26 MAY 18-24, 2023 westword.com WESTWORD | REAL ESTATE | RENTALS | HEALTH WELLNESS | SERVICES | EMPLOYMENT | ADULT | MUSIC | CLASSIFIED | A S K A S T O N E R BY HERBERT FUEGO Dear Stoner: I’m likely to have surgery soon, and my friend told me to be honest about my mari- juana use, because I’ll need more painkillers. I don’t take opioids or anything like that, so why would smoking weed require more painkillers? Jenni Dear Jenni: If you’re going to sleep for surgery, you should defi nitely let the hospital staff know that you use cannabis. According to UCHealth, undisciplined cannabis users face serious risks with anesthesia, including heart attacks, if they consume cannabis within an hour of surgery and have pre-existing conditions. Cannabis users also take longer to empty their stomachs, according to UCHealth, leaving them prone to “having stomach contents come into your throat and sucked into your lungs before an anesthesiologist can insert a breathing tube.” Those grizzly outcomes are rare, but this one isn’t: Since most cannabis and opioid users require a lot more anesthesia than non-users, not coming clean will probably make your sur- gery more painful and last longer. Don’t worry: The hospital staffers aren’t going to narc, and you won’t be fooling them, anyway. “We can fi gure it out once you are asleep, but it’s best if we don’t have to,” UCHealth anesthesia director Dr. Jennifer Kollman says. Dear Stoner: I’m tinkering with the idea of putting THC or CBD into my morning coffee. How should I go about that? Marco Java Dear Marco: Possibilities are vast in this arena, and that’s with or without cream. Before you get started, though, prepare for the possibility of getting absolutely zooted off caffeine and too much THC. To avoid any real-life complications, it’s best to conduct these tryouts over the weekend. Now that we’ve got the warning out of the way, let’s get down to options. Whole milk, half-and-half and condensed milk are all easy to infuse with fl ower or concentrate. Simply follow the method used to make infused but- ter and olive oil (also options, if you’re into those trends), but with more stirring to make sure that no top skin forms. You can also use distillate —THC distilled from marijuana ex- tract, activated and sold in syringes, allowing for easy infusion in your morning brew — but it could be the worst-tasting option. The best pound-for-pound choice is probably MCT Oil. It won’t taste as good as infused creamer, and it isn’t quite as potent as distillate, but it’s the best combination of caffeine, cannabis and focus with which to start the day. Send questions to [email protected]. WARNING: Use of Marijuana Concentrate may lead to: 1. Psychotic symptoms and/or Psychotic disorder (delusions, hallucinations, or difficulty distinguishing reality); 2. Mental Health Symptoms/Problems; 3. Cannabis Hyperemesis Syndrome (CHS) (uncontrolled and repetitive vomiting); Cannabis use disorder / dependence, including physical and psychological dependence Programmatic Cannabis Network Organic & Local SEO • Website Design Social Media Management • Print Media Get started today with a FREE Digital Audit. marijuanamarketingxperts.com
