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How to
Consume Cannabis
Cannabis Flower
This refers to the buds you can smoke from the cannabis plant and is what most of us think of when we think of “pot.” Of course, there’s a wide variety of choices when it comes to strains, varieties and method of consumption. From pipes to bongs and from sativa to indica, this is a flower with many petals. We invite you to explore all of them…and find what works best for you. And we’re happy to serve as your helpful guide along your journey.
Edibles
Many of us have tried a random brownie at a party…and not had the best of times. Today, the world of edibles is vast and the dosing is precise. Like vape pens, edibles are a very discreet way to consume cannabis. Unlike vape pens, the effects are not immediate, so dosing can be a little bit trickier.
It’s best to start at a very low dosage…and go slow with any edible you try.
The range of doses varies widely, too—from 2.5 mg of THC (considered a “microdose”) to “mega doses” of 1,000 mg.
Sublinguals
(tinctures & sublingual strips)
These are an interesting new class of products that involve ingesting cannabis under the tongue. It bypasses the liver, providing a more consistent and immediate effect. For more information, check out this video from Kinslips, a manufacturer of sublingual strips:
Kinslips
Suppositories
At first blush, most of us cringe, laugh or both. It’s okay if talk of cannabis suppositories brings out your inner 12-year-old 🙂
However, rectal suppositories and vaginal suppositories offer unique benefits over other means of consumption – including enjoying the benefits of cannabis with little to no high.
For people treating cancer and other serious health issues with higher doses of TCH, rectal suppositories offer a great option for folks who can’t tolerate the psychoactive effects of those higher doses.
Vaginal suppositories are helpful in treating a whole host of women’s health issues, including menstrual cramps, vaginal dryness and endometriosis.
Suppositories may also be beneficial for palliative care and can be precisely dosed and easily administered by a caregiver.
Topicals
You can put cannabis in a cream, balm, salve, massage oil and even lubricant. Using cannabis this way is ideal when you want to target a localized region to treat pain or enhance pleasure.
Just remember, you will not get high using topical cannabis. No matter how much or hard you rub it in.
Extracts
Extracts such as hash oil, wax and shatter are popular for their highly concentrated THC content. Extracts are typically consumed through Vape Pens which are a discreet and easy for controlling dosage. The biggest thing you probably need to know about these products? It’s best to leave them on the shelf for now. They’re meant for extremely experienced users.
The ABC's
of CBD & THC
CBD and THC are the most well-known cannabinoids. Cannabinoids are the chemical compounds in cannabis that interact with the receptors in the brain and body to produce an array of effects.
CBD
CBD does not get you high like THC can, but has some great health and wellness properties. It can ease anxiety, inflammation and pain. It can also help buffer some of the effects of THC.
THC
This is what we commonly think of when we think of cannabis. THC gets you high/euphoric when you take it in higher doses. It also can provide pain relief. In smaller “microdoses” it can induce relaxation and improve mood.
Products that are lower in THC and higher in CBD are great choices for new or returning users to cannabis.
Different Doses
for Different Folks
Because we all have a unique number of receptors in our body that cannabis interacts with, one person’s experience with a certain percentage of THC/CBD can be very different from another person’s experience.
No one can tell you exactly what will be right for you, so you’ll need to experiment a bit.
This is where the mantra of “start low and go slow” kicks in.
It is best to ease into figuring out what your personal “sweet spot” is with this plant.
One way that can be helpful to think about cannabis is to view it like caffeine. A little caffeine is great—it puts a little spring in our step, some zing in our morning.
But too much caffeine? Our hearts are racing, we’re sweating and anxious, maybe even nauseous. It’s not a good feeling.
Also, similar to caffeine, we each have a “sweet spot” that’s unique to us. Usually we find that sweet spot by experimenting safely. Some of us find we are tea sippers and others find that a double shot espresso really gets them going in the morning.
What does “start low and go slow” mean for you?
It can mean ingesting 2.5 mg of cannabis if you’re consuming edibles. Remember that you can always cut a dose in half or quarters. For instance, the Petra Mints from Kiva contain 2.5 mg of THC which is considered a microdose, but you can start by taking half of a mint.
Remember that the effects of edibles can take up to 90 minutes to kick in.
Resist the urge to dive in for more before you let the first dose kick in.
If you’re smoking or vaping cannabis, look for strains that have a high percentage of CBD and a lower percentage of THC. Take a puff, wait a while then take another. Remember it can take 10-20 minutes for a high to fully kick in, you can always smoke more, but you can’t smoke less…
How Should I
Consume Cannabis?
Eventually, you’ll start to get very familiar and comfortable with how sensitive your cannabinoid receptors are. You’ll get to know your sweet spot really well, which products and/or strains feel good to you, and at what doses. Cannabis is one of those things we really need to experiment with a bit first.
To better break things down, here’s some great info from safecannabisuse.com:
Try edibles, tinctures, or patches.
Try CBD-rich or microdosed products.
Try balms or transdermal patches.
Try edibles or tinctures.
What to do When You Get
Too High
It’s okay, we have all been there, you are still learning your limits and over did it a bit-but you will be okay! If you are sitting there thinking “I smoked too much weed! What do I do?!” this section is for you. We are going to give you all the advice you need when you get too stoned.
First off, take a long deep breath. Ingesting too much THC can increase your heart rate and make you feel anxious but know that there have been NO reported deaths from overconsumption of cannabis. That’s right, you won’t die from smoking or eating too much of an edible.
So now that we have that worry out of the way, what can you do to feel better?
CBD
As we said above, CBD can help reduce the feeling of being high. Using a CBD tincture, edible or vape can help reduce your high within minutes!
Eat Something
Munchies aren’t only a side effect of getting high, they are also a great tool to help reverse the effects!
Get Creative
Having an outlet for that anxious energy can turn your experience around into a great time! Use this time to knit, draw, color, paint, do yoga, play guitar or whatever else gets your brain and hands focusing on something else! (Sometimes it’s cleaning!)
Turn on Some Music
When you feel uneasy music can make the world of difference, turn on your favorite song and get lost in the music, or get up and dance with your friends to shake off the bad vibes!
Talk it Out
When you are feeling over medicated and anxious, it is easy to slip into the mentality that everyone else is having a good time and you don’t want to bring the mood down-you won’t! If you are feeling uneasy, chances are whoever you are with is or was during your session too. Sometimes just letting them know you feel too high and talking about how you feel can get everyone out of their heads and go back to having a good time!
