Are you a hardcore THC aficionado? If so, you may not have had the unpleasant experience of THC overload from edibles.
Everyone else who’s dabbled in THC edibles may not have been quite so lucky. You might know what we’re talking about. Even as cannabis marketing professionals, we haven’t all been immune to it.
It’s that too-late realization that you ate more of that brownie than you needed to and you’re getting ready to scurry down the rabbit hole.
And it’s part of what makes edibles dosing so complicated. Fortunately, the world has a deeper understanding of how to dose edibles now. Well, sorta.
CBD to the Rescue
Try bringing some CBD on the scene.
Working as a team, CBD to THC can enhance the medical benefits of marijuana edibles. For example, they may work better together rather than separately to relieve pain and anxiety. By the same token, they can together decrease the adverse effects such as elevated heart rate or impairment.
That’s because CBD partially blocks the intoxicating effects of THC. Folks who have been prescribed medical marijuana but have traditionally struggled with the psychoactive effects of THC will usually opt for products that have both CBD and THC.
Of course, this doesn’t ensure there won’t be negative effects from over consumption of THC. For those who are highly sensitive to THC, they may find more relief with a higher CBD to THC ratio. However, the quality of the medical effects also decreases.
Thus, if you need 5mg of THC for medical purposes but tend to have a negative reaction to THC, you should first try at 4:1 CBD to THC ratio product. From there, you can work down to a lower ratio until you find the right amount.
Why Reactions to Edible Doses Vary So Much
Just as everyone has a different experience with side effects from prescription drugs, so too is the case with THC.
So even though Bob breaks out into a rash after taking Humira, Louise handles it just fine. Her internal physiologic environment handles it better than does Bob’s. Meanwhile, Bob may be able to smoke a big ole doobie that would make Louise crawl out of her skin.
Edibles are even more complicated – mostly because the effects take so much longer to feel. So one person’s response to 10mg of THC can vary wildly from another’s. There are several factors here.
The first is previous cannabis use. Newbies are actually less likely to feel the effects than those who’ve had it in their system before. Thus it’s recommended they try a low dose three times with 8 to 24 hours between trials before playing with increasing it.
Then there’s the issue of each individual’s gastrointestinal system. Some people have systems that simply won’t absorb THC through the gut.
Of course, the function and sensitivity of one’s endocannabinoid system also comes into play. So all of this makes it tough to figure out how to dose edibles.
There are some basic guidelines though.
Edibles Dosing
If you’re brand new to the game or you’re interested in microdosing, start with 1 to 2.5 mg THC. This amount can provide mild relief of symptoms like pain, stress, and anxiety.
For those who need stronger relief, they begin to SLOWLY dose upward from 2.5 to 15 mg THC. If you start to notice an unpleasant feeling from the THC, you can start introducing equal amounts of CBD.
Once you get up to 30 to 50 mg of THC, you’re going to start getting powerful relief medical conditions, but also feel the psychoactive effects pretty strongly. For some, this is a plus. For others, adding a higher ratio of CBD can help to counteract this.
Finally, the 50 to 100 mg THC level is the exclusive terrain of experienced and high-tolerance consumers. This level is often prescribed for those with cancer, inflammatory disorders, and other serious conditions.
Strike a Balance
If you’re fortunate enough to enjoy the edible experience without any kind of adverse reaction, rock on!
For the rest of us mere mortals, the trickiness of edibles dosing comes down to starting at a low dosage, giving it ample time to digest, and employing CBD as needed.
Then again, you could always just vape…
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