I’ve read all of your comments and it looks like a split decision with those who want me to go back to basics in a small majority. So, here’s what I’m going to do:

• Once a month on Monday I’ll post an Ask Erik entry.
• Every day except Friday I’ll cover subjects about loss and the human experience. (They won’t be downers, I promise. You all should know Erik better than that! LOL)
• Fridays can be our Crazy Erik Day. On that day, we can cover alternative topics.

Please know that this “Back to Basics” idea was confirmed by Erik. He must want it that way for a reason. Now, it will take me some time to burn through the transcripts that I have. I don’t want to waste them because they represent a lot of past sessions. Hope this works for you guys!

Me: One guy wants to know if hemp oil and hemp seeds help and if the oil has to be a certain grade. He sees it in all sorts of health food stores and wonders if he should try it. Apparently Tommy Chong received major benefits from it for his cancer. He’s just not sure about the strength.

Erik: Pretty much the hemp oil that’s sold in stores has healing properties removed from it. It’s just for use as oil like sesame seed oil. I mean they all have their own benefits in the body; they’re all processed a little differently, but—

(Extra long pause. What gives?)

Jamie: Sorry. I’m asking him questions as he’s talking.

Me: Mm hm.

Jamie: Because the other hemp oil has, it looks like it has, um; I guess it’s more like a tincture. It has the healing properties in it. It has anti-inflammatory properties and a little bit of the THC.

Me: Okay. Yeah, the person who asked this question said that hemp oil has a very low concentration of THC.

Erik: So, the ones that are sold in stores, they can’t sell that legally. It has to be purified, but if you get it homemade or you make it yourself, then this is what’s going to help you with what you’re working on.

Me: Okay. Now, what about this CBT, EBD oil? Oh wait. I think it’s CBD oil. It’s a component of marijuana that doesn’t have THC I think. Does it have some positive effects?

Erik: Absolutely.

Me: And it doesn’t make drug tests positive, etc.

Erik: Correct, because they’re not testing for that.

Me: Who would that help?

Erik: It really doesn’t have that “high” factor put into it.

Me: So I’ve heard. No hallucinogenic effect.

Erik: But it does have the natural anti-inflammatory properties.

Me: Mm hm.

Erik: So, it would easily heal—

(Pause)

Jamie: Um, he’s talking abbot the inside, the digestive system.

Erik: It also acts as a mood stabilizer.

Me: How about cancer or arthritis, things like that?

Erik: Arthritis, yes. Cancer—

Jamie: He’s talking more about the use of the juice from the leaves.

Erik: That’s the answer for cancer.

Love the rhyme.

Me: Are we talking about the juice from the male or the female plant? I guess they’re the same, the leaves I mean.

Erik: Correct. Just the leaves.

Me: But the hemp oil. They say that Tommy Chong received major benefits from it. Is that true?

Erik: Yes, because the oil is similar to the juicing, but the juicing has higher anti-inflammatory properties.

Me: Well, is hemp marijuana?

Erik: Hemp is the plant in the marijuana family that doesn’t produce the bud. It’s the male plant.

Me: Oh, so that’s why you don’t get that high.

Erik: Right. We can make clothing, rope, all of that shit. It’s so freaking good and strong and wonderful.

Me: Yeah, and you don’t have to chop down a bunch of rainforests.

Erik: Yes! Duh.

Jamie (giggling): Duh!

Me: Okay, you talked about a variant in India that has a very low THC content so it doesn’t have the psychoactive part, but wouldn’t help be just as good since it also has a naturally low level of THC?

I’m wondering if she misunderstood Erik. Maybe he was saying “Indica” rather than “India.”

Erik: Yeah, it’d be wonderful. Sometimes it’s a little bit low for what you want to be targeting and you won’t get the results that you want. That’s when you want the strain in India.

Me: Okay. So, when will it be legal all throughout the U.S. and what will the breaking point be?

Erik: The kids are going to make it work. Can you believe that shit?

Jamie laughs.

Erik: It’ll be for the medical use of marijuana for children, because the other chemicals are too dangerous for them to take. Marijuana is proving to have a greater effect and result than the chemicals themselves that are designed for that illness. Parents are speaking up huge. You’re going to see a lot more publicity, stuff on blogs. Look at Sanjay Gupta. So proud of that man. It takes balls to come out and say that you’re wrong, but especially on a topic like this. Then you’re going to have Oprah interviewing and talking about it. It’s going to be the next big organic shit. Then they’ll be crops, Hopefully we can get rid of some of this fucking corn and plant some marijuana.

Jamie and I laugh.

Erik: “High” fructose corn syrup.

Jamie: It’s ticking him off.

Erik: Mom, it’s so bad for your body.

Me: I know! It’s awful. Maybe we need to make tortillas out of pot instead of out of corn!

Erik: Hell yay-us.

Me: I bet it wouldn’t taste too good. If it’s anything like it smells, forget about it!

Hope that was fringe enough for you!  Can you guys email me (emedhus@gmail.com) questions you’d like me to ask Erik about loss, the human experience, etc? It can be any kind of loss and anything related to our often difficult lives here on Earth. Thanks!