It's been nearly fifteen years...
since I've smoked any marijuana. I did dabble in it through the first year or two of high school, but as I changed career trajectory to move into law enforcement I dropped it. I remember it fondly, and I've always liked it more than alcohol for many reasons. The main of which is marijuana has never caused me to spend the entire next day laying on a bathroom floor begging for sweet release of death.
Fast forward to today. I've bid my final farewell to a career in law enforcement, and I've traded my pistol for a portafilter. As a specialty coffee professional I've found that marijuana, especially in California since it's legalization, has become an open part of the coffee lifestyle. It's even being toyed around with in drinks. This, and the interesting anecdotes from my friends and the scientific community, has motivated me to give this weed and coffee program a shot, and what better time to do that then 4/20?
Prior to diving in I found some interesting reading regarding the debate of the effects of caffeine and marijuana on the body. Scientifically, it's common knowledge that mixing stimulants and depressants is no bueno. Refer back to saga of Four Loko and the issues regarding the ever popular Redbull and vodka. But the effects of weed and caffeine seem to be somewhat unclear. Some believe it can lead to an increased heart rate and paranoia. Some smokers believe it ruins their high. Yet another group of people, my friends included, believe it can make the high more pleasurable.
Just like most experiences in life, it sounds like it can really vary from person-to-person, especially depending on your tolerance to each. Since my caffeine tolerance is at near superhuman levels, and my marijuana tolerance is that of a newborn this should be interesting, FOR SCIENCE!
For this experience I've paired the Alchemy Blend from George Howell with a natural, outdoor grown marijuana. The coffee was consumed in the form of flat white, and the marijuana was smoked as a joint. With the coffee hot and ready I lit up, and nearly simultaneously began coughing and soothed my throat with some sweet, sweet spro. It's hard to really narrow down what the coffee and weed did to me specifically. Of course I felt a little floaty and spacey. Yet, the continuous burn of my throat and lungs that lasted a couple hours, sort of overshadowed good amount of the enjoyment I was anticipating.
The coffee tasted a bit different, I attribute that to the taste and the smokes effect on my tongue. Overall it was a bit underwhelming based on the build-up I had in my mind. I'm thinking this won't be a regular thing for me, I don't need new habit. In the end coffee is what I'm really about, but new experiences as well, and I'm glad I gave it a shot...and a hit.
