Microdosing with Joe

HOW TO GET HIGH

[microdosingwithjoe]

CBG, CBD, CBC, CBN, and THCV

The Healing Cannabinoids

If you read my piece on the entourage effect, you know that I believe that THC is the ringmaster, but all the components of cannabis determine the “personality” of any given strain. Studies have proven the Entourage Effect with cannabinoids and terpenes. But these five cannabinoids are the major components that combine with THC to most affect your high as far as we know, as well your health and wellbeing.

Some cannabinoids, especially CBN and CBG, can bind directly to both the endocannabinoid system’s (ECS) CB1 and CB2 receptors, meaning they affect everything the ECS controls. These elements are all-important to the way any given cannabis strain or concoction affects you.

There are over 100 cannabinoids. We have no idea what most of them do, but the ones I selected are considered the most important.

CBG (cannabigerol) is the “Mother Cannabinoid” —THC, CBD, CBC, and CBN (and all other cannabinoids) began as CBG.

CBG’s anti-stress, anti-anxiety, and antidepressant effects are fantastic, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. There are numerous studies about CBG that indicate that it is as good as or better than CBD for pain, anxiety, inflammation, sleep disorders, etc. —all CBD’s effects but even better. It also provides better relief for sufferers of intestinal disorders, like IBS, GERD, and Crohn’s disease. We will have to wait and see everything CBG does, because the THC and CBD study focus has been taking the lion’s share of interest before now, but CBG is the rising superstar.

CBD (cannabidiol) is a cure-all kinda medicine that continues to show positive effects in more and more conditions all the time. I have a personal affinity for CBD + THC therapy, as it substantially healed two discs in my neck, and turned my degenerative disc disorder around. I still can have bouts of pain, but compared with living with hearing and feeling bone-on-bone grinding all day, every day? I’m in heaven. Another attribute of CBD, is that it’s a THC antagonist. That means it can inhibit and regulate the uptake of THC, and that has two great purposes. If you’re a beginner stoner. I always recommend everyone get a CBD vape whether you’re a beginner or an expert stoner. If you get too high, feel THC-induced anxiety, or panic, just a few puffs of CBD, and you’ll be relieved. But because CBD has all these great benefits of reducing tension, anxiety, and depression, one puff is just a great additive to any high. Antagonistic CBD also stretches THC’s effective period from 4 hours, to 6-8 hours during sleep.

CBC (cannabichromene) may be up to 10 times more potent than CBD for treating stress and anxiety and also has significant anti-inflammatory, pain-reducing, antiviral, anti-tumor, and bone-growth-stimulating properties. But the potential CBC has that excites me most, is that could be immensely useful in promoting the growth of new brain cells.

As an old fart with diminishing mental acuity, that’s obviously interesting to me.

CBN (cannabinol) is the first known cannabinoid, but one of the least-studied of these five, and is the only one that isn't derived directly from CBG, but it's what THC turns into when oxidized. Unlike CBG, CBD, and CBC, it’s mildly intoxicating. Like all these cannabinoids, it relieves pain and inflammation.

The best-known effect of CBN, is that it makes you sleepy. Anyone who’s ever smoked an old joint they found in a drawer might remember that it didn’t get them very high, but it made them ready for nappy time; that’s because much of the THC has degraded into CBN.

What excites me most about CBN, is that behaves like THC in many ways, and it has been found to bind with CB2 receptors. This ability may lead to new treatments for neuropathy (no treatment currently exists, and I suffer from neuropathic pain caused by sciatica), as CB2 receptors appear in inflamed areas in the body.

CBN therapies will be able to treat virtually any inflamed site, so it has the potential to address other areas that are difficult to treat, such as gastrointestinal system disorders like GERD, Chrons Disease, and diverticulitis.

CBN could be a true wonder drug.

THCV (tetrahydrocannabivarin) is another under-studied cannabinoid that’s attracting attention, for good reason.

THCV is a very effective appetite suppressant. It’s also the opposite of CBN, making people quite energetic. Being a bit tubby, I’m really excited by it. I’ve had a rare strain that contained THCV, and can attest to these properties.

But more excitement is to come from THCV, as it has shown to treat a lot of other diverse conditions, including Parkinson’s, psychosis, bacterial inflammation, acne, fatty liver disease, pain, and epilepsy.

