Should be noted the case reports you’ve probably seen on the news pertaining to acute lung injuries mediated through vaping typically relate to black market THC cartridges. Given you live in a state wherein cannabis is illegal I’d think you’re using black market THC cartridges/dab pens. The literature is in it’s infancy though, those cartridges burn my throat/lungs just as much as a spliff does, granted I haven’t tried one in years as one of these cartridges costs like 150$ here. Instead it’s bush weed or hydroponic cannabis of questionable quality that has probably been sprayed with all sorts of toxic pesticides/chemicals #cancer.
I’ll give you my stance on pot as a young whippersnapper who smoked a decent amount of it during the end of high school/during my gap year (Covid lockdowns). Cannabis appears to effect everyone differently. There are those who become anxious/paranoid, those who become introspective, giggly and lazy (me), those who become more sociable (rare, but if it quells underlying anxiety this can be the case)
I don’t believe cannabis is a miracle drug that can be used to cure every single possible ailment on the planet despite it currently being marketed this way. Rather there has been a swing in the pendulum as society has recognised the unintended consequences associated with harshly criminalising this substance. As a result quite a bit of traction and advocacy has popped up and and fact vs fiction has become a blur. Cannabis can be used medicinally, but the majority using are doing so to get high.
I don’t think there’s anything inherently wrong with getting high every now and again so long as you don’t allow the drug to impede productivity/work prospects and familial relations. Cannabis is rather sinister for some in that regular use initially seems harmless, until productivity/motivation slowly wanes, short term memory starts to become fuzzy/hazy and cognitive dissonance appears notably impeded during day to day conversations/activities. Fortunately from what I’ve been able to ascertain these effects appear primarily reversible upon cessation so long as use isn’t like… seven grams per day for ten years non stop.
Cannabis may not be NEARLY as habit forming as say… coke or oxycodone, but there does appear to be a demographic of which use cannabis to blunt emotional pain/trauma or to forget about the less pleasurable aspects of day to day living. This is the case with nearly all rec substances (aside from like… poppers), and when someone latches onto a substance as a crutch patterns of use can easily spiral out of control.
As to working out. Cannabis tends to raise heart rate and blood pressure, can facilitate premature ventricular contractions. There appears to be a net correlation with acute cannabis exposure and the risk of myocardial infarction and there may be a long term correlation between heavy cannabis intake and risk of cardiovascular disease. As specified prior the data is still in it’s infancy, it is only recently that cannabis has been green-lit for large scale clinical trials. I haven’t tried cannabis prior to exercise, I’d have to drive to gym; in Aus you can lose your license for driving days after smoking cannabis. Aside from that, I wouldn’t want to be bench pressing/under a barbell when inebriated. I tried working out (aerobic exercise) when drunk once under the encouragement of some peers and it was hilarious, but overall a terrible idea. It just seems like a bad idea that would predispose me to injuring myself.
Granted if you have a tolerance this scenario differs. If you’re past that “pot makes me super giggly” phase chances are you can be more “functional” when on.
Like getting into a boxing ring, looking at the gloves “these gloves make my hands look huge” and BAM… knocked out while looking at the gloves.
