This Strain Changed Everything For Me

Conscious consumption is all about learning what feels good but also being open to try new things.

I’m a sativa or sativa leaning hybrid girlie all day.

The heaviest I’ll usually go is an even hybrid. Indicas linger in my body for days. They affect me to the max.

But what’s wild is… it wasn’t always like that.

I used to ONLY smoke indicas because every time I smoked an uplifting flower, I’d get anxious. Sometimes downright paranoid. My anxieties would get so loud I couldn’t sleep or think straight. No peace whatsoever.

Later, I learned it was a mix of my source and my ignorance that made me feel that way.

But back then? It felt like every time I smoked a sativa, something terrible happened. And even when nothing was actively wrong, my body remembered the last bad experience. I’d spiral wondering if I was about to face some nervous system shattering trauma all over again.

If you know, you know.

Like most cannabis friendly mamas…

Consumption usually happened during nap time or after bedtime. Especially in those early years of motherhood. Prior to my daughter going on dialysis and being diagnosed with epilepsy, she already had regular labs and medical monitoring. There were times I had literally JUST smoked before getting a call from the doctor saying her labs came back abnormal and we needed to either repeat testing or head to the hospital.

Either option would send my nervous system into chaos.

And one thing about cannabis: if you’re already dysregulated, a sativa can absolutely intensify that feeling. Especially when the flower wasn’t intentionally selected for your body chemistry.

One afternoon, I had put my daughter down for a nap and decided to roll up. Honestly, sometimes the act of rolling up is more therapeutic than smoking itself. But that’s another post for another day.

Anyway, it had been a calm day. Nothing dramatic. I remember smoking and suddenly feeling this urge from God to go check on her.

At first everything looked normal.

Until it wasn’t.

She started shaking rhythmically and then suddenly shat all up her back.

Instantly, my entire body went into shock.

After that, I stopped smoking altogether. During naps. At night. Period. I even threw my ashtray away.

A few months later, though, I started using vapes. I would always ask for the ones with the “purple” label without realizing that purple was basically the universal language for indica.

I just knew those strains made me feel calm. Safe. Even during my daughter’s medical hiccups, indicas seemed to soften the sharp edges of my anxiety.

Then Maryland legalized medical cannabis, right around the same time conversations about the dangers of vaping were everywhere. So I got my medical card.

And honestly?

That changed everything.

For the first time, I started learning about terpenes. I learned that the RIGHT terpene blend could calm me down even during my worst anxiety attacks, while the wrong combination could heighten every uncomfortable feeling in my body.

I started nerding out.

I became obsessed with understanding WHY certain strains worked for me instead of blindly chasing whatever somebody claimed was “gas.”

The more I learned, the more I realized I wanted flower that made me feel good without melting me into the couch. So I started experimenting with hybrids. Balanced terpene profiles. Equal parts uplifting and grounding.

And boom.

I found my sweet spot.

I became that person who always had good flower. I never wasted money because I finally understood what worked for MY body. I got so deep into cannabis education that I became a caregiver and started making small batch edibles because it genuinely felt like I had unlocked the cheat code to intentional consumption.

At that point, though, I was still avoiding straight sativas.

That changed on a date.

I went out with a fellow cannabis connoisseur. He wasn’t buying dispensary flower, but he was picky in the same way I was. We both dealt with anxiety. Neurodivergence. Overthinking. So when he sparked up a Jet Fuel preroll, I hesitated… but went with it.

Now if you’re strain literate, you already know Jet Fuel is a STRAIGHT sativa. A terpinolene heavy sativa at that.

And if you know terpenes, you know terpinolene has a reputation. It can feel very cerebral. Very “in your head.” Potentially paranoia inducing for some people.

What I DIDN’T know at the time was how beautifully Jet Fuel balances that terpinolene with myrcene.

All I remember is being terrified I was about to tweak out and embarrass myself in front of this woman’s fine ass son.

Instead?

I laughed.

Like REALLY laughed.

My cheeks hurt from smiling so hard. I wasn’t anxious. I wasn’t spiraling. I wasn’t even getting cotton mouth. I just remember thinking… wait. THIS is what people mean when they say they love sativas?

Now sure, maybe the company helped ease my nerves a little. But trust me, if a strain is going to send me into discomfort, no amount of butterflies or fine men are overriding that feeling. Been there. Done that.

That experience completely shifted my perspective.

From then on, I started exploring myrcene heavy and beta caryophyllene rich sativas that helped me stay energized and focused without triggering the anxious interruption I was used to getting from random street flower.

And what I ultimately learned was this:

I’m not strain specific.

I’m source specific.

I need to know what I’m consuming. Not just whether somebody says it’s “gas” or “mid.” I want to know WHY.

What are the terps?

What’s the cannabinoid profile?

Where was this flower harvested?

WHEN was it harvested?

Call me a cannasnob if you want, but at this point, I know exactly what my body needs.