I can’t wait to see what other benefits THCV has! Durban Poison is a common strain that contains high levels of THCV, but I’ve never had as good an effect from DP as I did the first (forgotten-named) high-THCV strain I tried.

Entourage Effect- all these cannabinoids work together in ways that increase their effectiveness when combined with THC, and can’t be recommended enough for ailments and moods your ECS controls. There aren’t any drawbacks, except you probably won’t want to ingest CBN until bedtime.

Any and all of these cannabinoids can be ingested individually a half hour before imbibing your favorite weed. THC don’t care where or how you get these into your system, but as always, these other cannabinoids work best with THC. There are vape pens with 50/50 CBD & CBG, but none that incorporate CBC or CBN that I’ve found, yet, but they gotta be out there.

I’m looking for a good supplier of isolates of these cannabinoids; pure, plant-derived organic powders. My intent is to mix them with honey and select terpenes to put into beverages. I’m going to make a daytime version with THCV, a nighttime version that includes CBN, and a neutral one with neither. When I find that supplier I’ll paste a link here, and I'll also let you know if my hypothesis that taking these cannabinoids orally, followed by consumption of THC products a short time later works effectively.

Remember: cannabinoids every day help keep the doctor away!

[microdosingwithjoe]

For the Lazy:

HOW TO START MICRODOSING IN LESS THAN 48 HOURS

This post is for the “IDGAF” of how or why microdosing works. I’m hoping someone will try it because the basic process is so easy.

First, you have to reset your endocannabinoid system (ECS). This sensitizes your body to THC again. For those of you who are overdosing A LOT, your habitual use makes this the hardest part, because you have to go cold turkey for 36 whole hours. Honestly, the cessation of weed is as physically arduous as not drinking morning coffee. Studies show that after 36 hours, your body has expelled the THC you’ve consumed, regardless of how much.

The first time you get high after those 36 hours off THC is the most important because you are going to explore what your body wants to get the effects that you desire, whether it’s the perfect high or the perfect pain relief. You’re learning a new way to get high; what you’ve been doing with weed is the equivalent of chugging beers.

To do this, you should set aside some serious “me time” for several days in a row. That’s because observing the effects of weed is very important.

Most of us were conditioned to “smoking a joint” or “smoking a bowl,” but we’re overdosing ourselves by doing that because we aren’t appreciating the way the first hit is affecting us because we’re already taking another 4 or 5 hits off that joint before the first hit has fully taken effect.

Here’s how your first microdosing session for smokers should go (edibles listed below.) Turn off the TV and put away your phone. Find a comfortable spot. Get your selected weed and look at it and smell it. Whether you like the strain or not, keeping track of as many of its properties as you can; it will enhance your future experiences.

Preferably use a pipe or a bong. Break off a piece from the bottom of a bud, about the size of a pea. Crush it up into the pipe bowl and light it from the edge (this allows the weed to burn across the bowl, releasing flavors as it burns,) and try not to just roast the whole surface. Make sure you get a good, solid hit, but not so much you cough and ruin the experience. Beginners? Coughing is hard to avoid. There’s no substitute for experience in this case.

Don’t hold the hit in more than 2 seconds, but instead slowly exhale about half the smoke through your mouth and nose, then inhale a quick but small breath to stir the remaining smoke, then slowly exhale the remainder of the smoke immediately, again through both mouth and nose.

Take a mental note, or better yet, keep a journal of what you taste and smell, and eventually what you feel. Use terms that mean something to you, so you know what you mean, not what you think an expert would say: this is all about you.

Now for the hard part: wait. Over the next 15 (minimum) to 30 minutes.

During these essential moments, you’re observing the high, which should peak between 15 to 30 minutes, and its vital that you don’t take a second hit until the first one has peaked.

Most people are amazed at how high they get, but if you’re not high enough, you can clean out your pipe and repeat the same process for your second hit, and so on.

Here’s another tough part: “realistically, am I high enough, or not?” This is when honesty battles with our tendencies for gluttony and hedonism. It’s not easy; you’re changing the way you’ve always smoked pot, hopefully forever.

Seriously, if you feel a need to get blasted out of your gourd every time you get high, you probably have an untreated underlying issues or conditions that may require professional attention.

