How can someone find their perfect dosage when consuming edibles?
Starting your cannabis experience with edibles requires time, patience, and experimentation with different dosages. Edibles can be a little… unpredictable. For some people, low dose edibles produce no noticeable effects, some even report not feeling any effects from edibles whatsoever, even after consuming hundreds of mgs worth of THC. For others, edibles are an intense experience, and even a dose of 5mg which is commonly considered a low dose could trigger negative side effects like paranoia, cold sweats, heart palpitations, and anxiety. Here at Canna~Wise Medicine, we make sure to echo the cannabis industry’s motto: START LOW AND GO SLOW! Even starting low can mean different doses for different people. Our bodies are different, and process those compounds differently when digesting depending on our bioavailability. Some people are ok starting at 5mg, but if you tend to feel “panicky” after high doses of THC, start with 2.5mg edibles, or cut your edibles into smaller parts for you to microdose. Another alternative is to consume a product that contains a ratio of THC and CBD, since that CBD helps you dodge the negative side-effects of high THC (learn more about that by clicking here). Keeping a logbook of your usage or using apps like Tetragram, Youkti, or Jointly to track the details about the products you consume and the results is essential when trying to find your optimal dosage. They can also teach you about which terpenes you seem to prefer, and what combination of cannabinoids your body responds better to.
The science behind cannabis ingestion
What is bioavailability?
Bioavailability is “the proportion of a drug or other substance which enters the circulation when introduced into the body and so is able to have an active effect”. When you consume a X% of a medicine or food, your body will not absorb 100% of those chemicals and nutrients.
What happens to THC when you ingest it?
The THC you absorb the most when inhaling cannabis is called Delta-9-THC. That chemical, when broken down in your liver, becomes 11-Hydroxy-THC, which is a metabolite that can be 1.5 to 7 times more potent than its precursor, Delta-9-THC. This metabolite also has higher binding affinity for the CB1 receptors. Better bond = Better activation of receptors. You do absorb some 11-OH-THC through inhalation, but in much smaller concentrations. When it comes to CBD, it becomes the metabolite 7-hydroxy-cannabidiol – or 7-OH-CBD, which also has higher bonding affinity and could potentially promote stronger effects. CBD, however, while being psychoactive does not produce any impairment.
Your diet, your lifestyle, and your wellness also affect your bioavailability. For example, you might feel stronger effects after consuming a fatty snack. That’s because cannabinoids are fat-soluble, and that snack will help your body break down the cannabinoids bonded to the fat. Having a fatty snack before consuming edibles is a way to boost your bioavailability. Try having a spoon of peanut butter before you consume an edible next time! Remember to always stay hydrated. If you’d like to bring down your “high” after feeling like you’ve overconsumed THC, drink plenty of water. It helps your body to flush some of THC from your bloodstream, since our blood is mostly made out of water. You can also consume a CBD-only product, as mentioned in the introduction.
Where can I begin? What should I write down on my journal?
If you are in the Massachusetts area, here are some low-THC products you could start with – including products with a ratio of CBD and THC. If you have never experienced the feeling of “being high” before, I recommend starting with a very high-CBD vs a very low-THC product and overtime slowly work your way up to a lower-CBD and higher-THC ratio.
20:1 ratio Tincture by Insa. Meaning there are 20 times more CBD than THC in this product.
It will promote a very mild “high”, or no “high” at all.
Tinctures can be used to infuse foods, but also sublingually. If you hold the oil under you tongue, it should help your body absorb it faster so you can get a faster onset of 15 to 30min. If you ingest it, the onset is about 1 to 2 hours.
10:1 ratio tincture by Howl’s Tinctures. A little more intense but still a mild experience.
5:1 ratio pills by 1906 New Highs.
5:1 Ratio ginger mints by mr. moxey’s.
3:1 ratio lavender mints by Mr. Moxey’s.
2:1 ratio peach nectarine jellies by The Botanist.
2:1 watermelon chews by berkshire roots.
1:1 espresso truffles by Alternative Compassion Services.
1:1 Green Apple chews by Theory Wellness.
From here, you could ease into THC-only products if you desire to do so. Usually, the lowest-THC product you’ll find will have about 5mg of THC. You can cut that in half and ingest more as needed after a few hours. Remember to follow the “start low and go slow” motto and I’m sure you’ll have a relaxing experience!
When journaling, you should track:
What you ate before, if you drank water that day, if you drank coffee, if you took vitamins, if you exercised, the amount of cannabinoids (THC, CBD, CBG, etc.) present in that portion of the edible you are consuming, and if you remember to do it you could also write down how long it took for you to start feeling the effects of that product, and the duration of the effects. After the effects start, rate how well it works with your body. If you use it for pain, rate your pain from 1 to 10 before and after consuming. Did you get the relief you were looking for? Did you feel any effects? Did you feel “high”? Overtime, you will start to learn how your Endocannabinoid System works, and get to know your body a little better so you can make decisions/purchases that are certain to give you the relief you are looking for.
Interested in tracking your usage but not so interested in using an app? Send me a message at letticia@cannawisemed.org and I’ll be happy to e-mail you a printable tracker I created for our patients here at Canna~Wise Medicine!
I hope this guide will help you to understand edibles better, and provide you with the knowledge needed for your cannabis journey to be a successful and stress-free one! If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to e-mail me on the address shared above, or give us a call at 774-321-6057.
Written by Letticia Freitas, Social Media and Outreach Manager at Canna~Wise Medicine and Canna~Collab Education.
