Cannabis comes with more benefits than a first time user might think. The two most common (and popular) cannabinoids in cannabis, THC and CBD, offer hundreds of benefits. These benefits come in many forms. Recreational users of cannabis consider getting high to be one benefit. Medical users, on the other hand, use cannabis to help treat health conditions. When it comes to these types of benefits, cannabis has a very large amount (too much to put into a few paragraphs). So, to stay on topic, you can check out our medical cannabis posts for more information on these benefits:
Cannabis users that only use the plant for medical reasons tend to not care too much about getting high. Some don’t even like it, and would prefer to get the benefits of cannabis without getting the buzz. For those users, I introduce microdosing: an easy way to bring down the amount of cannabis you are using, while still reaping the benefits.
What Is Microdosing?
So, what is microdosing? Well, it is exactly how it sounds. You micro (or make smaller) your doses of cannabis. This can be done by, well, smoking less cannabis! Or, if you choose to eat your weed, then making/purchasing edibles that contain less cannabis. Below, we have some of the best practices for microdosing cannabis. Keep reading for those.
Microdosing cannabis is actually a relatively new interest. Before, microdosing was only common amongst those who were taking hallucinogenic drugs, such as LSD and magic mushrooms. However, since the discovery of doing it to cannabis and the benefits it can offer, it is growing quick in popularity. Unfortunately, most cannabis users still do not know about microdosing, which is why we are here to explain it!
[bctt tweet=”You can microdose with cannabis to get the benefits without getting the buzz.” username=”reefer_post”]
When microdosing, it is not necessary to do it with CBD, and much as it is to do it with THC. This is due to the fact that THC gives off psychoactive effects, while CBD does not. So, since CBD cannot get you high, you do not need to worry about getting buzzed while getting medicated! For more information on differences between THC and CBD, click here.
Reasons To Microdose
As stated above, one obvious reason for microdosing is if you want to receive the medical benefits from cannabis, without actually getting high. Sometimes, getting high can interfere with day-to-day life and the responsibilities that come along with it. Many medical marijuana patients want to take on these responsibilities while sober, but still need their medication (a.k.a. that THC and CBD).
Certain medical conditions work well with microdosing. Studies have shown that some of these conditions were actually treated better when the amount of cannabis consumption was brought down. Here are some of those conditions:
- pain
- stress
- depression
- anxiety
- PTSD
- insomnia
Another reason for microdosing is strictly just to save on your stash. By that I mean consume less cannabis so that the amount you have will last longer. This is one practice of using cannabis more efficiently (we have a whole list of more ways to do this, click here for that!).
Best Practices
Does microdosing sound like something you would be interested in trying? I mean, why not? You can save on some weed while still getting those benefits. If it does seem like something you’d like to try, it would be good if you knew the best practices. Thanks to Reefer Post, you can get those right here.
How much should I be smoking?
Well, that really depends on the person. Everyone is different, and we will all act slightly different towards these benefits than one another. If you are someone who is experienced with cannabis and have been smoking for years, then chances are your tolerance is pretty high. Those with a high tolerance will find it harder to cut back compared to novice smokers.
If you are not attempting to get high, then do not smoke until you get high. Only smoke enough to get in your system and stay there. How’s that? Well, in order to cut back, you should start low and go slow. Say you regularly smoke 3 grams of cannabis a day. Start by cutting one of those grams out. After about a week or two, take out one more. Now you are only smoking 1/3 of what you used to; and that is an example of microdosing.
How much should be in my edibles?
Edibles are a bit trickier. You cannot microdose them by simply only eating half of a whole one that you would usually eat. Most edibles are not evenly dosed throughout the whole edible. So, it is near impossible to break apart an edible and decide how much cannabis is in each piece. Yes, the whole thing might have 100 mg, but divide that into 4 and each piece will not be an even 25 mg.
If you are making/purchasing edibles, and you want to microdose, start buying consuming edibles with less cannabis in them. So, instead of splitting up one edible, just get a whole one that is lower in dosage. That way you can still enjoy a whole edible, without consuming as much cannabis.
Which strains should I use?
Strains also play a big part in microdosing. For one, different strains have different benefits. So your first objective should be to figure out which one you need to be consuming. Secondly, different strains have different levels of potency. As a medical marijuana patient, you may not want a strain with a high level of potency. If you are buying from your local dispensary, then ask them about their strains and how potent they are. One good way to microdose is to bring down the potency of your weed.
Click here to learn more about strains.
That’s all for microdosing. If you are a recreational user, this may not pertain to you. And I’m with you; I always love me a good high. But, for medical purposes, microdosing is great. Try it out, and maybe you’ll end up saving some time and money. Just remember these words: start low and go slow.
