Responsible Cannabis Use PSA: You Should Probably Stay Away From Carts
Carts Are Too Potent, Too Convenient, and Tend to Amplify the Negatives of Cannabis Use.
As I’ve perused cannabis-related subreddits, I’ve noticed that many of the experiences of negative effects from weed use and heavy addiction have one keyword in common: “carts.”
Here’s someone lamenting how dependent they’ve become on their carts:
Scary stuff.
Personally, my only two modes of consuming cannabis are a dry herb vape (DHV), and occasionally edibles. I have no experience with carts whatsoever, but the TL;DR is that they are glass tubes containing cannabis oil, which is vaporized so that you can inhale it. This makes it very convenient to take hits of cannabis here and there. My guess is that for many people, it’s a little too convenient.
I remember when an old colleague of mine wanted to quit smoking cigarettes, and as a first step, she got a nicotine vape. This turned out to be a bad idea. After a month, she said she was more addicted to nicotine than ever, because it was so easy to take a a hit off the vape whenever she felt like it. She didn’t even need to go to the trouble of getting up from her desk to go outside and smoke.
In general, I believe that having an addictive and immediately-satisfying substance at constant arm’s reach is not a good idea for our pleasure-oriented brains. Especially since the oil in carts can be incredibly potent: the THC content tends to be in the 70-90% range. Compare this to the maximum of 30% in some modern strains, or the 2%, which was the norm in the 60s and 80s, and you begin to get an inkling as to why negative effects, addiction-level, and tolerance look vastly different with carts.
Everyone’s situation is different, of course, but as a general rule, I would concur with the plug in the above reddit comment: steer away from any highly-concentrated weed forms, such as shatter or high-THC edibles. In my experience, home-made edibles and a dry herb vape are both fine and pleasant ways to enjoy cannabis, and far easier to moderate than something that basically could be out of Walter White’s lab. And even when using flower, I’d try steer away from the most potent strains.
If you’re already used to carts and wish to stop using them, from what I can tell, you’re probably in a for a rough time 😣 If it were me, I’d probably taper off gradually, using edibles with decreasing dosage until I was on a complete t-break. This is also something a reddit user described as having worked:
Then, once I was sober, I’d try maintain the t-break until I began to feel normal again, so anything from 30-360 days, depending on how heavy my use had been beforehand.
And only after that, I’d consider re-introducing weed into my life via a less potent medium, like a dry herb vape. This way, the DHV would hopefully feel like a pleasant, easy-to-sustain indulgence after a complete t-break, instead of a brutal step down from carts.
If you’re in this cart-jam, I wish you good luck 💪🏻
And if you’re not, maybe stay away from carts ⛔️
Enjoy responsibly.
-G.G.
P.S. After posting this, I asked on reddit if carts are actually working for anyone in the long term. Many said “no,” reaffirming the point that the convenience of carts means an inordinate amount of self-control is needed to keep usage at bay. Meanwhile, some said they had no choice but to use carts due to pain or other problems.
But a few people indicated they had found a balance with carts. Some key themes emerging from their comments are:
Carts should not be the primary modus of consuming cannabis, but rather just an extra treat occasionally, or when required for stealth reasons.
Very limited use, e.g. “Three hits on a Friday, that’s it.” Putting the cart away once the puffing is done.
Only buying carts from real dispensary (to avoid potentially dangerous additives), and avoiding the strongest ones. Carts with a mix of CBD and THC seemed to work for at least a few redditors.
Smart Cannabis Use is for informational purposes only. You need to be aware of and abide by the laws in your area. Please also be aware that cannabis is not suitable for everyone, such as minors or those with certain mental health conditions. You are responsible for your own choices and actions.