At Indigo Dispensary, helping our customers enjoy the best possible experience with our adult-use recreational cannabis products is our top priority.
In and of itself, our cannabis selection is top-tier and yields exceptional results. However, we’re discussing an inebriant. Not everybody reacts the same to being high.
Dosages and THC levels impact your response to cannabis, depending on tolerance and how familiar you are with cannabis’s effects. You can be left feeling underwhelmed or overwhelmed to the point of ruining your good time.
Below, we’ll examine the nuanced topic of dosing and tolerance levels to help legal adult users get the most from their cannabis experiences.
What Is “Dosing” Cannabis And Why Is It Important?
Dosing cannabis is consuming it via any number of methods.
You can dose it by smoking cannabis flower in a joint, bong, or pipe. Cannabis concentrates can be smoked in vape pens, larger vaporizers, or dab rigs. You can also bake cannabis into edibles and eat it (often, this is the most intense way to dose cannabis).
Your chosen dosing methods and the amount you dose will impact your high and overall experience.
Too little can leave you unsatisfied, while too much can leave you an anxious, paranoid mess.
On the above note, you’re better off erring on the side of caution. You can always have a little more if your initial dosage is too small. There’s no turning back if you’ve dosed too much.
What Influences Cannabis Dosing?
Surprisingly enough, body weight doesn’t much impact your tolerance to cannabis when smoking it. It’s not the same as drinking alcohol, where you’ll often see smaller people barely able to consume a fraction of larger folks.
Another factor to consider–especially if you’re baking and dosing edibles–is your metabolism. There’s a prevailing belief that those with quicker metabolisms will feel the effects of an edible dose quicker than those with slower metabolisms [1].
Seasoned cannabis enthusiasts typically have increased tolerances for dosing. They’ll also better understand their tolerances and how much they can dose. People new to cannabis usually fare better with lower doses.
Note how cannabis concentrates and homemade edibles will pack a more powerful punch than cannabis flower. Also, cannabis flower with higher THC content can offer a more intense response with lower dosages.
Calculating And Adjusting Doses
Dose calculation isn’t an exact science. Beginners should start small and adjust based on how they feel.
If you’re smoking a lower THC flower (18% or below), take a couple of tokes and see how you feel. Say the THC is 25%-plus. Take a small toke and wait a while before deciding whether another toke is required.
Understanding Tolerance Levels
In short, tolerance levels refer to how high you get off a given amount.
Those with low tolerances don’t require high dosages of THC-rich cannabis products. However, tolerances typically increase the more you consume cannabis products.
As your tolerance increases with cannabis consumption, you’ll need more potent (or higher volumes of) flower, homemade edibles, or concentrates to feel the desired effects.
Managing Tolerance
Some cannabis enthusiasts don’t necessarily mind having a high tolerance. However, many can get frustrated as their tolerance skyrockets. They start needing to spend more on higher potency products or higher volumes. They burn through their stashes because they need to consume more to enjoy the desired effects.
Also, while cannabis has many benefits, consuming too much has many pitfalls. It’s far healthier to partake in cannabis in moderation.
Here are some helpful tips to keep your tolerance in check:
- Remember that less is more. Avoid smoking, vaping, or dosing edibles too much too often. Otherwise, you’ll face the law of diminishing returns. Enjoy your high for what it is, and don’t push too much for more.
- Buy high-potency THC products that don’t demand you smoke too much. You can take a couple of puffs and feel the desired effects, keeping everything in moderation.
- Take tolerance breaks. After extended periods (weeks or months, your choice) of not engaging with cannabis, you’ll find the next time you partake to yield a far more intense and potent high [2].
- Higher CBD-to-THC cannabis products don’t deplete your CB1 receptors as much as higher THC products. Better functioning CB1 receptors help you feel the effects of cannabis more.
Safe And Responsible Cannabis Usage
Safe and responsible cannabis usage is crucial to your enjoyment and fulfillment when consuming such products.
Overdoing it with cannabis often defeats its purpose–to kick back, relax, and better enjoy life’s simple pleasures. Remember, you can always return for more if you aren’t experiencing the desired effects initially. Instead of smoking an entire joint or filling the bowl on your bong to the brim, start with small puffs and see where things go.
Personalizing Your Cannabis Experience
The correct cannabis dosage is a personal matter. As long as you start small and progressively build to higher amounts and increased THC levels, you’ll figure out what works best for your recreational and medical needs.
Always be safe. Consume cannabis around people you trust if you’re initially worried about it. Err on the side of caution and only enjoy moderate amounts to avoid adverse consequences and build from there.
Conclusion
The core tenet of cannabis dosing is starting small and gradually building. Responsible usage and moderation will always foster the most beneficial experiences.
Speaking of beneficial experiences, the cannabis products at Indigo Dispensary are top-tier, promising happy feelings and good times to those who indulge. Check out our menu today to examine our exceptional product selection.