Beginner

Why & How to Microdose Weed: A Beginners Guide

There are countless ways to enjoy a good 420 experience, and microdosing weed is not an exception. But, if you’re new to the game, this could be a challenging topic to understand. However, you don’t have to do this on your own, as we already took the initiative to guide you to the proper way to achieve an excellent smoking session.

What is Microdosing Weed?

For starters, you must grasp what microdosing is all about before doing it, just like how you wouldn’t take any medication without having a sufficient understanding of its process and potential side effects.

Microdosing, in essence, pertains to the act of taking a substance in small doses to reap a few of its benefits without the aim of experiencing the full effect that could produce cellular responses on the body.

Why Microdose THC or CBD?

We’re sure you’ve seen or heard weed enthusiasts sharing how microdosing THC can help improve their creativity. But, did you know several studies have investigated these psychological claims?

Enhance Creativity

A published study in the Translational Psychiatry journal has detailed a significant number of anecdotal reports suggesting an enhancement in creative insights among users microdosing THC; accordingly, deliberately mitigating the usual task-based creativeness.

This report led researchers to conclude the effects of microdosing THC demonstrated persisting and subtle effects, which could be a tool for a creativity examination. Furthermore, since it’s a microdose amount, no ground could cause you to worry about dropping into the void of psychological hallucination.

So, if you’re creative and looking for a way to stimulate your brain for ideas, THC could aid you in achieving this goal. Perhaps you have hit a creative roadblock. Maybe you only needed a light push in the direction of cannabis to set your plans into action. After all, there’s nothing wrong with getting extra help to perform at your best.

Improve Sleep

If you’re suffering from sleep problems such as insomnia, a microdose of cannabis could help provide a good night’s sleep you’ve been longing to achieve. By letting weed run through your bloodstream, it becomes in control of the biorhythms, regulating the systematic bodily functions, even the sleep cycle.

As you become accustomed to its effects, the cannabis in your system will reduce any joint discomfort and relieve sore muscles you may have. According to an interview by Forbes, the executive chairman and founder of Papa and Barkley, Adam Grossman, stated CBD can interact with your endocannabinoid system to balance the body’s normal functions. Nevertheless, if you’re stressed and want to alleviate the intensity of inflammation, CBD can play a massive role in improving your sleep. Albeit, one must understand the difference between CBD vs. THC.

Encouraging Results From Papa & Barkley

The survey of Papa and Barkley was another silver lining in the cannabis industry. There were 34 participants who took the 30mg CBD day-by-day between the two weeks time frame and reported a decrease of 10 minutes in their usual sleep onset, along with an additional 24 minutes in their sleep period at the first seven days of usage.

Furthermore, Grossman disclosed the company retains the natural profile of phytonutrients, cannabinoids, and terpenes. All of these compounds are cannabis’ characteristics correlating with the essential oils in aromatherapy.

The terpenes have been a critical ingredient for centuries as it offers tranquility to the nervous system. Empress Tea’s CEO, Bethany Stiles, clarified that the early usage of cannabis back in 500 B.C. made it possible to ease anxiety and asthma, making it an important element to both the healing and spiritual rituals during ancient times.

A Chief Scientific Officer for Plus Products, Ari Mackler, expressed that the California brand had included the same component in its cannabis gummies to promote its sleep-inducing traits that aren’t limited to β Caryophyllene, β-Myrcene, Linalool, and Limonene. Mackler explained these properties were responsible for reducing stress, acting as sedatives, and endorsing relaxation to consumers.

An Introduction to THC

It’s worth noting before you join the microdosing gang, you first must familiarize yourself with the chemical entering your body as you do so. Delta 9-Tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, is an active chemical compound cooperating with your endocannabinoid system (ECS) to bind with the system’s receptors: CB1 and CB2.

THC and The Endocannabinoid System

The THC will start working on tempering the released molecules that will relay all messages to the neurotransmitters. As a result of linking to CB1, you would feel the “high” that other cannabis consumers tend to experience. However, it is still considered a partial agonist, which is likely the cause for the lesser effect due to the failure to bind with said receptor fully.

