‘Microdose’ is certainly a buzz term these days, and it can be applied to many things. Some people don’t want the full tab of acid or the full mushroom, and a smaller version of it, called a microdose, is more preferable. This same idea applies to weed, and in looking at microdosing pot, the question arises, of if we smoke too much.
Sure, standard culture dictates taking hit after hit of weed, but is this too much for some people, and is it possible they just don’t know? Microdosing pot might be the best answer to THC sickness, while still reaping the benefits of marijuana. We cover everything important in the cannabis industry; so subscribe to the THC Weekly Newsletter to keep up with everything going on right now. It’ll also get you premium access to stellar deals on cannabis products like vapes, edibles, and other paraphernalia! Plus, we’ve also got some sweet offers on cannabinoids, like HHC-O, Delta 8, Delta 9 THC, Delta-10 THC, THCO, THCV, THCP & HHC, which won’t break the bank. Check out our “Best-of” lists to access these deals, and always remember to enjoy responsibly!
What is a microdose?
A microdose isn’t a difficult concept, it’s simply a smaller dose than is usually taken of a substance. A regular or general dose is often determined by how much of it is needed in order to bring on effects. But it should be remembered that different effects can be brought on at different levels of substance use. Which means, microdosing allows for some effects to be had, but is not enough for others. This can mean as little as 1/20th of a standard dose, but there really aren’t rules here.
Think of LSD or mushrooms, drugs where the term ‘microdose’ is not uncommon. A full tab of acid or a full mushroom might send a person into hours of hallucinations, spiritual adventures, and altered thinking. But a microdose of one of these compounds might just illicit some general feel-good sensations, and a much milder version of the above.
So how much is a microdose? You can often find amounts in publications for full doses and microdoses. However, it should be remembered that different people are reactive to different amounts of compounds. This means, for a heavy user of LSD, a standard dose might seem like a microdose, and for the super-sensitive out there, a standard microdose might be like a full dose. It’s also best to remember we come in different sizes, and this greatly effects how drugs affect us individually. A 95-pound girl would not need as much of almost any compound as a 200-pound man.
Then there’s also the idea of habituating to something, and growing tolerance. If you’ve never taken a drug, its best not jump in like an expert. Maybe the guy next to you can handle three tabs of LSD, and maybe one day you will too, but it doesn’t mean you’ll get there on the first try, and misinterpreting this can lead to a bad trip.
When starting with something new, a microdose is sometimes preferable in that it offers a smaller amount. As a person gets used to what they’re working with, they can establish what a good microdose amount – and regular dose amount – are for themselves. Each person will have their own limits, and these limits can vary by substance, meaning a person who likes to drink heavily, might only appreciate a small amount of mushrooms, or a person with a low tolerance for weed, might require a greater amount of ketamine. This can also vary by situation, and can be dependent on whatever else might be in the user’s system.
The art of microdosing pot
I’ve been a weed smoker for half my life, and the idea of microdosing pot never entered my mind as a thing until I started to develop anxiety from smoking. I probably always got a little, but never put it together. Upon it getting noticeably worse, I had to cut down how much I was smoking. In essence, I started microdosing my pot instead. Although when I first cut back, this was not the term in my head.
By microdosing my cannabis, I simply mean that instead of taking hit after hit after hit, which is pretty standard for marijuana users, I started to take one hit at a time, followed by a break. Just enough to feel a little buzz, but without the overall heaviness, the deep relaxation, and in my case, the anxiety, of standard smoking. I take hits as frequently as I see fit, but generally only one at a time.
It’s actually incredibly easy microdosing pot, especially when vaping or smoking it. With edibles, a user must wait more time to establish if the dose amount is too much or too little, but when breathing it in, this is established very easily and quickly. We take it in in breaths, so simply limiting the amount of breaths, means limiting the amount of THC, hence a microdose. It doesn’t require cutting anything up, or weighing anything out. It just means taking a hit…and then stopping!
Do we smoke too much?
In coming to my own realization about my need for microdosing weed (and this is not all the time, which does imply other aspects of bodily function as a part of my reaction), it started to occur to me that perhaps we smoke way more than we need to. Or, at least, way more than we need to, to get optimal effects. Or, to look at it another way, we smoke more than we need to, to get the ultimate effects. Truth is, past a point, the hits matter less and less, and no new high is accomplished unless the THC has time to wane. If you’ve smoked a lot, you know this. Even if it doesn’t stop you from going for the next hit.
Thing is, that’s what smoking culture is all about. Taking hit after hit after hit after hit. I’ve been at parties where we passed joints around for hours, or I’ve sat in my own room watching a show and hitting my vape over and over. It becomes a habit. A thing to do. In some situations, a way to handle nerves, or simply something to do with the hands. It’s like, when there’s a break in the conversation, and no one knows what to do, a new joint gets lit.
Some drugs we’d never think to do this with. While with others, constant microdosing is the way it goes. Think drinking alcohol. Sure, you can take a shot, but generally we drink it down in sips, with each sip being a microdose amount. The difference between alcohol and cannabis though, is that one can kill you if you microdose to the point of overdosing, and one will do no more than make you feel sick for a little while, if you get that far.
Ever gotten weed-sick?
You might not die from using pot, but you can make yourself sick. I started microdosing pot when I started getting little anxiety spells after smoking. Sometimes if I was walking it felt like a minor dizziness, accompanied by the anxiety of feeling dizziness. When I took out the smoking, it went away. When I reinserted it in microdose mounts, I was fine. I wasn’t quite as sky-high, but I still got plenty high, and I was okay with that, especially if I had to be up and moving anyway.
We talk a lot these days about the ability to overdose on THC, and the sickness it causes. But what if this could all be avoided by simply taking in less? Maybe a person getting sick off a whole joint of smoking, would be fine with just three hits. I don’t seem to actually have an issue with THC, it just feels more like I’m sensitized to it at times, and taking in a smaller amount works better.
Maybe the entire idea of THC sickness could be avoided by simply smoking less. And this implies that our culture of continuous smoking, promotes THC overdoses. I really do wonder if every person who has told me they get anxiety/paranoia/any not-good-feeling from weed, simply smoked more than they needed to, for their specific body. It could be that some people require a smaller dose, and our culture of constant smoking, didn’t allow them to know that. Most people dive right in because it’s the norm. For anyone more sensitive, doing this the first time, could make a person think that they just can’t handle it at all.
The idea of whether we smoke too much is subjective for the most part. Most people won’t consume cannabis past feeling sick, though its possible that feeling sick comes from over-consumption, and nothing else. A lot of times, it just seems wasteful more than anything else. If hit after hit after hit doesn’t increase the high, maybe a person could save themselves some money by taking a break.
Conclusion
No one really talks about microdosing pot, but in some ways, it’s probably the most misunderstood drug when it comes to microdosing. And conversely, one of the easiest drugs to microdose with. While I’m not a doctor, and not giving anyone advice, I do wonder if those who’ve had issues in the past with THC making them feel not good, could turn the whole ship around by simply smoking less.
Welcome all! Thanks for stopping by CBDtesters.co, your #1 web source for comprehensive independent news coverage of the cannabis and psychedelics industries. Join us whenever you can to stay informed on the quickly-moving worlds of cannabis and psychedelics, and check out The THC Weekly Newsletter, to ensure you never miss an important story.
Disclaimer: Hi, I’m a researcher and writer. I’m not a doctor, lawyer, or businessperson. All information in my articles is sourced and referenced, and all opinions stated are mine. I am not giving anyone advice, and though I am more than happy to discuss topics, should someone have a further question or concern, they should seek guidance from a relevant professional.
