What is Space Brownie and What It Does to You

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What are Space Brownies?

Space brownies are called space brownies because they are supposed to give you an out-of-this-world experience. When taken in the right amount, they’re going to send you to space and make you see stars.

If you can’t guess what the magic ingredient is, you probably should go out more. Space brownies are basically brownies laced with cannabis.

Cannabis edibles are not a new fad — they have been around for quite some time. The earliest recorded cannabis-infused food was in 1,000 BCE in the Indian subcontinent, where people have been taking it for both spiritual and medicinal purposes. Today, they are legal in many countries.

Are Space Brownies Safe to Consume?

For many centuries, marijuana has been known to be beneficial in treating various medical conditions, including chronic pain, cancer-related symptoms, muscle spasms, depression, and anxiety.

Among the active compounds in marijuana are:

THC, which is responsible for inducing feelings of euphoria and relaxation, and
CBD, which has been shown to have pain- and anxiety-reducing properties.

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Smoking Weed vs Eating Cannabis Edibles

Although smoking weed is rarely considered harmful, there have been several inconclusive studies that associate marijuana smoke with lung inflammation, bronchitis, impaired brain functions, and cancer.

In contrast, edible cannabis products have not been shown to negatively affect lung health or increase cancer risk. It is therefore considered safer to consume cannabis in its edible form than to smoke it. However, this is not to say that edible cannabis is entirely free from possible adverse effects.

Unlike smoking weed, which takes only a few minutes to take effect, cannabis edibles take much longer — usually up to 90 minutes. The effects also vary from one person to another, depending on one’s body weight, gender, metabolism, and a host of other factors.

What this means is that it is very easy to unintentionally overconsume cannabis edibles, since you are unable to gauge immediately whether you have taken too much. This may then result in undesirable symptoms.

On top of that, the fact that most edible cannabis products resemble regular food — such as gummy candies, cookies, and other baked goods — poses a risk of accidental ingestion, especially by children and pets.

Possible Side Effects of Space Brownie

Anxiety
Dry mouth
Fatigue
Impaired motor ability
Changes in visual perception
Psychosis (paranoia, extreme sedation, hallucinations, and confusion)

Where to Find Space Brownies

There are now several countries in the world where you can buy marijuana products without having to worry about undercover police hiding around corners to nab you.

Those countries are the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, South Africa, Uruguay, Belize, Mexico, Jamaica, Costa Rica, Canada, and some states in the US. This list is very likely to grow in the near future. Thailand has recently legalized recreational marijuana, making it the first and only Southeast Asian country to have done so.

My first encounter with space brownies was in Amsterdam — the Weed Capital of Europe. I had wanted to buy it then, but the cafe owner had asked for my passport, which I didn’t have with me at the time.

A few years later, I came across it again in Laos, in a backpacker’s town called Vang Vieng, which is notorious for having claimed the lives of multiple tourists.

What It's Like to Eat Space Brownies

In this backpacker’s haven called Vang Vieng, there were quite a few cafes claiming to sell ‘happy stuff’ — ranging from happy garlic breads to happy omelets.

You could easily tell from their paintwork, which was all green and yellow and red, some even sporting large murals of Bob Marley on their walls. The whole cafe seemed to say, “Don’t worry, be happy”.

What it's like to eat space brownies? | Ummi Goes Where? — The ‘Happy’ Menu!

I was a bit skeptical in the beginning because I had once been cheated in Indonesia, fooled into thinking that I was eating magic mushroom, when it was probably just some regular chanterelle.

But here in Vang Vieng, I saw a customer passed out on the couch at one of the cafes, so I took that as a good sign.

In the afternoon, right after lunch, I ordered a mushroom shake, and to my delight, it gave me the desired effect. Emboldened by this positive experience, I went again to the same cafe at dinnertime to try the ‘happy balloon’ and the space brownie.

