microdosing

I think an important point to make here is that I rarely use cannabis to get “high.” In fact, I rarely get “high” even though I use cannabis products containing THC daily for many different therapeutic uses. Remember it’s the THC cannabinoid that makes you feel high. As I’ve mentioned before when I recently started using flower again, I really didn’t like it because weed these days is really strong. Before, when I was younger, I did smoke weed to get high. Back then, you smoked it and got high and laughed for awhile and then it went away. In fact, one time my best friend and I tried to see if we could get too stoned. We took more and more hits off a bong for a really long time and finally both agreed that we could only get so high.

But today that’s not the case. Today, if you’re not careful, you could be comatose and flat out on your ass for hours or days if you use a THC product that’s too strong. In the early 1990s, the average amount of THC in cannabis was less than 4%, compared to an average of 15% in 2018. And, my budtender just told me about a flower strain they sell now that has 32% THC. Wow!

The high THC content in today’s flower also made me reluctant to try edibles, for fear that I might ingest too much and be catatonic for a really long time. It wasn’t until I read the book, Ganja Yoga by Dee Dussault, who expressed some of the same concerns in her earlier experiences with flower, that I realized I should try something called microdosing.

So, what is microdosing and why is it so important? Well, if you use flower regularly you probably have built up a tolerance to THC. But if you’re cannabis naïve like me and want to use THC for therapeutic purposes other than just getting high, then you have to find a way to cut down the THC dose, and it’s called microdosing. For me edibles (which I used to be so afraid of) are the key to microdosing. Smoking or even vaping flower is great to get high, but I find it’s just too hard to control the dose if you’re using flower for other purposes. Let me give you an example.

I really wanted to try flower to improve my sleep. I’d been snacking on melatonin, Benadryl, and trazodone and really wanted to use something more natural. So, I bought the Wyld Elderberry Gummies based on the recommendation from my local budtender. Each individual gummy in the package has a THC:CBN ratio of 10mg:5mg. My budtender recommended that I cut the gummy in half to start, so I did. About an hour after I ate it, I started to feel high. 

But I wasn’t very tired and I actually had a really hard time falling asleep and ended up having a restless night. I was really disappointed and thought, “Shit, maybe I need to take a bigger dose.” Then I thought, “Wait a minute,” and I remembered what I read in Ganja Yoga, and that in medicine we always start low and go slow with medication. So, the next night I did just the opposite. I cut the gummy into quarters and took the equivalent of 2.5mg THC:1.25mg CBN. About an hour later I felt tired and soon dosed off into a great night’s sleep. It was perfect! The lower dose allowed me to experience the therapeutic benefit of the THC without the intense high that comes with larger doses.

I also started using the Wyld Strawberry Gummies that are 20mg:1mg CBD:THC. Even at 1mg I can tell when the THC kicks in. Not in a bad way, but in a good way that enhances the CBD and just takes the edge off so I can relax. That’s how sensitive I am to THC.

Research now shows us that THC’s effect on the CB1 and CB2 receptors in the Endocannabinoid System (ECS) has so many beneficial uses including neuroprotection, reducing pain and inflammation, reducing muscle spasticity, treating glaucoma, reducing insomnia, reducing nausea, and low doses can actually help reduce anxiety. But it’s hard to enjoy these benefits if you can’t get off the couch. The other benefit I noticed when I started microdosing is that I wasn’t hungry, well actually ravenous, like I get when I smoke flower, and I can still function and get shit done. I just feel good, not stoned.

Flower is such a personal thing and really requires some trial and error. For me, I know 10mg is about the top end of how much THC I want to consume and at that point I am really high. I’m sure over time my tolerance will increase. But for now, I’m exploring the complexity of this plant that used to seem so simple, and enjoying flower again in a whole new way that I never expected. And it’s all because I microdose. If you are new to flower, give it a try. I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

WEBSITE DISCLOSURE
These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to treat, cure, or diagnose any disease. This website contains general information about diet, health and nutrition. The information is not advice and is not a substitute for advice from a healthcare professional. You should always get your medical advice from a healthcare professional (HCP) knowledgeable about your individual needs. A competent healthcare professional will provide a comprehensive intake meeting where you review the conditions you want to treat and assess your prescription medications to identify potential contraindications with cannabis.

Sources

WayofLeaf.com. Microdosing Marijuana: What is it? https://wayofleaf.com/education/what-is-microdosing-weed-explained

Dussault, Dee. Ganja Yoga: A Practical Guide to Conscious Relaxation, Soothing Pain Relief, and Enlightened Self-Discovery