Pubdate: Thu, 17 Sep 2015
Source: Portland Mercury (OR)
Column: Cannabuzz
Copyright: 2015 The Portland Mercury
Contact:  http://www.portlandmercury.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1174
Author: Josh Jardine

COFFEE AND WEED

I WAS at my local coffee shop, and the man ordering in front of me 
was jacked up on too many quad-shot lattes-way, way too many. I knew 
they were quad shots because everyone within two blocks knew. "I 
REALLY NEED THE QUADS TO MAKE THIS GUY GET IT IN GEAR," he shouted 
while gesturing to himself. "GIT 'ER DONE, HUH? GIT 'ER 
DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONE, MAN! YEAH! THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT."

Meanwhile, my regular barista chatted with me while preparing my weak 
little single-shot latte, asking if I was there to work on a "pot 
story." Captain Jacked-Up Sparrow dismissively snorted and turned to 
his semi-deaf friend, shakily shouting, "I CAN'T BELIEVE THEY MADE 
THAT SHIT LEGAL. IT MAKES PEOPLE WHO SMOKE IT SO ANNOYING."

Our speed-freak hero makes a point. While the overwhelming majority 
of cannabis users are mellow and well behaved, we've all been around 
someone whose behavior is negatively impacted when they partake. 
("Dancing" Phish concertgoer with hula hoop, I'm looking at you.) Yet 
we can say the same for heavy coffee drinkers, which begs the 
question: Which is more annoying and potentially dangerous, coffee or cannabis?

I enjoy the devil caffeine. It's a helpful tool that assists my 
intentions, is an age-old social ritual, and has miraculous 
properties when sleep is in short supply. The same can be said for 
cannabis (except for the sleep part), but give someone "one too many" 
bong hits, and you have a person who may get paranoid, sleepy, 
giggly, or most likely, ravenous. Give someone too many 
caffeine-based beverages, though, and you might face a more serious 
situation than watching a person get fascinated with magnets.

A safe dose of caffeine is up to 400 milligrams a day, according to 
the Mayo Clinic. For adults, that's four cups of brewed coffee, 10 
cans of soda, or two energy drinks. Adolescents should limit intake 
to 100 milligrams a day. Gulp down 500-600 milligrams, and you can 
expect insomnia, restlessness, nervousness, irritability, upset 
stomach, rapid heartbeat, and muscle tremors.

As for cannabis, even if all your THC intake comes from an edible, 
you eat too much, and think you're going to die, you simply will not. 
But deaths from caffeine pills and powders do happen. Last year, two 
people died in the US after taking them, and in Europe three others 
deaths were attributed to overconsumption. Never mind the effects of 
giving up coffee, which can be fatal to those around you.

For me, the Northwest Speedball (a caffeinated drink plus a joint) is 
the best of both worlds. I'll pass on the quad shot and the 
200-milligram THC cookie though, but I know a certain caffeinated 
someone who might benefit from it.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom