The first day of legal recreational cannabis in Montana, my husband brought an eighth of Critical Neville Haze home for me. Crowds and autism are a bad combo, so I stayed home this time. He chose this one because of it’s high concentration of limonene and pinene, and overall the experience was really nice.

Consumption Method: Dry Herb Vape (Arizer Solo 2)
Type: Sativa – usually 90-100%
Genetics: Neville’s Haze x Critical Mass
Terpenes: Limonene, Pinene-A, Pinene-B, Linalool
Scent: smells a little like Pinesol, lemony, piney, and bright – like being outside in the woods with an open bottle of Pinesol in the distance
Taste: very heavy pine and citrus flavor, woody
Feelings: Happy, tingly, relaxed (NOT sleepy), floaty but not foggy
Negative Effects: little dry eye, tiny bit of dry mouth, but not in an insufferable “this is a sensory issue” way

Critical Neville Haze was my first experience making an informed decision about weed. I didn’t physically go get it, but I knew I wanted that limonene and terpene combo because I was consuming tons of information about how these specific terpenes can help neurodivergent people.

A Note About Linalool: This terpene is found in flowers and spices. It can give weed a floral, spicy smell and taste. It reminds me of lavender, which I can taste a teeny bit in this strain. It promotes relaxation and calm, which I definitely felt. Do-Si-Dos, which is one of my husband’s favorites, is a good example of a linalool-containing strain.

How Was the High?

Critical Neville Haze is a super pleasant high that ticked most of the boxes for me. It relaxed me without causing sleepiness or couch lock, and it elevated my mood. I have vaped this before going into a crowded grocery store and it definitely helped me fight off overstimulation. It did make me feel a little slow in the store, and I had trouble navigating and paying attention to what my husband was saying to me at the same time. However, I did not have a meltdown or shutdown which is honestly a first. Grocery shopping is hell and this made the experience miles better. For the first time ever I heard the sound of a screaming child without wanted to peel all of my skin off. So I guess you could say this strain did the job. The primary physical effect was a tingling around the temples and eyes, which was not unpleasant. This is definitely more of a cerebral high.

TL;DR – Did It Help Manage My Neurodivergence?

Overstimulation: Yes – it prevented a sensory overload while shopping. It also dulled negative sensory input in a variety of situations.
Understimulation: Yes – it did make it much easier to entertain myself because my brain was running much slower than normal.
Executive Function: Inconclusive. Yes, this was a “functional” high, but it didn’t improve my motivation too much. I was able to do tasks while using this strain. Higher doses make it less functional.
Focusing: Ehhhh, maybe a little. I was still easily distracted and tended to focus on non-productive things too long. If I want to finish a crochet project without thinking about it, this is a decent one. Can I do it at work? No, and I never smoke during work hours anyway just on principle.