James Gandolfini -- Totally Mellow on Marijuana Questions

We're not saying James Gandolfini inhaled ... we're just saying he's unusually chill when it comes to talking about his recent visit to a famous marijuana dispensary.

TMZ broke the story ... James and a friend were photographed at The Farmacy in Venice, CA.

We're told he was just window shopping, but when we ran into James and his wife leaving dinner at E Baldi in Bev Hills last night -- we had to ask about his trip, or ... tripping.

We asked James if he was "just curious" about the effects of passing the dutch -- and if he's into edibles or tokin' up?

You gotta see his response, and note the giggles.