The Night I asked Taylor Phinney for Weed:
And how marijuana benefits my mental health
To be honest, I had no plans of being there.
My night started around 19:00 or so, when I found myself at Bartali’s Pizza Co. A popular, 4.8 out of 5 rated pizza restaurant in town.
“Quiero una mesa, por favor. Solo para mí.” I told the hostess.
“Tienes una hora para comer. Tengo una reserva en una hora para tu mesa. Is that okay?” he asked.
Of course, “eso es perfecto” I replied with confidence. But, internally I was thinking “shit, I forgot!”
In the states, normally you can just walk into any restaurant and snag a table. But in Spain, especially during Sant Jordi holiday weekend, you need to reserve a table ahead of time.
After a quick glance over the menu, I was off to the races. The taggiasche olives, Romana salad and Smoked Sardine pizza (don’t knock it until you try it) were what my heart and stomach desired. Especially after a 2.5 hour ride earlier in the day.
As I was devouring my olives (Spain has the best olives in the world, I’m convinced), I noticed my friend Marty was walking up the alley way.
“Marty!” I yelled, as I was stared at by the tourist from London at the table next to mine. He glanced over and waved as he made his way towards me.
Marty is someone I’ve known for the past three years or so, but we had never actually met in person until December of last year (‘22). Regardless of us being thousands of miles apart we have established a great friendship.
“Taylor Phinney is DJ’ing…”
“Do you want to join me?” I asked. “No, I can’t” he replied, “I’m headed over to Idlehands to eat and hang out with some friends for a bit. Taylor Phinney is DJ’ing there”, “I was just about to hit you up”.
If you know Marty, he always seems to be on-the-go. But, after a bit of convincing, I was able to get him to sit down and enjoy some olives with me for a bit. Nothing can replace precious time shared amongst friends.
Marty introduced me to the waiters that also happened to be friends of his. I wasn’t surprised, as I’ve quickly come to realize he has established relationships with a lot of locals in town. I call him the “Mayor of Girona”.
We wrapped up our conversation and Marty headed off to Idlehands. I re-focused my attention on trying to devour the rest of my meal within the hour time frame that I promised the waiter. I have this weird complex where I always try and keep my word, even for things that don’t actually matter.
Unfortunately, I fell short of my goal due to a full belly. Turns out my eyes were bigger than my stomach this time around.
As I made my way home through the nearly 200 year old streets of Girona, with half a box of pizza in hand, something within me told me to stop by Idlehands.
Idlehands is a compact café, restaurant, wine shop and record store in “Old Town” Girona. Surprisingly, they do all four of these things very well. As a coffee-addict and connoisseur, I can confidently say they have some of the best coffee in town (believe me, I’ve made the rounds). They also have this weird, dungeon-looking thing in the lobby of the restaurant. Lord knows what’s gone on down there (I don’t want to know).
By the time I walked in, the party had already begun. I zig-zagged through the beer sipping crowd and saw Marty, mouth full of half a vegan burger, at a table with four other guys.
They were deep in conversation and I didn’t want to interrupt, but I did. Over the loud house music, Marty introduced me to the rest of the gang and I pulled up a chair.
After just a few minutes, I found myself in a passionate debate with Miqui, who happens to be a tour guide for Trek Travels. We made our cases about which city has the best riding in Southern California: San Diego or Los Angeles. Of course, I told him San Diego not only had the best riding, but the most underrated riding in SoCal as well. He vehemently disagreed.
Before I knew it, it was 9 pm/21:00. And in case you’re wondering, yes I turn into a pumpkin after 9’o clock, regardless of what part of the world I’m in.
I said my goodbyes to the table and made my way home. But little did I know, my night was only just beginning.
After crushing the rest of my pizza at my kitchen table (I guess I was hungry after all), I got a craving for some Gelato. I’ve never really been a gelato person, but I can’t seem to get enough of the stuff here in town. I have a dairy sensitivity and love chocolate, so the “gelato vegana “ is my go-to. It NEVER disappoints.
While out, I linked up with my friend Dan (from Canada) and my friends Jen and Steve (from San Diego). I told them about the scene at Idlehands and that Taylor Phinney happened to be DJ’ing.
Steve and Dan wanted beers and the “Taylor Phinney is DJ’ing” thing seemed to be the cherry on top. So, with my hands covered in melted chocolate gelato, off to Idlehands we went.
“Who the hell is Taylor Phinney, anyway?”
You might be wondering: “Who the hell is Taylor Phinney, anyway?”
To be honest, I can’t answer that question, yet, because I haven’t had a chance to get to know who he is as a human being. However, I can tell you what he is known for.
Taylor Phinney is a former professional cyclist, time trial champion and Giro d’Italia stage winner. If you’re not a cycling fan, just know that the Giro d’Italia is a pretty big deal. But nowadays, he is a DJ, which appears to be one of his avenues of creative expression.
Who knew that our paths in life would intersect while he was DJ’ing in a Girona based cafe that has a dungeon in their lobby? Life has a funny way of creating scripts even the best film directors cannot imitate.
When I saw him on the turntable, I was not “star-struck”. As I think about it, that is an emotion that I don’t think has ever overcome me. To be honest, the first thing that came to my mind was: “I need to ask him how I can get some weed here”.