The balloon, I consumed immediately, while the brownie was packed to go. It was a thin flat piece of cake, which didn’t look the slightest bit appetizing.

It tasted almost as bad as it looked — very bland and dry. I took a few tentative bites, waited several minutes, but felt nothing. So, I gobbled the whole thing up.

I wish I hadn’t.

The thing with space brownies is that, you can’t really tell how much weed they have put in. And you wouldn’t feel the high right away as you would with a joint. So, you wouldn’t know if you have eaten too much until it’s too late.

The effect only started to kick in about an hour later. The first thing I noticed was that my brain had slowed down (yes, slower than my already-sluggish brain), and other parts of my body had overridden it.

For instance, my arm would suddenly jerk and it would take a few seconds before my brain even registered what had happened.

Then, my lower jaw started to move on its own accord, from side to side. I recorded myself on camera to see if it was really moving or if I had been imagining it. (Warning: It looks like a horror movie).

I was on my bed, watching TV in the dark. It was an animation, but every few seconds or so, the characters on screen would suddenly look like real human beings that I almost wanted to reach out my hands and touch them. And then, they’d turn into cartoons again.

A Bad Trip

My heart started beating so fast and loud that I could feel it reverberating throughout my body. My breath became shallower. I had to put a hand under my nose to make sure I was still breathing.

Then, I lay back on the bed and closed my eyes. What I saw was hundreds of colorful geometrical shapes and numbers dancing and throbbing. There was a ‘slideshow’ of random images of postal stamps and birds and the Eiffel Tower. And zebras. I remember seeing a lot of zebras grazing in a field.

After that, it transformed into a series of alphabet, starting with Z for Zebras, Y for Yaks, and so on, till we got to A for Apples. If the ‘happy stuff’ was supposed to make you happy, I wonder if that was what happiness felt like, and why of all things, it had to give me a spelling lesson.

Scared that I might start hallucinating and harming myself or other people, I tried to sleep. Prior to eating the brownie, I had stashed away sharp and potentially dangerous objects, as a safety measure. Call me paranoid, but like I said, this was my first venture into the mysterious world of hallucinogens.

But I also wondered: if I slept, would I forget to breathe? Would my body go into a shock? Would my heart beat so fast that it goes into cardiac arrest? Has anyone ever OD’d on weed?

I wished I had done more research on this. I wished I had someone more experienced with me to calm me down and tell me I was going to be okay.

Instead, I just lay there on the bed, not daring to move a muscle. I didn’t even know if I could. The brownie had sent me into some sort of paralysis. Some few minutes later (or maybe longer), I fell asleep.

The next morning, I woke up feeling as though nothing ever happened. I had expected a terrible hangover or an upset stomach, but there was none.

The Verdict on Space Brownies

Would I eat space brownies again?

Definitely. I would love to find one that actually tastes good, like a real brownie, but I will make sure to take it slow this time around. Lesson learned.

Tips for Eating Space Brownies Safely

Keep in mind that individual tolerance for cannabis may vary. I would suggest taking it in moderation if it’s your first time trying edible cannabis.
You’re not supposed to feel the effect immediately. Wait for at least 2 hours before you consume more.
It is best to have a friend with you or someone you can trust to take care of you and your stuff, in case you get a bad trip from the space brownie.
Do not take space brownies before doing any activity that requires concentration, like driving a car!
Avoid taking cannabis edibles if you’re on certain medications, including (but not limited to) blood thinners and antidepressants.
Avoid taking cannabis edibles with alcohol.
Some places require you to show your ID when buying cannabis products, so make sure you have yours with you.
Buy cannabis edibles only from licensed stores. Illegal operations might sell products that are contaminated with other substances that may pose serious health risks.
If you’re in Amsterdam, buy space brownies from coffee shops. Those sold anywhere else are most likely fake.
Remember that marijuana is still illegal in many countries. This article is by no means trying to encourage the consumption of drugs. Please refer to the disclaimer at the bottom of the page.