When you're new to cannabis, things can get overwhelming. The amount of information is staggering, which makes it difficult to know how to get started.
If you go to PubMed and query cannabis, you get more than 23,000 results. I went to google and typed in "cannabis as medicine," I got 104 million results.
. Understanding the beneficial effects of cannabis can be confusing. Cannabis is one of the most complex plants on the planet, with more than 400 active components. Every desired effect can require a different compound or set of compounds and a different ingestion method to get the results you're looking for.
There's also a lot of nonsense, propaganda, and misinformation circulating out there. The illegal status of cannabis in the United States federally has crippled research and made it next to impossible for researchers to explore the plant's benefits
While cannabis is a relief for many, you should know the adverse effects you might experience when first using the product. Talking with someone who knows the science will give you the easiest route for beginning your cannabis journey, saving you time and money.
Cannabis is safe in the sense that you CAN'T die of an overdose. While there are some adverse side effects, these are ALL caused by taking too large a dose.
If you take too much, you may feel increased anxiety, panic attacks, or drowsiness. Some people report a lack of coordination, and altered time perception, decreased motivation, and if you really took too much, nausea.
Not all of these side-effects are experienced by everyone; sleepiness is common in new users, but not so much by experienced users. Most, if not all, the adverse side effects of cannabis can be mitigated through careful dosing.
Once you've decided cannabis is right for you, there are decisions to be made about the compounds, ingestion method, and dosing. The product you need is dependent on your symptoms and your personal physiology, and everyone is different, so there is a little bit of trial and error. But don't worry, that's why I'm here, to make this part easy.
Compounds
We know the most about THC and CBD, the two main active cannabinoids in cannabis. THC is associated with the "euphoric" feeling and is responsible for treating pain and being anti-nausea and anti-cancer. CBD is known mainly for its anti-inflammatory and anti-anxiety effects but is proving to have other benefits for people too. Depending on the symptoms you want to treat, you might need a product that contains just THC or CBD or a combination of the two.
Ingestion
How you consume cannabis will affect how fast a product works, how long the effects last, and how strong the effect is. A common error is the amount of time people wait for an edible to take effect. Edibles can take up to two hours to kick in. Taking another dose before feeling the first dose can lead to an overdose and a negative experience. Please. Don't do this.
Dose
To avoid negative side-effects, everybody is advised to start low and go slow until they reach a balance between efficacy and tolerability: a Goldilocks Zone. Everybody is different, and even though a standard adult serving is considered to be 10mg of THC, this can be way too much for a new consumer. For seniors I recommend CBD and THC starting doses that are much lower and building from there.
REMEMBER - start low and go slow, and you'll be fine.
Toxicity
Since cannabis is a plant, there could be contamination while growing with pesticides and fungicides or mold or mildew on the growing plant. This is why you always want to see a COA (Cert. of Analysis) and buy organic if you can.
Cannabis has safely provided massive relief for many millions of people over the last 5000 years. If cannabis is an option for you, remember that every desired effect can take a different compound or combination of compounds and a different ingestion method for the best results.
If you think you'd like to know more about the plant and how to use it, click the contact link below and let's start the conversation, I'd love to help.