I selected this strain purely because it was being sold in the Sativa category at the dispensary I went to (Flower in Missoula, MT – I recommend it!). However, when I got it home and started trying to learn more I ran into a problem – conflicting information. This is unfortunately pretty common when looking for cannabis strains because cannabis affects everyone differently. Different harvests can also have different qualities. It’s not a totally exact science, which challenges the black and white thinking of an autistic person like me. Getting wildly conflicting information when I’m researching something (especially something I’m about to put in my body) can be very stressful. This is something you should be prepared for as a neurodivergent person shopping for weed, especially since ND people often have different reactions to substances than NT people do.

In the case of Nic the Bruiser, it has to do with the type of strain it is. At the dispensary, it was sold as a energetic sativa – something I normally go for. Online, I saw it listed as a relaxing indica and in another spot as a hybrid, leaning indica. It also doesn’t have an entry on the Leafly app, which I admit I use for quite a bit of my strain information. However, all of the sources I consulted had basically the exact same description word for word. The description touts its use for anxiety, arthritis, chronic pain, muscle spams, and nausea. It also contains a warning for inexperienced users, because, as the name suggests, it is a bruiser. Having built up what I think is a decent amount of tolerance over the course of this blog, I decided to give it a go anyway. I’ve been dealing with chronic pain in my wrists and hands as a result of carpal tunnel syndrome so I need the relief. I also had a stressful appointment with the tax people right before trying this so the anxiety relief also sounded great. Before we see if it works, let’s break down the information I was able to find on iheartjane.com:

Consumption Method: Dry Herb Vape (Arizer Solo 2), Small Bong
Type: Indica/Hybrid (Sativa?????) The shop and the internet differ on this
Genetics: East Side OG x Fire 18
Terpenes: Myrcene, Limonene, Caryophyllene
Scent:  gasoline funk, sweet, lemony, floral
Taste:  With the vape: gas, pine, floral/with the bong: cinnamon cereal, smoke
Feelings: Hungry, floaty, tingly, heavy, zen, giggly
Negative Effects: Mild dry mouth, feeling like I needed to pee, bit of couch lock with the bong, executive dysfunction got worse

How Was the High?

I’ve reached a point where two sessions on my dry vape no longer feels like enough, so I’ve done two tests here (this post is long, but thorough). The first test was with the dry vape, after a harrowing experience at the tax place. There were tears. It was bad. I think this is the first time I’ve tested a strain after a meltdown/shutdown so this will be a great test. My jaw was so tight it was a constant pain I couldn’t get rid of – and the first thing I noticed was that going away. After my muscles unclenched, my mood started to level out from panic to just . . . nothing?

The next thing that happened was I suddenly got very hungry. I was stressed all day so I didn’t really take care of my body at all, so this strain immediately made me aware that I needed to feed myself. If you struggle with bad interoception like I do, or even ARFID, this could be a solution. I also didn’t really care what I ate, so it was really easy to just put something in my face without getting grossed out by the texture or anything.

As far as physical effects, I started to feel very floaty, but at the same time I couldn’t really lift my head off the back of the couch. I didn’t really want to move because my body felt too heavy . . . but it was pleasant? It felt like I was under a weighted blanket without the threat of overheating. My jaw kept clenching and I had to focus to unclench – but at least this time I COULD unclench. I felt a lot of tingling in my face like a sativa but with the full body relaxation of an indica. This one definitely hits more like a hybrid despite the designation given it at the dispensary. My eyes got really droopy. I also got a little dry mouth, which was manageable.

When I did get up to cook dinner I was able to do it and chop veggies without feeling too impaired. I was also vocal stimming with the trap remix of the Wii Shop theme that is floating around tik tok. My normal swaying stim felt floatier.

Honestly, this was not a heavy hitter with the dry vape even though I saw plenty of warnings that it was heavy. I even managed to go back out of my house and complete the errands we had started to do before my meltdown outside the tax place. I went to three different stores and I was honestly fine.

But here’s the deal – sometimes you build up too much tolerance using the same method all the time, so you need to switch up what you smoke out of. So the next day, I decided to try the new bong my husband won in a dispo raffle. I hate joints and pipes, but I’ve always had a decent time with bongs.

The Bong Test

Here’s where we see Nic the Bruiser at full power. It was a little harsh, but I didn’t cough too much (less than with the Tangilope joint). And yes, I did smoke that whole bowl aside from like two hits I offered to Zack.

There was a lot of swaying to start, along with a tingling sensation in my mouth and sinuses. It felt like an electric mustache but in a nice way. The tingling moved to my temples and shoulders and then my chin. I felt super relaxed but not sleepy, and I was pretty talkative. I already felt good, but I felt even better. We’d been walking around U of M for Go Griz day and there was some excitement building since Zack is going back to school. It’s a really pretty campus and I got a fair bit of exercise so the weed seemed to piggyback off of those endorphins. I had some phlegm and a scratchy throat from smoking but it wasn’t bad.

The second wave of high hit pretty hard. I was VERY squinty, very floaty. Again, I got some dry mouth, but I had my trusty mason jar with me so I was fine. My body felt very heavy, and again the feeling of needing to pee was there. I felt like I was in one of those spaceship rides at the county fair where your whole body is held down with G force. I really like that sensation tbh, I’m a big fan of deep pressure so it felt nice. I had some physical stims like playing with Zack’s hands and the cricket leg thing. I was very giggly but also could not leave the couch.

This more powerful high zapped my executive function and we just ordered pizza instead of cracking into the meal kit box we had just received, so that was a demerit, but at least we ate. Overall, this one feels pretty nice. I’d recommend it from anxiety, insomnia, melt downs, ARFID/interoception – stuff like that. If you ever wish your brain would just stop racing, this will help.

TL;DR – Did it Help Manage My Neurodivergence?

Overstimulation: This is excellent for overstimulation – it brought me back from a meltdown/shutdown
Understimulation: It stops the racing thoughts and removes the need for too much external stimulation. It improved the sensation of stims.
Executive Function: At small doses it doesn’t impede you, but if you’re inexperienced or smoke a lot forget it.
Focusing: Not really, especially not at higher doses.
Sleep: Yes, I had a great night’s sleep both times I tested this one.