Absolute Badass Smokes Weed In Front Of Depression Lamp

“It’s like a battle,” says Eric Cooper. He laughs and coughs. “The sun versus the moon. The moon is weed.” He coughs again. “I’ve totally cured it.”

Cooper, 32, has suffered for years with depression which, he says, “gets way worse in the winter because of the [lack of] light.” He treats it with light therapy: the practice of sitting in front of a lamp that mimics natural sunlight, thereby helping the body regulate melatonin in the darker winter months and, advocates say, lifting the mood.

For many who suffer from depression — seasonal or otherwise — light therapy has become a cheap and effective treatment. According to Dr. Erica Monroe, associate head of Harvard’s Depression Research Institute, “light therapy really helps when combined with other methods, such as medication, exercise or mindfulness training.”

Eric agrees about the efficacy of combining treatments. “I for one absolutely rip the bong in front of [the light therapy lamp]. It’s like smoking weed while the aliens abduct you.”

The result? “I’m generally high as fuck until dinner,” he says. “So that’s cool.” He sighs and grins. “I’m sorry what were you asking?”