Lately, myself and some friends have been going through it. And I mean in a variety of ways from losing pets to old age to experiencing family members struggling with addiction relapses. These tough, sometimes traumatic incidents in our lives are a frequent reason many of us have turned to cannabis. While there are those who will argue against the numbing of feelings, my belief is that when the load gets too heavy, marijuana makes it so I can at least collect enough distance between my emotions and the stress so that I can process what has happened, and maybe actually live my life instead of falling into depression.
Here are some of the strains I find helped me or friends well through an episode of grief:
Dream Lotus is a sativa dominant hybrid that I have found provides a clean, functional light feeling where I feel motivated and dare I say, optimistic. Good for someone who may not usually smoke but doesn’t want to get bogged down. The decent CBD ratio will keep your mood up. I personally have been choosing sativa over indica when it comes to dealing with my grief lately- I like to be able to go and pour energy into other outlets and use creative expression to cope, so I find sativa dominant strains more appealing to that purpose.
Charlotte’s Web is another sativa, high in CBD, used to treat epilepsy, but also will provide excellent emotional stress release while keeping you awake and moving. The therapeutic properties of this strain are great for getting you out of bed, but should be smoked slowly so it doesn’t hit you too hard in the head. Some of these powerful sativas can cause dizziness for a newer cannabis consumer, and should be tried gradually.
Cannatonic is yet another even-CBD hybrid… are we noticing a pattern emerge? It’s no coincidence that the highest CBD strains are the most beneficial to your health and mental wellbeing. Cannatonic is great for acute anxiety attacks and those moments when you think it’s all gone to hell. You’ll be uplifted and relaxed after a few hits.
Stephen Hawking Kush is a great indica alternative for lots of CBD, but a full-bodied sleeper that will allow you to get a good night’s rest if you’ve been tossing and turning. It’s great for nausea and stomach pains, so get ready for a return to your appetite. Definitely great for an overdue rest for your fretting mind. A great choice for the indica-preferers and those wary of a sativa furthering anxiety than quelling it.
Critical Mass is another indica with plenty of CBD so you can hit mute on the loud, frequent pains and problems echoing in your head. It’s also a strong medicinal strain, used by patients in recovery from ailments like strokes and cancer. The high THC content is great for creating a cushion of comfort and feeling of total ease, an excellent relief for someone in a period of loss.
