MICRODOSING MARIJUANA: FINDING THE IDEAL BALANCE

Microdosing has been around for quite some time, although generally pertaining to the use of hallucinogens. With the increased legalization of recreational and medical marijuana in the United States, more and more people are looking to marijuana as an alternative from everything to prescription medication to their evening cocktail.

So, what exactly is microdosing marijuana? It’s finding the optimum minimal dosage with the desired positive effects, while eliminating the negatives that can result from getting too high. More is not always more: it’s about finding that ideal balance of pain relief, uplifted mood, or decreased anxiety while not tipping the scales into wanting to spend the day on the couch or actually accidentally increasing your anxiety. Microdosing has been found to be more effective in treating some cancer patients than the administering of higher doses of cannabis. It can also help reduce high tolerance levels and save money (less consumption = less spending).

Microdosing requires time and patience. There are many variables and what works for one person doesn’t necessarily work for another. In a 2017 article in Rolling Stone, Dr. Dustin Sulak, an expert on medical cannabis, suggests these steps to help find the microdose that’s right for you:

“Abstain from cannabis for two days. On day three, consume one milligram of THC and one milligram of CBD, preferably in a tincture or oil where they can be measured precisely. Before consuming, ask yourself three questions, and answer on a scale of one to 10: How easy is it to breathe, how comfortable and calm does your body feel and how easy is it for you to smile authentically, to feel content and grateful?”

After writing down your scores, Sulak says, “You take the cannabis, wait 45 minutes and ask the questions again. If there’s been no change in your scores and you’ve felt no effect, increase the dose by one milligram.”

“You repeat this process over the next few days,” he says, “increasing the dose by small increments. When you reach a point where you feel a difference after consuming, you’ve found your minimal effective dose.”

If microdosing sounds like it might be for you, start slow, experiment with different strains and methods (edibles, tinctures, controlled dose vape pens), take note of how you feel and keep trying until you find your sweet spot.