Weed is great for normal stress and needed pain relief, but it’s not (for example) treating severe PTST by itself. I know personally that cannabis can really help many PTSD cases. My dog was run over by a car in front of me, and I had flashbacks of that that would repeat over and over, like a 3-second TikTok horror video. Weed fixed that for me, but I knew exactly what to do and what strains would be effective. If you’re constantly trying to escape, please consider counseling.

Microdosing does wonders for normal stress, but it doesn’t fix real issues you need to talk about with your therapist or doctor.

On a clean ECS, most people will stop at 1-3 hits. I highly recommend using this process every time. I’ve been microdosing for about seven years now, and I still start with just one hit, like I did just a couple of hours ago. I’m still noticeably high, and I’m really glad that’s all it takes. It has allowed me to create an incredible stash for pennies a day, a fraction of what a single can of beer costs. I have around 30 strains and 5-6 concentrates, and most of them are more than 3 months old. Pot lasts around a year without significant degradation.

Each strain I buy enhances my experience possibilities because the more I acquire, the more tailored the high I get. This process of observing your high is what microdosing is all about: getting the right weed for the right moment, in JUST the right amount. I hope you come to enjoy the process as much as I do.

Are you ready for the best highs of your life? Isn’t 36 measly hours worth it? Go for it!

Microdosing with edibles is a pain in the ass to start, but well worth it.

Eating to get high means every time is different because what you’ve eaten and how much you’ve eaten can affect when the THC will take effect.

Microdosing edibles is a less Zen-like experience because taste and smell are wholly eliminated from the process because all you’ll taste and smell are flavorings.

It’s harder and takes longer to find your dose on edibles, because you can only increase doses in 6-hour increments, so the process can take days to finish.

I recommend getting 5mg gummy bears for this process. Start with just 1. If you didn’t reach your goal after 6 hours, take 2, and so on. Eventually you’ll find your spot, usually between 5 and 30mg.

Since each try takes 6 hours, establishing your dose can take from 1 to 3 days, more, if you’re THC resistant. Hopefully, you can do it on 5-10mg, and you’ll enjoy substantial economic benefits, being a ‘cheap drunk,’ only with weed.

I wish you luck and hope you commit yourself to follow through no matter what path you use. Microdosing is the way we are all supposed to get high.

#HowToGetHigh

[microdosingwithjoe]

“Micro” Means Different Things to Different People

Admittedly, I’ve been discussing microdosing from the viewpoint of an average(ish) user’s viewpoint. I’m not normal when it comes to edibles; it takes a lot for me to get a psychological effect. This is probably because I produce a lot less of the liver enzyme, cytochrome P450 than most people, which converts THC into a usable form when you consume edibles.

So, microdosing is a very personal process.

The vast majority of people are going to be using within a hit or two of my suggested dosing, meaning their (microdosing-sensitized) endocannabinoid system is going to balance using between one to five hits per 4-hour dose. But there are a very small percentage of people who require 100-300mg of THC to even feel a buzz, or to get any pain relief. There is also a very small population that a single hit can make them super high for 12-18 hours.

Obviously the people who haven’t ruined their ECS with overdosing that actually NEED 100mg or more to get an effect have a very expensive medical treatment or fun time compared to their friends.

The super-sensitive user has to hope there’s a dispensary with low THC cannabis with high CBD levels, or high-CBD edibles, or cannabis is probably off the board.

Microdosing is essential, regardless of your true cannabis sensitivity, but some people will require exceedingly large or really tiny doses.

The only way to find out, is to go through the process.

[microdosingwithjoe]

Just a Quickie: Sense of Smell

This is wholly conjecture; I always like to identify when I’m not talking about cannabis science, but one of my beliefs based on my personal weed experiences.

If you can’t handle turning getting stoned into a science project, remember one thing: (in my opinion) the nose knows. The better a strain smells to YOU, the better it will treat you.

I capped YOU because the thing you’re looking for probably won’t rock your friend’s world the same as it does yours. Where weed is concerned, I think you actually crave most what your body needs the most, and if when you run across a strain that has a smell that makes you want to keep smelling it...smoking it, and even wanting to eat it...all at once...will probably give you a memorable experience you want to revisit.

