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No one has it all figured out. And anyone who says they do? Well, they’re lying.
This is for the women who are trying. Trying to juggle all the things. Trying to make sense of what they actually want. Trying to keep their heads above water without losing themselves in the process.
Career. Money. Relationships. The pressure to do it all. The pressure to want it all. And the moments you secretly wonder, is it just me?
Here we speak openly, laugh through chaos, and ask questions instead of pretending to have all the answers.
Because we’re all a work in progress.
Gayle Kalvert (00:00):
I was actually surprised to learn that teen marijuana use has declined since 2011, but that doesn't mean it's not happening and that we shouldn't be having conversations about marijuana. There are still risks, of course, with early and frequent use. So it's still a topic worth exploring with our kids, but not with panic, just facts, empathy and curiosity. This is Work in Progress. I'm your host, Gayle Kalvert, and yes, I'm a Work in Progress.
Gayle Kalvert (00:38):
Hey there, and welcome back to "Is it just me?". The segment where I ask the questions that maybe you've been thinking about too. And if not, well, I am in fact the only one wondering about them. So here's what I'm going to ask today.
Gayle Kalvert (00:52):
Is it just me or is anybody else wondering about microdosing and medical marijuana, sort of legalization of drugs? And are people doing it? Are they not? Is this impacting our kids? Is it not? For me, this isn't just random curiosity. I've had chronic migraines for 20 years, like truly 20 years, and for 10 of those years I was having more than 20 migraine days a month. So as you can imagine, I was desperate for relief. And over the years, people would talk to me about all sorts of things that maybe helped them or they thought could help me. And I was often asked, have you tried microdosing? And what about medical marijuana? So at first, I'll be honest, it sounded kind of out there to me. But when you're in that much pain for that long, you start listening, you ask different questions, desperation will make you very, very curious.
Gayle Kalvert (01:58):
So for today's episode, I wanted to get more educated on the topic and see if any of you are curious about how these once taboo substances are now being used for everything from pain relief to parenting survival.
Gayle Kalvert (02:14):
And yes, as a mom of three, two of whom are teenagers, this is now part of our family conversation because it's not just about alcohol anymore. If you're a parent too, I hope this helps you feel a little more informed and a lot less alone. So let's get into it.
Gayle Kalvert (02:32):
First off, what is microdosing? Microdosing is the practice of taking very small sub-hallucinogenic doses of psychedelics, most commonly psilocybin, the active ingredient in magic mushrooms. The idea is that these tiny amounts might boost mood, creativity, or focus without causing what we often hear the trip. And I don't know, I was kind of surprised actually at the numbers when I did this research. I thought it would be more mainstream, and that might be because I live in New York, and depending where you live, New York, California, these conversations might be happening more often than in other parts of the country.
Gayle Kalvert (03:19):
But a recent national survey found that about 3% of American adults used psilocybin mushrooms in the past year, and about half of those were microdosing. That's millions of people. So even though it's a small percentage of the population that's still millions of people, many who are doing it for anxiety burnout or to help with creativity and other things. But here's the thing, the science is still catching up. While the stories are everywhere, clinical studies are still mixed. Some benefits may be real, some may be placebo. We just don't know yet.
Gayle Kalvert (03:59):
Legally it's a gray area. And again, I was surprised about this. I thought that microdosing psilocybin was much more legal than what I'm finding. Oregon has legalized supervised psilocybin therapy. Colorado has decriminalized it, and cities like Denver, Oakland, Seattle have made enforcement a low priority. So you can't just walk into your wellness store and grab a bottle of psilocybin, I guess not in the dosage that you would need for these benefits, but changes are happening, right?
Gayle Kalvert (04:38):
This is the basic information that I've been able to find about microdosing. But again, my question for all of you is, is this something we should dive into? Should I have an expert on and find out more about how this is being used and why? And what are the benefits and the risks? Let's switch gears and talk about cannabis. So look, I tried pot in college. It did not go well. The experience was so whack, and I felt so out of my mind that I thought, this is not for me.
Gayle Kalvert (05:09):
Instead, I stuck to drinking pink wine out of a gallon jug and whatever we could get our hands on at a frat party. Fast forward to 2018, and I'm in my neurologist's office. She was one of the top headache doctors in the country, and I was desperate. She suggested that I try medical marijuana to dull the pain from my constant chronic migraines.
Gayle Kalvert (05:39):
At the time, it had just become legal in New York with a prescription. So I was hesitant. Like I said, I have three kids. This was something I was going to have to figure out would it help? And tried to do that in a way that was of course safe for me and for my kids. Well, I did try it. It changed my life. Instead of hiding in a dark room while someone else took care of my kids, I could actually make dinner. I could do bedtime, I could function. I didn't lose my patience as quickly. I could roll with the punches. The experience made me realize that marijuana was giving me my life back, and that experience gave me the confidence to talk to my kids, not just about saying no, but also about being informed, about understanding what the risks are, the side effects.
Gayle Kalvert (06:34):
And why in my case, I was using it to help with my pain. And we talk about marijuana in the same way we talk about Tylenol or alcohol or how to deal with stress openly. How honestly, and one of the things that I do appreciate about marijuana being legalized is that for adults, and let's face it for kids who might be trying this stuff, it is labeled, it is packaged. It's not some substance that's somebody's selling in a Ziploc with God knows what in there. So the legalization also brings a level of safety that can be helpful as well. So here are the statistics on this one. 24 states and Washington DC have legalized marijuana for recreational use. 38 states allow it for medical use. One in five adults in the US used marijuana last year and daily marijuana use has now surpassed daily alcohol use.
Gayle Kalvert (07:42):
Those statistics really do speak for themselves, and I know just, again, we're in New York, but everywhere we go, you're seeing smelling something related to marijuana. It is something that has to be part of the conversation with your kids, even if it's not even about their experience, because the smell is everywhere. And so knowing what it is and how to talk about it with our kids, I think is really important. So what about our teens? I was actually surprised to learn that teen marijuana use has declined since 2011, but that doesn't mean it's not happening and that we shouldn't be having conversations about marijuana.
Gayle Kalvert (08:27):
There are still risks, of course, with early and frequent use. Things like memory issues, mood changes, and low motivation. So it's still a topic worth exploring with our kids, but not with panic, just facts, empathy and curiosity. So is it just me or are you also wondering what to make of all this?
Gayle Kalvert (08:53):
I don't have all the answers, but I do believe that we need to talk about this stuff without stigma, without judgment, just with honesty. If you're a parent, I hope that this episode helps you feel a little more grounded and know maybe what's going on out there. I was surprised, like I said, at some of these statistics, and if you are just curious, cool. So am I. Let's learn about this together. So this is what I want to know.
Gayle Kalvert (09:19):
Would you want to hear a full episode with an expert on microdosing or medical marijuana? Are these conversations you're already having with your kids, your friends, your partner? Leave me a message, shoot me a DM or reply in comments. I'm all ears.
Gayle Kalvert (09:37):
Thanks for listening to "Is it just me?" Until next time, stay curious, stay calm, and let's keep the conversation going. So is it just me or any of you asking yourself the same question? DM me your "Is it just me?" moments? Because let's be real, none of us have it all figured out.