It’s another quiet Saturday evening. I’m ready to get into the zone: I lovingly grind up my favorite flower, take out my papes, roll up a delectable joint, step onto the balcony, and light up.

After enough hits to have me feeling like I’m floating in huggable clouds, I come back inside and stretch myself out on the couch, grabbing the TV remote to continue a The Office marathon.

And then, suddenly, a tragedy: I’ve got the munchies. I used to love splurging on every snack whenever they set in, whether it was to calm down a sweet tooth or order a full meal from a delivery service, but I’m really not in the mood to binge right now.

I’ve been trying to save on food and following a diet to reach my goals, so this is definitely not what I need right now.

This time I give in, but I’m determined to find an alternative. A couple of snacks later, I’m in detective mode. Thank goodness for Google, am I right?

After scrolling down for a bit, a name catches my eye: THCV. Not sure where this rabbit hole will take me, I decide to click and find out.

“Skinny pot” jumps from the screen at me. An appetite-suppressing cannabis compound? I shouldn’t be surprised, there are so many unique and exciting weed products out there, but I just can’t believe this is the first I’m hearing of it.

I’m too far in not to further investigate, so I carry on. 

Tetrahydrocannabivarin is quite a tongue twister, so I stick to calling it THCV.

Apparently, it exists naturally in small quantities in cannabis and hemp plants. While its chemical cousin THC is known to induce some serious munchies (like the ones I just gave into), THCV does the opposite while still being stimulating.

Well, I’ll be darned, there really is something out there that suits my needs at the moment.

THCV interacts with the endocannabinoid system just like other compounds, with a twist compared to other cannabinoids: instead of activating the CB1 receptor, which releases hunger-promoting hormones, THCV actually blocks the CB1 receptor, which means the undeniable hunger can be kept at bay.

Now that I’ve got the science mastered (not that a Google search makes me an expert, but sometimes it feels like it), I’ve got to find where to get my hands on some of this stuff. Luckily for me, another quick search is all that is needed to bring up the name of a brand: Binoid. Rolls right off the tongue, huh?

There they are, in all of their glory: THCV vape cartridges that are ready to go whenever I am. Between Purple Haze, Sour Tangie, and Candyland, I have a hard time picking, but end up settling on Sour Tangie.

I pop them into my cart, order them, and doze off to sleep, forgetting what I’ve just done.

A few days later, there’s a knock at my door. A long-lost sibling? A visiting friend? A dog that has evolved to the point of being able to knock? I guess there’s only one way to find out.

I open the door to find a package proudly sitting at my feet, and suddenly, I remember: my THCV! I grab it excitedly, ready to embark on an adventure.

Once the box is opened, I take my sweet time reading the packaging. I guess I didn’t really do that before I ordered it, but hey, better late than never. It’s also is infused with Delta 8 THC, which I’m definitely not mad about.

It says Sour Tangie promotes a feeling of happiness, as well as being great to curb hunger and provide full-body relief. I whip out my handy vape battery, open the package, and prepare for lift-off.

At first, a feeling of calm sweeps over me. I feel relaxed, yet focused on the task at hand (the task is trying to find my lost remote in a jungle of pillows).

I giggle at the thought of how silly I must look draped upside-down on the sofa, digging through the deep swamp of the couch. My hand eventually finds the remote, and I slide down into the softness of the sofa, feeling high as a kite and happy as a clam.

It’s been a while, I think. The clock seems to be going super fast and standing still at the same time, but I know I’ve binged at least three episodes at this point.

Then it hits me: I haven’t had munchies this whole time! I was enjoying the uplifting experience so much, I didn’t even think about it. By golly, this stuff really works.

I take another slow, long drag of my cartridge and settle down to enjoy a munchies-free high all night long.