One bad side effect of Covid, is that we can't sniff weed in the dispensary anymore. I recommend buying grams to sample, and get at least 2 or 3 if you can, in case 1 or 2 bomb. Interestingly, those not-so-great strains that failed you today, might be your superstars in a week or two.

If you're the journal-keeping type, I highly recommend you write down the smells, tastes and highs every strain you get gives you, so you can create your own weedictonary.

Learning how your body reacts to certain elements is how you master weed and learn how to smoke the right strain at the right time. That's how you learn #HowToGetHigh.

[microdosingwithjoe]

The Entourage Effect

Some people just want to get drunk or get high, and they couldn't care less how they get there. Those people shouldn’t bother with this blog. This is about learning how to experience the high you want, when you want it, and how to get the most relief from your chronic ailment, so it affects your life as little as possible.

You might be a wine snob: Ahh, the complexity of wine; hundreds of taste combinations that determine the quality and craftsmanship of a given vintage. But even though you might perceive it differently, alcohol is one high, and the variations on that one high are more due to the psychological impacts from your environment than from the drug itself.

Then there's weed. It has millions of possible individual flavors and effects, and the way it's grown drastically affects not just the flavor and smell of the variety, but the high, and its value as a medicine as well. It is natural, and even two buds on the same branch can produce noticeably different highs.

To further complicate things, the effect of the strain on any given individual, or even on any given day, create effects that differ significantly from person to person, and from day to day.

But the most dominant characteristics of a strain will affect most people the same way, so we use sloppy classifications like indica, hybrid, and sativa to provide a basic guide to consumers. Add to this sensory complexity the fact that odorless, flavorless cannabinoids like CBN, and THCV contribute—sometimes massively—to the effects, as do terpenes. Flavonoids? Who knows? You can begin to understand how truly complex cannabis is.

In reality, what most people find to be a heavy indica, may send YOU into semi-upbeat cruise mode doing chores, as if the strain were mildly sativa, with no drowsiness at all. Depending on the state of your endocannabinoid system, a particular sativa might even induce a nap.

Mastering The Entourage Effect to suit your personal biology is the key to tailoring your high to suit your own moods and desires, or to getting just the right combination to stop the agonizing pain from your sciatica. I've dramatically improved my ability to treat my debilitating neck joint and disc issues, which are caused by inflammation caused by my injuries, but I've had zero luck in three years of trying to control my sciatica, which is neuropathic (nerve pain,) because I don't know enough about what mechanism in it I need to address, and I'm too old for med school. I will keep trying though, and maybe someone else will find an entourage effect that works for me too.

For my neck pain, I use strains rich in the terpene, caryophyllene (the smell in pepper, and the main reason oil of cloves stops a toothache) humulene (similar in effect to caryophyllene.) In the evenings, I sometimes add linalool, the main scent and taste of lavender and other purple flowers, including purple cannabis, and higher myrcene (evening,) which is the most common and a mostly-sedative terpene; or high limonene (daytime,) for a more energetic high. I also take a puff off a CBD vape pen. That’s my main entourage for MY neck pain; yours might be helped substantially, or not at all. It might be myrcene or limonene that rocks your world.

In my case, a strain that relies wholly on myrcene as an anti inflammatory just makes my neck feel worse, but myrcene is my friend (when I combine it with my go-to elements) to get a good night’s sleep.

Here are some basics. First of all, if all other factors are removed, cannabis with high myrcene levels and low limonene levels are more likely to relax, and when levels are reversed, you’re more likely to become energetic. Myrcene’s effects are intensified by the presence of the cannabinoid, CBN. CBN is what THC turns into when it gets old and oxidizes, but it can be in therapeutic levels in ‘fresh’ weed too. When those two get together, you might experience “Couch-Lock” ...or it might eliminate anxiety from a really bad day, or it might put you right to sleep-after a few potato chips. If limonene is combined with the terpene, alpha pinene, and the cannabinoid, THCV, you’re sweeping the floor, organizing drawers, having energized conversations…and your appetite is literally non-existent.

The entourage effect is complicated.

To simplify your life, start with the basics of UP and DOWN: do I want to relax, or do I want to whoop it up?

