Granny's Ganja

There once was a girl who traveled the world (or at least the western coast of the United States, part of the world) for weed. I dropped everything (my senior year of college included) to head to Colorado, to smoke, study and sell (legally) what we now refer to as “cannabis”, the scientific name for the plant.

Minutes after the 16 hour drive from Cincinnati, Ohio to the snowy, but sunny state of Colorado, I put my silver Honda in park and pulled up our beloved pal, Google, to search the nearest dispensary. Food, water, a toilet, was far from a matter of importance. My mind was on the Mary. So deep on the Mary, in fact, that I had not considered my 5:00AM arrival and the 10:00AM opening time of most dispensaries in the area.

My “Mary mission” was put on pause, but only for a moment. A friend of mine who just so happened to be an early riser also just so happened to live ten minutes away from where I would be staying. While this friend was not as 420 friendly as I, some early morning fellowship would be a perfect way to pass the time until the task at hand could be revisited.

I arrived and was welcomed with kitchen reminiscing over a light breakfast. In the midst of hunting through an impressive tea collection, I was surprised to find more than just herbal blends in the top drawer. Underneath the earl grey was a gold tin filled with what to appeared to be the ganja. Confused by the scentless container of greens, I quickly confronted my friend with accusations of hiding her reggie stash from me. She laughed and bashfully admitted to never tossing the gift of green left for her by and old lover at least 2 years prior.

A mildly disappointed, yet extremely curious me could not help but wonder if this 2 year old can of cannabis was safe to consume. I had to know more, so I took the convo back to our beloved bestie, Google.

Much to my surprise, I was able to find what seemed to be solid information on the topic. I guess I was not a complete lunatic for googling “Is it safe to smoke old weed?” at 6:00AM in the morning in Aurora, Colorado. What was seemingly just a joke became a mini science lesson. Put on your lab coat and goggles for a second and allow me to share some a mildly scientific explanation of the cannabis plant, if you have the time.

Apparently the cannabinoid (chemical compound in the cannabis plant) THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) breaks down over time and becomes another compound found in the plant, CBN (cannabinol). Similar to what has become a trending form of relief, CBD (cannabidiol), CBN provides less to none of the “high” we feel from THC and instead can aid in the area of sleep deprivation. Simply put, “old” weed may lose its smell and some of its potency, but if consumed, might be able to provide you with an extra dose of relaxation. Like myself, you may be wondering “what about mold?” If the plant’s nuggets have been stored in a glass or metal container opposed to plastic, the odds of it being safe to smoke are heightened.

I put my phone down, convinced and determined to test this out. I grabbed an old faithful white grape White Owl cigarillo from my bag and got to rolling. The new info had my friend intrigued as well and brought the “social smoker” in her spirit out of retirement. Giddy and excited, as if this was her first session, she hoped up and motioned for us to head to the back porch.

After a few puffs and passes, there was no doubt in my mind that the information I read was true. That it was fact. There was such a mellow energy amongst the two of us that we sat there watching the sunrise in complete silence. Not quite “high”, but calm and intensely relaxed. About 30 minutes passed, but what felt like several hours led to a nap, right where I sat.

I finally arose, a bit groggy, but rested and impressed by my new discovery… at 9:38AM! Did I still go to the dispensary at 10:00AM? Absolutely. But with what I now know to be CBN on my dresser, ready and waiting to help get me to sleep.