Weed and the Fidget Spinner: Helpful Device or Wasteful Distraction?

As a former public-school teacher and administrator, I am typically not in favor of anything that might cause a distraction to the pedagogical process. Over the past several years, however, we have seen the rise of many gadgets that have done just that. For me, the most intrusive apparatus arriving in the classroom that continues to vex educators has been the smartphone. Teachers are forced to constantly perform the “turn that off,” “log off that,” “put that away,” dance every day resulting in the loss of valuable learning time. Now, we have the fidget spinner.

So what is a weed fidget spinner anyway?

It is a small handheld

device that has a button-like core in the center. Typically, there are two or three paddle-like blades extending from the center. You make it work by flicking the blades with your fingers and the gadget will begin to spin and that’s it! I suppose for the cannabis user it may serve as an enhancement for your cannabis high – and some say it does. Others call it a lame, useless contraption.

Somehow, they have become one of the hottest items around the country. The two or three-pronged apparatus spins endlessly with the help of metal bearings and weights. Amazon is reporting that it has occupied the entire Top 20 of “Amazon best sellers” for toys and games. You can think of it as a new, spinning version of the stress ball.

So, move over yo-yo and hacky sack, apparently there is a new king of the yard. This nifty little contrivance seems to have captured the imagination of kids and stoners alike. With a cheap price tag, it has been moving like hotcakes. The price of the device can range from a few bucks up to $700.

Enhance Your High While Reducing Stress

The jury is clearly still out as to whether fidget spinners have any therapeutic benefits. While it has a certain tactile charm, and is highly portable I still wonder what the fuss is all about. Parents seem to like them as a replacement to the binge-watching, video game addicted, shoot ’em up pastimes their kids are obsessed with. Teachers, on the other hand, are not too impressed as many schools have outright banned the gizmo citing it as a complete distraction.