For most people, heavy myrcene combined with linalool, caryophyllene, and/or CBN will relax you, perhaps into oblivion. Limonene, with pinene and/or humulene and/or caryophyllene, can make you quite zippy, and adding linalool replaces the anxiety some may get from it with a sense of wellbeing.

The only way to start is to buy a couple of grams and try them out. Get the dispensary’s speediest sativa and their most sleepy indica. You’ll have a starting point. Try the sativa 6-8 hours before bedtime, and try the indica an hour or two before bed. If you dislike the effect of either, put it away for a week or so; if after a week it still has unwanted effects, toss it.

If you can, write down what you smell, taste, and feel in detail, trying to always use the same terms for an effect, positive or negative, and you’re on your way! The more strains you have, the more specific high you can get. Although every strain you buy will cost $6 to $15 most places, they are going to last forever because you're microdosing!

As always, only take one hit, and wait for 30 minutes before adding to the dose. Once you know what effects you can expect from a strain, and you want to get “high AF”, you can start with 2-3, but NO MORE, unless you’re going to bed soon. Bedtime is the only time you can overdose, but I highly recommend that you add CBD, to regulate the absorption of THC during sleep. After 8 hours of sleep, your ECS has reset enough to “wake and bake,” but you should never follow a heavy high night with a heavy high morning: try just taking one hit.

Once you know you like a strain, try drinking herbal tea 30-45 minutes before you dose. With energetic strains, try a tea similar (using Bigelow’s brands) to Lemon Zinger, or Orange & Spices, and for relaxants, try Sleep (chamomile, and lavender) tea. These make more of the terpenes you crave available, to enhance your experience.

[microdosingwithjoe]

The Endocannabinoid System (ECS)

If it wasn't for weed, it could've been decades later before researchers discovered the mammalian endocannabinoid system, but it turns out it is a very important system indeed. Yes, any mammal can get high, or get the same therapeutic treatments from cannabis. But animals need even lower doses than humans, and never give your dog or cat human preparations, unless they’re 10:1 or higher CBD:THC, in a weight-proportionate dose.

The ECS is the reason cannabis is nontoxic. Almost all drugs directly affect the nervous system, and enough of any normal drug-yes, theoretically even caffeine-can kill you, although you'd have to rapidly guzzle around 30 Red Bulls in a sitting to go redline.

But cannabis doesn't directly affect your nervous system at all; it affects the ECS, and the ECS gives instructions to your various systems. Even though not all effects of cannabis may be desired, our body will not kill itself, so no matter how much THC you ingest, you could only die by rupturing your stomach eating too many edibles. One ad hoc lab study went so far as to inject a rat with 30,000 doses of THC. The rat slept 12 hours and woke up apparently unaffected.

Why humans need good weed

In healthy, active people who don't watch TV, or own a smartphone, live in the country and eat a healthy diet, the ECS helps achieve homeostasis: the balancing all the body’s systems.

But reaching homeostasis in the general population is rarer and rarer in modern life. For the last 20,000 years or more since humans started forming settlements, and for 19,900 years of that our lives were pretty dull, mixed with moments of sheer terror. We worked hard all day, and at night we talked, read, crafted, repaired, and created, until darkness and fatigue put us to bed. When we weren’t killing each other in wars, we were actually pretty chill for the most part.

Our days got longer with the advent and refinement of oil and gas lamps, and finally, electric lights, which made 24-hour business operations possible: this is also known as The Grand Fuckup.

Well, it oughta be called that anyhow, because that’s when we screwed ourselves and totally and permanently wrecked any semblance of human normalcy forever. It’s almost impossible for most of us to get off this crazy train with our sanity fully intact.

In the 1920s, radio became our first electromechanical stimulant. It wasn’t bad, really; people’s imaginations took off in the same way our ancestors fantasized through reading and storytelling. But by the late 1950s, television had pretty much replaced radio and reading as primary entertainment. Since it supplied images to go with it, the worlds we created in our imagination were greatly diminished, and weird brain stimulus became the norm.

In less than 100 years, about 1/5,000th of human civilization’s existence, we went from a healthy balance, to being stimulus junkies, thanks mostly to this heinous thing I'm usually typing this on, and you're usually reading from.

Such a sad story, isn't it? The true victim in this tragedy though, is the way it has affected our endocannabinoid system.

