35,000. That is the approximate number of decisions the average adult brain is forced to navigate between sunrise and sleep in the modern world. It is a staggering figure, one that suggests we are less “living our lives” and more “managing a never-ending series of micro-crises,” most of which involve the terrifying possibility of picking the wrong brand of dish soap or the second-best flight to Denver.

Renata was standing in the middle of a boutique aisle, the kind where the lighting is designed to make you feel sophisticated but the sheer volume of options makes you feel like you’re losing your mind. She wasn’t buying a car or a house; she was looking for THCa flower. In her hand, she held her phone, three browser tabs open to various Certificate of Analysis reports, her thumb hovering-there’s that word again-over a Reddit thread debating the terpene profile of a specific harvest from six months ago. She looked like she was studying for the Bar exam, not trying to find a way to relax on a Tuesday night.

The Tax We Pay for Infinite Shelves

The freedom she had been promised by