Taking the appropriate amount of cannabis flower is critical when using cannabis flower as your primary means of enjoying the cannabis plant. However, learning how to dose cannabis flowers can be challenging.
The cannabis strain (cultivar) you’re using, your tolerance levels, and other variables will all play a role in determining your dose.
A decent general rule of thumb for dosing cannabis flowers is to begin with a low dose and gradually increase to bigger amounts until you achieve the desired effect.
What is Cannabis Strain
When most people think of cannabis, they think of a cannabis flower.
The flower is the portion of the cannabis plant that is typically smoked, vaped, or used to make edibles.
The cannabis flower was traditionally classified into three types: indica, sativa, and hybrid.
According to traditional myths about indica and sativa, indica produces soothing effects, while sativas induce uplifted or stimulated feelings in consumers.
However, the reality is more complicated, due in part to the unique makeup of each individual’s endocannabinoid system (ECS) and how their body processes cannabis.
Experienced users may have a high tolerance and require a higher dose to attain the intended effect.
Furthermore, cannabis researchers now believe that a strain’s cannabinoid content and terpene profile dictate effects far more precisely than the old classification of indica or sativa.
Consumption practices also have an impact on the optimal dose. To smoke dry cannabis flowers, use a joint, bowl, or pipe. Cannabis flowers can also be used to create cannabis edibles and other infused items like cannabis extracts and tinctures.
Factors Affecting Cannabis Strain Dosage
Many factors, like age, time of day, activity level, and amount eaten throughout the day, can influence how much flower you should ingest. Perhaps the most crucial factor is your level of tolerance.
Your sweet spot is best determined by you. For example, if a 1 gram pre-roll with 40% THC made you uneasy, you may need to reduce the dosage or experiment with various strains with lower THC percentages.
If you have had an extended break from smoking flowers, you should not assume your tolerance level is still at its peak, according to Mark Kasabuski, a doctor of pharmacy with over 15 years of experience working in pharmacies and medical cannabis dispensaries.
“Keep in mind that your tolerance level will be different than when you were last using,” Mark says. It may not be reset to zero, but your tolerance will be smaller.”
Other important elements to consider when selecting the optimal dose for you are the potency of the strain and the mode of intake.
Terpenes and THC concentrations are two ways to assess potency. While terpenes do not directly cause you to become more or less high, their presence can alter your experience when smoking cannabis flowers.
Because the terpene limonene is frequently connected with anxiety alleviation, cultivars high in limonene may require lower doses to get the same effect as cultivars low in limonene.
How to Know Your Ideal Cannabis Strain Dose
Because flowers are not divided into distinct dosages like edibles, determining your perfect dose will take some trial and error.
The most important piece of flower dose advice is to start low and go slow. Before attempting more potent cultivars, ask your budtender for a strain with a lower THC content.
If this is your first time, consider using a pre-roll or a one-hitter instead of a bong, which may cause you to get high owing to the amount of cannabis smoke you can consume at once.
Always wait to see how your first cannabis dose affects you before taking another. Before opting to raise your dose, consider how the cannabis is making you feel, particularly in relation to your intention.
Cannabis Flower Consumption Methods
There are several ways to consume cannabis flowers. It can be smoked, vaped, or used to make edibles. However, the most prevalent methods of using flowers are smoking and vaping.
Smoking
One of the quickest ways to feel the benefits of cannabis is to smoke it. Kasabuski said, “When you inhale something, it’s going to be the fastest onset of action, where you have that pretty immediate effect, within zero to 15 minutes.”
Of course, different techniques of smoking cannabis result in varying doses, as Kasabuski notes. “A bong might release more of a dose [when compared to a joint], depending on how much flower you’re burning at a time or how the joint is rolled.”
If you’ve never smoked cannabis before, start with a tiny amount, such as a mini-pre-roll or simply a single hit off a friend’s joint, before progressing to bigger quantities.
Your first time smoking cannabis might be exhilarating, but it can also be overwhelming and lead to negative side effects if you are not cautious.
Vaping
While most pens and other vaping devices include oil, a dry herb vaporizer can be used to vape dried flowers.
Even if you vape cannabis oil or concentrates, the ultimate source is usually flowers and other cannabis plant parts.
Vaping is a cost-effective, smokeless technique of smoking cannabis that can provide immediate relief; nevertheless, it is also one of the most potent methods of smoking cannabis.
To avoid overdosing, check the label of any dried flower or vape cartridges and begin with a single drag.
If you’re new to vaping, wait at least 15 minutes before taking another drag.
Precautions and Safety Tips
Start low and go slow isn’t just a catchphrase; it’s also important advice for cannabis users to remember, especially when experimenting with different portions of the plant.
To prevent consuming too much flower, consume less than you believe you’ll need to accurately estimate cannabis’s effect on your body and mind.
You can also utilize CBD-rich cannabis to counteract some of THC’s more intoxicating effects.
Stay hydrated and avoid ingesting more THC in the same sitting if you have ingested too much cannabis flower.
Take note of the dose you used and remember to take less the following time. You will recover from having too much marijuana, but you should take precautions to prevent it from happening again.
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