Warning: science-y gobbledygook (that is worth understanding better)

The ECS, being the regulator of our life’s balance, is so overwrought that our body is incapable of producing enough endocannabinoids to keep up with the demands of nearly continuous sensory stimulation.

Chronic endocannabinoid deficiency could possibly be the most widespread modern human disorder, and because of all the things the ECS is responsible for controlling, many symptomatic conditions we attribute to other conditions could be the result of these endocannabinoid deficiencies.

Like your nervous system, your ECS is all over your body and in your brain. The system uses two primary receptors, CB1, and CB2 that researchers have found and studied so far. These receptors are normal and naturally activated by your body’s endocannabinoids like anandamide (the ‘bliss’ drug,) 2AG, GABA, and more.

I’m not a physician, so I’m not going to spend months researching endocannabinoids to find out how they technically all work; I try to just read about the scientific findings of effects of cannabis use.

THC is a phytocannabinoid, and has a chemical structure similar to anandamide, but it's much, much stronger. But because THC bonds to CB-1 and CB-2 receptors just as well as endocannabinoids, it can affect the same systems that your body’s stuff does. It also has the capability of doing things your body’s endocannabinoids can't, depending on the stuff that‘s mixed with the THC.

Millions of humans pop open a beer, pour a glass of wine, or mix a drink after a long and stressful day at work. What we're doing with cannabis, is substituting what we lack naturally, to deal with stress and over-stimulation, in a very pleasant way.

Today I had a pretty stressful day myself, but it has been dealt with more healthily as I typed this. I'm going to jump ahead to what I'm talking about next in this description, but I really want to contrast the cannabis difference.

I have a hard time sleeping through the night. I have a lot on my plate tomorrow, so I need a good night's rest. The couple of hours leading up to bedtime are when you can overdose without messing up your ECS, so I'm doing 3 different things that are going to help me fall asleep fast, and to sleep longer.

My ECS will be clean and ready to go when I wake up, if I need to treat for pain...or if it were a less-taxing day, a wake-n-bake. If I'm in pain, I will likely take just one hit of a stimulating strain that will energize my busy morning.

Cannabis isn't a one-note high, or a one-symptom curative. THC is the motor that drives the high, but WHAT KIND of high, or what kind of treatment, is about other things, the 450+ other active ingredients in cannabis that can produce millions of effects.

Marinol is 100% pure synthetic THC. If THC were the only thing that made cannabis great, the black market would be packed with pure THC, but it's not. In fact, there is no THC black market at all; people hate pure THC; it makes you feel too high, very anxious and generally uncomfortable, according to clinical trials’ patient feedback. It did however have positive results for cancer patients’ appetite stimulation and some pain relief.

The ECS is manipulated by THC, and by other cannabinoids, like cannabinol (CBN), cannabidiol (CBD), cannabigerol (CBG), cannabichromene (CBC), and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV).

The other thing that affects the way THC behaves, are terpenes. Terpenes are the smells and tastes of cannabis and other plants. The way THC, cannabinoids, and terpenes react with your ECS is called The Entourage Effect. This is the coolest thing about cannabis, and why it is both the ultimate drug and the ultimate medicine.

Then there's flavonoids. Even though the name makes you think they are about taste as well, they actually are the main color component in cannabis. They definitely affect your body, but hardly anything is known yet about the nature of their effects, or how they interact with other cannabis components.

All these unknowns are because almost every cannabis study ever performed through government funding was trying to prove potential harm. In a hilarious irony, that zealous attack resulted in revealing what a great drug it is.

Ten years after cannabis became a Schedule 1 drug, deeming it therapeutically useless, the United States Government filed for and was granted for using cannabis medicinally. The patent essentially states that cannabis can be used to treat issues related to oxidative stress, like stroke, autoimmune disorders, age-related issues, and more. They did this, but still maintained its Schedule 1 classification, and still does today.

Hypocrisy much?

Practical phytocannabinoid use

I have chronic pain, and have a hard time getting to sleep. I’m also a little tense too. Tonight I started with the sleep-inducing Bigelow Chamomile and Lavender tea. We all know that a cup of herbal tea helps us wind down, but what you probably didn't know, is the active ingredient in chamomile is the terpene, bisabolol, and the active ingredient in lavender (all purple flowers, actually) is the terpene, linalool. Bisabolol is a calmative and a mild anti-depressant, and linalool is a relaxant and a great anti-inflammatory that gives you a feeling of wellbeing.

