Cannabis microdosing.
Some people call it cannabis 2.0.
The whole point behind it is that the smaller the dose, the better it works.
And it’s becoming all the rage right now.
How many times have you gotten so stoned that turned into torture? So off your rocker that you were spinning out that you were searching the Internet for things that will help you get sober from all that weed you’ve just taken?
Too many times to count?
Well, microdosing with your choice of marijuana strains might just be your ticket to continuing with your favorite pastime without getting overwhelmed.
Want to hear more about it?
Let’s dig in.
What is Cannabis Microdosing?
Okay, I’ll risk sounding like a doofus here and say: weed microdosing is exactly what the name implies — taking small, micro doses of cannabis instead of vaping [or smoking] the entire stash as soon as you get your hands on it.
The important thing to say here is that microdosing isn’t your best bet if you want to get super high.
In fact, it has gained popularity with medical marijuana patients precisely because it lacks that ‘hit-over-the-head-with-a-frying-pan’ effect that recreational users are usually after.
The point of microdosing is to take small doses of cannabis — just enough to activate its health-related beneficial properties, but not enough to make your head spin.
That said, cannabis microdosing is seeing an uptick among recreational users, as well.
This is for purely practical reasons — all of us who know and enjoy weed have come to rely on its calming effect. Unfortunately, while super duper highs are great [for some of us], they can be a real problem when you’re, you know, working. [Most employers don’t want their employees spaced out and couch-locked and yelling ‘Duuuude” half of the workday. Who knew!?!]
Microdosing is a great way to level yourself out while still staying a contributing member of society — you won’t be high, but you won’t be overly bothered, either. Which is always great.
Why Do People Microdose With Weed?
This is a great question — and the answer is two-fold.
First off, a lot of people love microdosing cannabis because they’re recreational users with other stuff to do throughout the day. As I already mentioned, it’s kinda hard to put in any number of hours of work if you’re stoned out of your mind, right.
So that’s reason numero #1 — people microdose because they want to avoid the psychoactive hammer that comes down on them when they smoke too much weed.
On the other hand, a lot of people microdose because the amount of weed that they need to treat their symptoms is just that — a microdose.
Dr. Allan Frankel, a Los Angeles internist, started experimenting with weed microdosing in 1999 while seriously ill with a viral heart infection. He calls the microdose ‘the correct dose’, because with all drugs, you look for a minimum effective dose and you stick with it. He pioneered the current approach to microdosing cannabis: “A lot of my patients are doing well and healthy on 3 mg of THC per day. They don’t build up tolerance and they can keep using weed as a medicine for years — and it’s still effective and with zero side-effects”, says Dr. Frankel.
To sum up, microdosing cannabis might be your thing if you:
- want to consume but don’t want to be totally stoned all the time [just relaxed];
- you’re using weed as a medicine and it’s the right dose for your condition.
That’s all there is to it!
What Are the Benefits of Cannabis Microdosing?
The benefits of microdosing with cannabis will depend on who you talk to — thousands of people are practicing this, and each one has a slightly different story.
Overall, there seems to be a consensus among the users that the biggest benefits are [and keep in mind that this is all anecdotal]:
- not feeling overly high or intoxicated, but still sufficiently stimulated;
- getting those creative juices flowing while retaining the will to actually do the work;
- managing chronic conditions such as depression, anxiety, inflammation, or pain;
On top of all of that, you’re not burning through your stash. You’re not spending inordinate amounts of money on weed. You’re not constantly broke. And you can actually work without impediment.
I think those are some pretty nifty benefits, don’t you?
What Health Conditions Respond Best to Cannabis Microdosing?
According to some studies, there are certain health conditions that respond better to microdosing than others.
These include:
- chronic anxiety and depression [especially since an excessive high can cause anxiety];
- mild to intense chronic pain [such as joint pain or pain associated with cancer];
- PTSD-induced nightmares and insomnia [and post-traumatic stress in general].
Unfortunately, these studies have been done with high doses of Nabiximol [cannabis-based medication] and we’re not sure how they translate to taking cannabinoids in plant form. However, it’s not too huge of a leap to assume that smoking or eating THC edibles would have the same effect.
What’s the Right Microdose of THC?
Ahhh… a million-dollar question, this one.
There are two schools of thought here:
- the right weed microdose is the one that’s right for you, and
- the right microdose is no more than 500 micrograms of THC [50 to 200 times less than app. 20 to 50 milligrams you get by smoking a blunt].
The first method of determining your microdose basically says that it’s all individual — the right dose is somewhere between 1 and 3 mg of THC. How much is right for you is up to your metabolism.
Here’s the system, as devised by Dustin Sulak, who’s been microdosing with weed for years.
- Don’t take any cannabis for two days [no smoking, no vaping, no edibles];
- On the third day, take one milligram [the equivalent of 1/10 of KindCanna Mini Preroll]
- Ask yourself: how do I feel? How am I breathing? How easy is it to laugh for real? Note down your scores from 1 to 10 in a notebook.
- Take the THC and wait 45 minutes — ask yourself those questions again.
- If there has been no change, up the dosage by one milligram.
- Repeat the process until you can feel the real difference — you’ve just reached your minimal effective dose.
Now, for the second method, you’re always taking a set level of THC. An Israeli medical company recently released a study that says that you don’t need more than 500 micrograms of THC to get the beneficial health effects [less anxiety, pain management, and so on]. If you’re following this school of thought, the only thing you need to do is take a few puffs of your preroll every day, and you’ll be set.
All in all, I found that figuring out your personal minimal viable dose is the best way to go. For me [and for most people I talked to] that’s between 2 and 3 milligrams of THC. This translates to roughly one-third of a standard blunt [if you’re using regular strains].
What Are the Best Weed Products for Microdosing?
The key to successful marijuana microdosing is getting your dose consistently right.
Of course, this means that some methods are inherently better suited to it than others — like THC tinctures, oils, and edibles.
When it comes to edibles, most contain anywhere between 2.5 and 5 mg of THC, making it very easy to dose. Oils are a bit trickier, but still relatively easy to dose after you do a bit of math.
Of course, blunts are the hardest to microdose… but not impossible. It will all depend on what strain you have in there — is it your typical 10% THC strain or a super-strain containing 25% or more THC.
How to Microdose with KindCanna Mini Pre-rolled Blunts
Here at KindCanna, we came up with a perfect way for smokers to microdose — our KindCanna Mini Pre-rolls.
You can check them out on the link below:
Get Your Hands On the KindCanna Mini Pre-Rolls Today
They contain 0.35 grams of premium California bud, and around 20 to 25 milligrams of THC [with small amounts of CBD thrown into the mix]. This means that one mini pre-roll is good for seven to ten days of microdosing.
However, we all know that re-lighting a blunt after five days is no picnic — the flavor is just not there. That’s why I recommend these blunts only if you’re microdosing with friends. A group of five can easily finish one off without feeling too high. Of course, you can also use it alone. The only thing I would advise you to do in that case is cut the ember off after each lighting to minimize the chances of it tasting bad.
If you have any questions about microdosing cannabis, don’t hesitate to contact us. Our team of experienced potheads will get back to you ASAP with all the answers!