True Stories

While doing research to build the WeedOD.org website, I repeatedly subjected myself to inaccurate, fear based, and at times intentionally misleading information. When you have to wade through a lot of negative fodder, it’s impossible not to get any on you. I thought I could handle it because I had knowledge, numbers and science on my side. But the deeper I went, the worse I started to feel. I became anxious. My left arm started to hurt. My heart raced anytime I smoked or ate an edible. I noticed little heart palpitations when I felt nervous. But my chest didn’t hurt and I had no trouble breathing. This continued for weeks. So I bought an oxygen meter and a Blood Pressure machine. The results were always well within a normal range.

The more accurate information I found, the more certain I was that it had little to do with THC, but rather my heart. Yup… I convinced myself that I had a bad heart. Of course I knew it wasn’t true. Especially since I had a full physical 6 months prior. During which, I told the doc “I smoke a lot of weed… like a lot”. They gave me a chest X-ray and an EKG. Both completely normal. But now, 6 months later… I had a bad heart. The internet told me so.

I wish that it stopped there, but no, I went to my primary care doctor and told him. He looked at my tests and labs, checked me out, and then asked if I had anxiety. That pissed me off. Mostly because I was clearly a text book case.

So I went to a chiropractor. They adjusted me and I tried to convince myself that it was all in my head. Until I went back to work building this website. Then I decided I had a bad heart again. I knew the THC couldn’t hurt me, so it had to be my heart.
I wish it stopped there too, but it didn’t.

I then called a cardiologist. Yup… I went that far… Another EKG and this time a Calcium score via X-ray of the heart… All normal.

When the website was finally completed, I felt like the articles, information and content, provided the right atmosphere for anyone out there like me. Anyone who looked for answers while feeling a little uneasy and was needlessly mislead. I started proof reading from top to bottom, making minor adjustments. The more time I spent on the actual site, the better I felt. And after a while, I started believing that… maybe I don’t have such a bad heart after all.


– Phoenix Mendoza
Creator of WeedOD.org

I had smoked pot many, many times. It never seemed to work for me. I always felt somewhat paranoid, or like I was going to break out in uncontrollable laughter. It became a chore to be high. So I stopped for several years.

Then, one night while hanging out with a long time friend, I decided to try again. We both had had a couple of drinks while playing video games, and at one point my friend had eaten a THC gummy. As he prepared to leave later in the evening, he reached into his pocket for his keys, and pulled out the baggie of gummies. He asked if I’d like to have one. I replied no, explaining that I’d end up paranoid and it wouldn’t be enjoyable. He pointed out that I was safe at home and all alone. What could go wrong? He was right, so I accepted.

After my friend left, I quickly ate the gummy, thinking about how awesome this was going to be. I was in the comfort of my own home, and ready to get into bed. I thought about the great sleep I was going to get, and the possibility of having fun and vivid dreams. Boy, was I wrong.

I started to get ready for bed. I turned the tv and game console off, wrapped up the controllers, and turned off the lights. I went to the kitchen and made a quick snack. Then I brushed my teeth, removed my contact lenses, and got into some comfy pjs. I guess about 30 or 40 minutes went by, when all of a sudden I felt it. I was high… YES! This was going to be great.

Well, it wasn’t. I spent the next 5 or 6 hours lying in bed trying to convince myself not to call 911 and tell them I had overdosed on pot, and was dying. Then I spent a couple of hours terrified that my brain would never be the same again, and that I had just fried it. It was truly awful.

Believe it or not, I ended up living.. and I was perfectly fine. My brain was not fried.

When my brother approached me a couple of years later about an idea he had for a website where people can go when they think they’ve overdosed on pot… I was intrigued. I could have greatly benefited from such a site. This could have helped me turn my negative experience into a positive one, and saved me all that worry and anguish. I could’ve enjoyed that gummy!

So, we set out on a journey to create this website for people just like me, in the above situation. And here we are. I hope my experience, and this website, can help you have a good high!


– Chris Mendoza
Co-Creator of WeedOD.org