I thoroughly enjoyed reading about your experience with gas, and I look forward to further reports. Your writing is very easy to read.
I pumped gas in a family garage as a young teen and much as I still love the scent of gasoline it doesn't seem to hold the same sweetness that the old leaded 93 octane had. I never did intentionally sniff the fumes, but I once made a short trip to your dreamyland, after sampling one hit of thai bud dipped in opium, a customer drove up after I had imbided & as I was the "kid" it became my task to help the guy out. He wanted $5 of gas, which should have taken a very short time, but for some reason I got too close to the hose & inadvertantly became entrapped for a moment. When I snapped out of it what seemed like a second or two later (it seemed to me) I had inadvertantly pumped more than 3 times the amount the customer had requested. With a stupid grin on my face I informed the driver that I had accidentally placed $18.00 gas in his tank & that was @$1.37/gal. Well turned out the guy didn't mind a bit, of course he wasn't gonna pay for it though either. Fortunately for me with all the other stoners working there my escapades must have seemed minor. I hadn't really connected that particular "time lapse" to anything but that first & only toke I had taken, but upon reading your post here I had never put the gas at fault (or given it the credit it deserved).
I do think you give too little credit to your bad experience, that type thing may not be a turning point to everyone, good on you for taking heed, as I have whenever reality smacks one upside the head & causes one to find a new way to achieve an old problem.