Best Practices for Using Cannabis Products – Cannabis Basics: Part 5

It’s been my pleasure guiding you through the basics of cannabis and the current legal climate here in north county San Diego. In this conclusion to the basics, I’ll be sharing best practices for achieving desired results when using cannabis products.

Once you decide where you will buy your cannabis products, the next step is to decide how you want to use it.  The good news is that smoking isn’t the only option. In fact, less than 20%of the people I’ve worked with over the past decade choose inhalation.

Each of these delivery methods brings their own unique benefits and ultimate results. The nice thing about all the options is that there is something for everyone. It’s your individual comfort zone that defines which method you should start with to discover what is best for you. Below is an overview of the various therapies.

Enters bloodstream in 5-10 minutes

Duration of effects1-2 hours

Method: Smoking or vaporization of the buds/herb/flower or hash oil. Requires a pipe, bong, rolling papers, dry herb vaporizer or personal vaporizer device.

If inhalation is in your comfort zone and you are new to cannabis, this is a good place to begin as it is easy to access, measure and the duration of effects is the shortest, meaning if you are using a product rich in THC, you’ll be back to a normal state fastest.

Always take a very small inhale and wait 5-10 minutes to assess your results. The biggest mistake people make with inhalation is taking too much too quickly.

Enters bloodstream 20-30 minutes

Duration of effect 2-4 hours

Method: Taken under the tongue as a tincture or allowing an edible product to melt slowly in the mouth, sublingual administration increases activation and absorption. This is an ideal starting place for most, especially if inhalation is not in your comfort zone.

Edibles–USE EXTREME CAUTION

Can take 1-3 hours or longer to enter blood streamDuration of effects can last up to 8 hours

Method:  Anything chewed, and swallowed will take longer to activate as the compounds must process through the digestive tract. Edibles are the most potent method for using cannabis, and I always caution those new to use, to tread carefully with these products.

Relief in 5-10 minutes

Duration of effect1-3 hours

Delivers topical analgesic relief, especially effective for joint, muscle & nerve pain. Topical applications generally do not enter the bloodstream

Relief in 15-60 minutes

Duration of effects can last up to 8 hours

Allows for quick entry to the bloodstream. Be cautious of transdermal patches containing THC, using chemical solutions or in-organic ingredients.

Relief in 1-3 hours

Duration of effects can last up to8 hours

Anal insertion bypasses the liver which has been shown to reduce intoxication and studies have shown suppositories improve efficacy by as much as 70%.

 If you select more than one product, always try one product at a time.  Ensure you are back to a ‘normal’ state before trying the next one. For example, if you take a tincture, don’t take an edible or smoke something an hour later.

The industry mantra is “go low and go slow.” This means that whatever you try, take the smallest dose and wait the recommended time. Before taking more, assess whether you are getting the desired results. The optimal dose is the least amount for the maximum desired effect. I call it the entering the Cannabis S.E.A. (select, experiment, adjust). There is no one size fits all with cannabis. With a little experimentation, you can find what works best for your body.

Products rich in Cannabidiol (CBD) on its own have unique circumstances, keep an eye on this column for more on that topic alone in a future article.

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Be sure to read part 1, part 2, part 3, and part 4!