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How To Safely Experiment With Cannabis Dosages

New to cannabis or simply looking to kick things up a notch? Check out our tips to experimenting with cannabis dosages safely.

Today, cannabis is well regulated, legal and grown with reliable care and quality. You’ve decided now is the time to try it but have no idea where to start. The good news is you’re not alone. The bad news is, there is no bad news. Those who have been experimenting with cannabis through prohibition know that there are very few rules you need to follow when getting high. However, there are a few very important guidelines to keep in mind when starting out.

Understanding Cannabis

How you respond to each strain of cannabis depends a lot on your unique physiology. Understanding how the endocannabinoid system functions is helpful knowledge to learn and explore before dropping cash on the multitudes of cannabis products available today. Simplified, the endocannabinoid system (ECS) is a biological bodily system that is comprised of receptors and enzymes that help keep you in the goldilocks zone with regards to how doses of cannabis play out over time when consumed.

Depending on the dose amount and frequency of consumption will also influence how long cannabis stays in your body. Some say cannabis is detectable in your system from days to many weeks depending on how often you consume cannabis prior to conventional testing. Similarly, the effects of a cannabis high can last anywhere from a couple hours to a few days depending on dosage. This leads to the inevitable million-dollar question, how can I know my cannabis tolerance? The answer is nuanced. Let’s explore further.

What is Microdosing

Cannabis microdosing or consuming very small amounts of THC (the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis) can have anywhere from profound to seemingly no effect on your state of being. Similarly, consuming massive amounts of THC can also have profound or little effect depending on your cannabis tolerance.

Considering how individual and varied your first cannabis dosing experience can be, carve out six to 12 hours of time when you know you will not be needed to solve any of life’s more complex mysteries. Finding a trusted friend who knows his or her cannabis tolerance is an excellent way to ensure you have a supportive and enjoyable shared experience.

Now that you know what microdosing is, you might be wondering what are the benefits of microdosing? People who microdose hope for benefits in general health, wellbeing such as improved sleep, lower anxiety and an overall improved outlook. Seek out a high-quality full spectrum CBD oil with a small percentage of THC, sometimes less than 0.4%, so you can safely experiment to see what benefits you experience.

What Are Terpenes

High–quality, organically grown cannabis smells amazing. Head over to your favourite retailer and have a stroll through the strains with your nostrils. Just like how the first stages of digestion are often triggered by the mouth-watering scent of what you are eating, how the cannabis flower smells can kick off the sensorial adventure ahead of you. As you sniff away, do you smell hints of citrus? Perhaps a blend of pine and nutmeg? What you are smelling are an array of terpenes. There are hundreds of unique terpenes that offer each cannabis strain its unique aroma and hint at therapeutic benefits. Sniff sniff before you puff puff. And learn more about terpenes here.

How to Start with Cannabis

Now that you’ve got some basic cannabis knowledge downloaded to the old noggin, you are ready to come up with a plan. Are you going to go low and slow with dosage amounts or are you going to throw caution to the wind and hot box your sauna? If this is your first time, we obviously recommend the former. If you’ve been around the block a few times, chances are you’ll be fine, particularly since you’ve got your high-flying wing person and some snacks.

If you really want to nerd out, have a cannabis experience journal at the ready so you can collect useful data to inform your next ride. Take note of the cannabis strain, how much you’ve consumed and in what form. Try to capture details of the high in writing as well. On your journey, you will discover that smoking cannabis can have a very different mind and body experience than edibles or topicals. Smoking cannabis fast-tracks THC to the bloodstream through the lungs directly and produces a high in minutes, whereas topicals or edibles can take the better part of an hour before effects kick in. Folks that have reported negative cannabis experiences such as paranoia, nausea and dizziness often overlook the dose to time ratio. This can easily happen when someone offers you a yummy tasting chocolate brownie and you go back for seconds without thinking it through.

Cannabis and Alcohol or Food

While we are on the topic of negative cannabis dosing experiences, you should consider not inviting alcohol to your first cannabis rodeo. Mixing alcohol and cannabis can be a recipe for disaster. Alcohol cranks up the dosing effects of cannabis in extremely unpredictable ways. For some, mixing alcohol and cannabis can produce vomiting, anxiety and sadness. For others, it can be a powerful and immediate off button causing you to fall asleep regardless of your physical location. For these reasons, skip the sips when starting out and learn how to figure out cannabis potency by reading the milligram dosages written on your cannabis packaging.

There are a few skilled chefs out there that know exactly how to offer cannabis–infused meals with delicious wine pairings. The chef will often bring CBD into the picture later in the meal to help dial down the high. The result can be a euphoric and extraordinarily enjoyable experience for all.