area of deep interest for me and, it seems, you. Good luck, I’ll be cheering.
🌱 Thank you for being you 💚
Ben, I’m so happy to be here and follow along with you! I have searched the web in the past to try to send you a note to say how grateful I am for your incredible work on High Maintenance (you are unfindable which I respect). One of the best shows ever on TV and a masterclass for emerging writers, storytellers, and depth-seekers. Looking forward to your continued shares.
This show helped me through a very tough time in life. It’s one of my favorites and hands down one of the best soundtracks. So excited to see what’s to come, thank you for sharing!
Thank you for the “how do I drop the rope” reminder 👑❤️
Happy to see you here Ben 🩷
I love High Maintenance. It’s as if Cassavetes and Jarmusch had a baby delivered in a cloud of weed smoke.
Write on, brother!
“Quietly postpones” Indeed. Thanks ❤️
brad pitts
excited to read more, ben. i was an extremely early watcher of the web series. early enough that I remember the episodes that were posted with music that you didn't have the licensing for, and it was jarring when I went to show a friend and I saw that the music had been changed!
it was one of the best portrayals of both New York City culture and stoner culture that I've ever seen. excited to see you on the platform.