This situation occurred because the THC hadn’t completely activated the CB1 to produce the expected biological responses, limiting the strength of the side effects. Consuming cannabis products with THC can produce one or more of the following benefits:

  • Relieving pain points
  • Easing nausea
  • Reducing anxiety levels
  • Addressing muscle spasticity
  • Encourage appetite
  • Promote sleep
  • Decrease glaucoma symptoms

Plus, you might have to deal with any of the succeeding short-lived side effects:

  • Memory loss
  • Rapid heart rate
  • Dry mouth
  • Red eyes
  • Slower reaction times
  • Poor coordination

Although the compound isn’t fatal, its high consumption could lead to long-term issues of detrimental psychiatric effects that apply to most adolescent THC users. On the other hand, it’s yet to have conclusive evidence that direct THC ingestion prompts psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia and paranoia, to name a few.

Decrease Stress or Anxiety

A study by Susan A. Stoner from the University of Washington detailed that their survey revealed that the primary motivation of cannabis consumption lies in attaining relaxation or reduction of tensions. Moreover, the study cited the literature review of Crippa et al. regarding the relationship between being intoxicated to marijuana and anxiety based on a set of factors.

In the end, researchers were able to identify low doses of THC make a difference in the initial anxiety levels of the person as they underwent a verified psychosocial stress task. It was seen that 7.5mg of THC was efficient in reducing the individual’s negative emotional response before and after the task stressor was removed from the picture.

Additionally, other experts from the University of Chicago and the University of Illinois took the mic upon publishing their study in the Drug and Alcohol Dependence journal. The UIC College of Medicine’s Emma Childs and her colleagues described their investigation.

The UIC College of Medicine

Childs and her fellow researchers have decided to invite 42 volunteers in good physical conditions, considering that they’re also occasional cannabis users, ranging from ages 18 to 40 years old. The participants were separated into three groups and given their respective dosage before being requested to attend two four-hour class sessions at the University of Chicago five days apart to test the impact of THC on the body.

After the two sessions conducted, Childs et al. have seen promising results on the measured stress level in intervals. It was discovered that the THC aided the cortisol, blood pressure, and heart rate in the dissipation of stress among the volunteers.

Moreover, these findings mean THC could potentially alleviate any tension you feel without the need to temporarily sacrifice the ability to recall your everyday tasks, like bringing your car keys while running an errand. Hence, it prevents you from falling into a paranoia frenzy at inconvenient periods.

How to Microdose Cannabis

There is no standard threshold for microdosing cannabis. Still, a particular Dr. James Fadiman remarked that novice users should follow precautions by first testing the experience in low doses before gradually increasing the dosage as they become accustomed to the compound.

It’s wise to keep in mind the range of your doses can vary depending on the type of substance you’re planning to use. For instance, mushrooms or dried stems should typically be around 0.15 to 0.3g, which you could slowly increase to 0.5 to 1g if you want some creative dose and 2-3g for a full trip party dosage.

Meanwhile, you could approach an LSD microdosing at 10 to 20ug before trying out the 40-50ug and 100ug based on your discretion. To ensure you’re taking accurate doses, it’s advisable to weigh the substances using a mini kitchen scale or digital pocket scale that could identify even as little as 0.001g.

Create Your Own Adventure

Dr. Fadiman recommended that at the beginning of microdosing, it’ll be a good idea to take one microdose with a three days interval to avoid changes in your tolerance since the first day would feel great. Yet, the second and third day would make you numb.

According to Dr. Fadiman, the protocol yields the best results if followed in this order:

  • First Week: Monday, Thursday, and Sunday
  • Second Week: Wednesday and Saturday
  • Third Week: Tuesday and Friday
  • Fourth Week: Monday, Thursday, and Sunday

Each dose must be 10mg for LSD users and 0.2g for mushroom enthusiasts in the first two weeks of the approach before proceeding with higher amounts in the following weeks.

Microdosing Weed at Work

It is a fragile situation for working individuals to perform their microdosing practices. Yet, it’s still possible to produce a plan geared towards the desire to experience significant improvements in your performance. Unlike the first example, microdosing workaholics should set aside the weekends that would serve as their recovery baseline to balance the impact of the compound over time.

