What’s Your Perfect Cannabis Dosage?
If you’re looking for a standard table that lays out the perfect cannabis dose based on your age, weight or experience levels, you’re out of luck. No such document exists, but with good reason! The truth is cannabis is a completely unique experience that’s dependent on individual factors such as strain, physiology, state-of-mind and tolerance levels.
Cannabis contains hundreds of compounds that scientists are only now beginning to research. These terpenes and cannabinoids work together to create the unique effects of each cannabis strain. This process, called “the entourage effect,” means that when these elements are stripped out through processing and unable to support each other, the effects alter or diminish. This is one reason whole plant medicine is so popular with cannabis aficionados.
Not only is every strain unique, but so are you! Cannabinoids and terpenes are processed by your brain and there are no identical brains, even in identical twins. And, that’s not all. Your environment and mindset all affect your experience too.
So, taking all of this into account, how do you find your perfect cannabis dose?
Accept that every strain and cannabis product can potentially result in different effects each time. This is why one strain may work excellent on one day and merely by so-so on another.
Start slow. When trying new strains or products, start with a puff or two, or for edibles, ½ of the suggested dose. Wait 10 minutes for flowers or 90 minutes for edibles, then increase your dose until you find what works. Once you find your sweet spot, you can start there and adjust for different products.
Keep track. If one strain really works for you, learn about it and its lineage. You’ve probably hit upon a particularly effective composition for your special brain chemistry! You can use its lineage and terpene makeup to find other strains you’re likely to enjoy.