Peter Rubin
Combining virtual reality with cannabis may diminish the unique experiences each offers, as both have transformative qualities that can be compromised when mixed. The author reflects on their fascination with virtual reality since adolescence, influenced by cultural works like Snow Crash and Lawnmower Man.
Summary
VR and cannabis might seem like natural complements, but to combine them strips both of their transformative power. When I was 17 years old, two things held particular sway over my imagination. One of them was virtual reality. Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash and the movie Lawnmower Man both came out that year, and while I had never heard of the technology that was bubbling through labs and startups thousands of miles from my Midwestern home, the idea of entering and truly existing inside a digital world became a source of endless fascination.
