Ask a Stoner: Why Are My Fellow Cannabis Users So Rude on the Internet?

Dear Stoner: Why are my fellow stoners so mean to each other online and on social media? There’s always something wrong with my photo, recommendation or favorite brand.
Burner Mom

Dear Burner Mom: Welcome to the internet. Dispensary shoppers are diverse, but the commenters about retail cannabis tend to be a resentful bunch, just like everyone else online except fans of pet videos. We love to see fat dogs lose weight. You need to find an intimate network for reliable information and polite discourse about cannabis, something like a private group (and even those can get toxic).

Brands and experts are still fighting for supremacy in this new scene, and that leads to a lot of enemies and dirt-slinging. We’ll have to deal with it until cannabis further establishes itself, but don’t stop fighting the good fight. And do check Reddit: Commenters there show more good faith in discussion than you’ll find on Facebook and Instagram, which both shut down cannabis pages on whims, anyway. Don’t expect all hugs and fair criticism on Reddit, though. I posted two photos of the same flower in differently branded jars a few months apart in the same group and got totally different reactions.

Send questions to marijuana@westword.com.