So, as he was searching through the crates for the next record to play, I did. Anyone that knows me well enough will tell you that, in general, I literally will talk to anyone and strike up a conversation. This situation was no different.
“You don’t really have those kind of options here”, Taylor said over the music, after I told him what my preferences are for cannabis edibles.
After living and growing up in California, I realized I’ve been a bit spoiled by the á la carte of cannibis creations that many of the local dispensaries have. “The edibles here are really strong” he emphasized as I’m sure he may have wondered “who the hell is this guy, again?”.
After he gave me a reader’s digest version on how the cannabis social clubs operate here in Spain, we wrapped up our conversation. I told him we could chat more about it later as he was obviously pre-occupied with making sure the alcohol infused crowd was satisfied with the tunes he was playing.
Why I consume Cannabis
When I was young, I was diagnosed with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). There are few types of symptoms that come from this condition: inattentiveness, hyperactivity and impulsiveness. Personally, I battle with a little bit of both.
As a youth, my symptoms manifested enough to the point where I was put on medication in middle school. I can vividly remember sitting in class one day, in a white hoodie, feeling like a zombie, not able to say or do much.
My grades soared and my teacher was pleased, but after dealing with the side effects for a couple of months I told my mom I that I did not want to take them any more. Fortunately she obliged, despite the fact that my behavior in class returned to a completely unsatisfactory level.
It wasn’t until 2020 that I realized I had never really “outgrown” my symptoms as I had been telling myself over the years. “I used to have ADHD as a kid” was the lie I kept internalizing.
As you know, there was a lot going on that year. In addition to the pandemic, I had also recently been laid off from my job. My emotions were running rampant and I started to have honest, vulnerable conversations with myself.
I realized, historically, I’ve always had issues with anxiety, depression and an increased inability to focus on tasks. Anxiety and depression run in my family, my uncle committed suicide. Why was I so arrogant to believe that I wouldn’t be predisposed to these conditions? The external events of life were only amplifying it.
I wanted to take the edge off the intensity of my symptoms. After deciding to give alcohol up for good just a couple of months prior, I figured I would give cannabis a try to see if it would help me “chill out”.
My only other experience with weed had been in college, where I really had no purpose for my use. Other than to get “high out of my mind”, eat a bunch of food afterwards and make memories with friends. This time around, I wanted it to be different.
The first blunt (joint) I smoked that year, I remember the same effect happened. But I realized it was likely because I had smoked half of it in one-sitting after not smoking for years. My tolerance for it wasn’t there and the quantity of consumption was clearly too much.
After a few more weeks of reading about human beings cannabinoid-system, the many cannabinoids within cannabis, how THC and CBD interact and terpene effects I was intrigued. It created a determination within me to figure out how I could make this plant work for me.
After about a year of use, I figured out a “sweet spot” ratio of CBD and THC that provided the effects I was searching for. It didn’t hurt that in California, where cannabis is legal, I had access to different products that offer varying ratios.
At first, I started with the cannabis oils because I did not want to inhale smoke of any kind to avoid damaging my lungs. I finally landed on edibles, which oddly enough, I was the most hesitant to try due to what I’ve heard about them from others. But, I’m glad that I did, as this has proven to be my preferred method of consumption for now.
Despite some of the cautions of Cannabis use in people with ADHD , I’ve noticed it dramatically decreases my anxiety, depression, stress and increases my mood and overall outlook on life. When completing tasks, my focus is markedly improved as well.
In the past, when I took ADHD medication, I felt like a shell of myself. Now, when I use Cannabis (always during the evening hours when I am not planning on leaving the house), I’m inspired and creative. Often times so focused on a project that I need to tell myself: “bro…it’s time to go to bed”.
Personally, I’ve found the indica ratios with at least 3x the amount of CBD to THC are my vibe. But it took trial and error for me to arrive at this point where I can use Cannabis and still remain comfortable and productive.
I often think about how helpful it would be if there were more research done on cannabis, cannabinoids and their psycological benefits and precautions. Where I could walk through a discussion with my healthcare provider and figure out what ratio might be best suited for me versus having to figure it out on my own.
After Cannabis consumption, I’ve never woken up the next morning hung over and hating life. As I have with alcohol after many long nights of partying (trust me, I’ve had my fun lol).
I wonder how many other adults with ADHD, depression, anxiety and stress that it could help?
“I haven’t rode 40 miles in so long….”
The next day I ran into Taylor at a local coffee shop after I finished one of my rides. We bumped-fists and he asked me which route I did.
After forgetting the name of the loop (I’m still learning these things), I just showed him on my bike computer. “I haven’t rode 40 miles in so long”, he told me. “Nothing wrong with that, bro” I told him, “use the bike however you're inspired to”.
Looking back, I’m grateful I stayed out past my bedtime that Saturday night. It is interesting how one friendship can beget others in life. Hanging out with current friends led to me making new ones, Taylor included. A small example of what can happen when you step outside of your comfort zone and regiment every once in awhile.
Subscribe below (it’s free) and I’ll be sure to keep you updated on my journey of becoming a member at one of the Cannabis social clubs here in Spain. Because accessing weed in this country is a bit complicated.
-Calvin Smith