What does a weed weekend with a wellness focus look like, exactly? Basically, it’s all of the best parts of wellness culture with a dose of marijuana.
The legalization of recreational marijuana has created a whole new meaning for “weed weekends.” If you’re picturing endless smoking and binge eating junk food, think again; more consumers are using cannabis products to achieve self-care and promote health.
If it hasn’t already, we’re convinced that marijuana could transform the way you enjoy your weekend, and the money that follows. Alcohol has long played a role in making weekends fun and relaxing, but there are reports of individuals dropping drinking altogether and picking up marijuana use instead. In 2015, Addiction Research & Theory shared the results of survey of 404 medical marijuana patients in Canada, revealing that 41% of their respondents had begun using marijuana in place of alcohol.
What does a weed weekend with a wellness focus look like, exactly? Basically, it’s all of the best parts of wellness culture with a dose of marijuana.
Using topical creams infused with cannabis, spas are offering marijuana massage in the states where recreational marijuana was been legalized. Massage Magazine says these massages don’t result in a psychoactive high since marijuana is only being used topically. Instead, the cannabinoids in the product create a relaxing and pain-relieving effect, as well as reducing inflammation.
If you’re living in a state that hasn’t legalized recreational use, there are still options for you. Cannabidiol, or CBD, is legal in all 50 states because it is hemp-derived and has a THC level under .3% but still shares many medicinal properties with marijuana, including reducing inflammation, pain relief, and stress relief.
Although it is a bit controversial in the yoga world, Ganja Yoga is one more way to add weed to your weekend of wellness. Founded by Dee Dusset in 2009, this yoga practice begins with getting high. Proponents believe this is a chance to really relax, letting go of worries of whether you’re doing it right or wrong.
RELATED: 4 Ways CBD Can Help You Overcome The Sunday Scaries
If you, like some, are a little nervous about engaging in physical activity after marijuana use, another option is straight meditation. There are specific strains, including headband and kosher kush, that are well known for promoting relaxation. Newbie meditators need not be intimidated, the UCLA Mindfulness Awareness Research Center has a killer resource of free, guided meditations.
Of course, swapping out drinking for getting high isn’t the perfect choice for everyone. There is debate over whether those truly seeking sobriety should turn to weed at all, which is a pretty fair concern. On the other hand, many people have a healthy relationship with alcohol but would still benefit from taking a weekend off. The risk of death because of cannabis use is 114 times less likely than an alcohol-related death. Alcohol is hard on your body over the long term, causing damage to the heart, liver, and pancreas and increasing cancer risk.
RELATED: Legal Cannabis Might Help Stop Alcohol-Related Deaths
And, if you’re simply thinking about the short term quandary of how to spend your next week, a weed weekend really does make a lot of sense. When you spend a weekend drinking, a Monday of bloating, headaches, and exhaustion is on your heels. In comparison, weed hangovers aren’t completely unheard of, but they’re typically associated with smoking way too much. Plus, it’s totally possible to enjoy some of the marijuana and wellness ideas mentioned above without getting stoned.
