How micro-dosing with cannabis can increase therapeutic benefits and improve your experience.
Microdosing is the process of using a small amount of cannabis to achieve the maximum benefits and/or psychoactive effects of THC without encountering side effects like paranoia, short-term memory loss, or cannabis-induced anxiety. In other words, it is the minimum effective dose.
Like any substance, cannabis may produce significantly different effects from person to person. What may serve your needs perfectly might result in a terrible experience for someone else. A big part of your cannabis journey is determining which methods, products, and strains suit your personal preferences.
Journaling inside Feel State’s Personal Guidebook allows you to cultivate an understanding of your endocannabinoid system by tracking cannabis strain types, consumption methods, dosage, and side effects.
The theme of micro-dosing is “start low; go slow.” This can mean different things for different routes of consumption. For edibles, you might want to start with a low 2.5 mg THC dose and wait for 24 hours before consuming again.
That will help you to determine your next dose. If your desired outcome was not met, or you “didn’t feel much,” consider increasing your dose by 1 or 2 mg of THC and waiting another 24 hours. Otherwise, continue to consume 2.5 mg THC as needed (i.e. your minimum effective dose).
If you're inhaling cannabis, you might want to inhale only one puff for 2 to 5 seconds, exhale, and then wait to inhale again for 10 minutes. If your desired outcome was NOT met, consider taking one more 2-5 second inhalation and waiting another ten minutes.
If you ever feel symptoms of a THC overdose (like paranoia or anxiety) when ingesting or inhaling cannabis, document the experience and decrease the strength of your next dose. It's also good practice to keep a CBD formulation on hand to counteract the psychoactive effects of THC. Alternatively, sucking a lemon or chewing black peppercorns have been known to help mitigate any negative effects as well.
Finding the “perfect dose” isn’t simple. It will take some time, patience, and practice. Since everybody’s endocannabinoid system is different, it’s important to listen to your body — not what has worked for other patients.
Keeping a journal to track your symptoms, strains, dosages, and experiences can be beneficial in learning what works best for you. This can help refine and improve your treatment plan.
When in doubt, just remember: start low and go slow!
Please note that this blog is not to be considered medical advice. Always consult your physician for more information and/or questions related to your specific medical history.