For the next four weeks, the weekdays would be spent microdosing, wherein the dosage is dependent on the urgency to feel the effects and the risk tolerance of the person. In fact, you could start by either high or low doses, and you could also decide to alternate the dosages weekly to discover what is compatible with your work demands.

A Balanced Approach to Microdose Weed

In this experiment, you would need to take your microdose weed every 3 to 4 days per week, or you could decide to follow this schedule for easier tracking:

  • First Week: Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday
  • Second Week: Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday
  • Third Week: Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday
  • Fourth Week: Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday

As with the previous samples, the doses would vary depending on your priorities. Nonetheless, progressing to the following dosages after the first or second week could essentially help you get accustomed to the sessions.

Microdose Flower

There are several methods to smoke cannabis flower. You might prefer consuming it in one or more ways, such as a joint, pipe, spliff, blunt, backwood, and bong. Not all cannabis flowers are equal, however, so it would be wise to check the product’sregarding the cannabinoid contents.

For estimation purposes, pure cannabis flower with 10% THC or less would have a mild effect on the stoner and is ideal for microdosing. In comparison, a 10-20% THC content would have a substantial impact on a beginner, yet is just the correct amount for casual consumers.

Microdose Edibles

There is a wide selection of cannabis edibles, so we highly doubt you’ll run out of choices. If you had your eye on a specific edible brand or dispensary store that offers the same thing, the next thing you need is to find out how you could use it in microdosing. Thankfully, three simple steps could guarantee an out-of-this-world episode for you!

Step 1: Stack Up with 10mg Edibles Ahead of Time

You could buy single candies for as cheap as 3 dollars, or maybe you could keep a ten-pack stash of your favorite chocolates instead. Either way, this specific dose is sure to allow you 6 to 10 hours of “high.”

Edibles in cookies or chocolate forms provide the most potent effects. Also, if you want the recreational use of these edibles, we recommend peeking at edibles with a 1:1 ratio in general.

Step 2: Begin at a Slow Pace

The edibles’ effects take a while to kick in and would seem to require a lifetime, but be patient since it commonly needs an hour or two allowances of time.

Stop yourself from taking more than necessary in hopes of speeding up the effects. It will not aid with the processing speed and could even potentially take you out of your microdosing escapade.

Step 3: Hydrate

Edibles don’t provide you with immunity from munchies, so you should have a bottle of water by your side to combat that dry mouth experience we’re all loathing.

Microdosing Weed with Vapes

Microdosing with vaping oils is a piece of cake as it only involves heating the oil and inhaling it through devices, such as an e-cigarette and vape pen. For this, you could have your own schedule or do as what is instructed in this guide:

Wake and bake and begin vaping with one drop of oil at 8 am, followed by two drops at 9 am. Then, three dots for the next hour. Yet as you reach 11 am, you would have to vape a total of four drops of oil and five drops during lunch. Continue this procedure every hour until you determine the range where therapeutic effects are starting to resurface, which would then serve as your proper dose for this method.

Making a Choice: Which One is the Best?

Microdosing is trial and error. Thus, you can’t expect doctors to give you a specific dosage for your adventure. Instead, be open with the idea that the THC compounds in your cannabis would provide you with various reactions because of the differences in personal chemistry.

You may find smoking weed a good option, but for experts like Osteopathic Physician Dustin Sulak, vapes and edibles are suitable choices to control the dosage. Although Sulak warned that people should be cautious when dealing with edibles since untested edibles are generally unreliable when it comes to their THC content, leading your microdosing attempt to failure.

What is the Best Weed Microdose Dose?

Experimental science has paved the way for determining the ideal microdose weed dosage for consuming THC. In conclusion, the range for microdose cannabis is between 2-5 milligrams of THC, but some might be able to tolerate up to 10 milligrams of microdose THC.

However, you must be aware that in microdosing THC, the right dosage for you could differ from others because of your previous experience with cannabis, unique system, and method of consumption. Within the first three days of use with no noticeable effects, you could increase the dosage by 1mg and patiently wait with the same interval to observe evident changes.

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