After 30 minutes I brewed a second cup, and I took a big hit of Blueberry Muffin, which contains the terpenes b-myrcene, b-caryophyllene (for my inflammatory pain)...and because the buds are purple, Blueberry Muffin has linalool too.

The cool thing is, the THC uses the tea terpenes to further the deep relaxation I'm working towards; THC don't care where it's terpenes and phytocannabinoids come from!

Right now, I have a warm and fuzzy buzz, just perfect. I just took 2x 10Mg THC, 10Mg (”50/50”) CBD gummies (that will take effect after I’m asleep,) and I’ll be taking another hit soon to blissfully drift off to sleep. CBD can be somewhat of a sleep aid itself, but I'm using it primarily for its regulating effect on THC, slowing my body’s intake rate. Smoked or vaped, THC usually lasts about 4 hours in the system, but taking it with the 50/50 CBD/THC edible turns the dose into a bit of a time-release, stretching its therapeutic effects to maybe 6 hours or so, and sometimes as much as 8 hours.

The great unknown and the great promise of cannabis, is finding the way to get the right stuff at the right time, to get the high you hoped for, or the best treatment for what hurts you. The ECS doesn't like overdosing, and that's why I'm a microdosing evangical. Hopefully I can convince you as well.

There's a bunch more to learn about the ECS: we'll get to some of it topically. Until then, let's see how good at getting high we can get.

[microdosingwithjoe]

I'm Joe. I'm here to help you get the most from cannabis.

I’m an enthusiastic cannabis supporter, writing in the *hope* that a few people will read this, but it’s mostly for my own therapy; writing relaxes me and makes me use my brain. If you’ve accidentally stumbled on this blog, I’m not a flake, and this is good advice for cannabis users.

Cannabis gets you high, fixes any number of aches and pains, and a lot more, through your endocannabinoid system (ECS). It's also the most improperly used and abused drug in America.

Most people think cannabis is like ibuprofen, or liquor; if two pills or two drinks work, three will help their pain go away faster, or get them higher.

Well, it does at first.

Your ECS is different over the long haul because just the right amount will get you the best buzz or the best treatment for your ailment. Sure, the first couple of times you overdose, you might get a mind-bending high, but excessive use just spirals into abuse in a matter of days because your ECS rejects chronic overdoses and becomes dysfunctional.

This is the most important fact to realize: your ECS is made to respond to your body’s own chemicals. Even though THC and cannabis’ other active ingredients use your ECS therapeutically, THC is many, many times more powerful than the natural components it replaces.

Your goal is to push your ECS to its peak performance level for your purposes (getting high, killing pain) the way you want it (alert, sedated, energetic, relaxed, etc.) without triggering an overdose reaction.

When your ECS gets overdosed, it rejects more and more THC, so you must use it more and more, and the high gets shorter and shorter.

This cycle quickly spirals out of control, especially in people with addictive tendencies. You can't become physically dependent with cannabis, but you can get psychologically addicted, much like coffee, where you crave it habitually, like mornings just aren't the same without it. Symptoms of withdrawal include mild anxiety and bitchiness.

More importantly, all that is unnecessary, and you get your best high by not crossing that overdose threshold.

Nobody has all the answers yet, but I can help with the most critical issues that get you the best effects. Everything after that is just trying to find ways to improve our collective experiences as new knowledge trickles out from new scientific cannabis studies.

This very simple method I will introduce you to is very effective at getting the best high from recreational cannabis and the best results for medical uses, like treating inflammation-driven joint pain or reducing anxiety in the long term.

I’m going to teach you #HowToGetHigh.

I have studied cannabis for almost 9 years now. I studied it because I had huge success with the first strain I had that worked for my chronic pain, but I was unable to replicate that success. Finding out why some cannabis strains help my pain better than anything else I've ever tried while others do not, or even worsen my pain, was and still is not common knowledge.

My debilitating chronic pain was inspiration for finding out how and why cannabis works or doesn’t work.

The knowledge I gained didn't go unnoticed. I teamed up with another patient, a cannabis specialist attorney, the former director of our state’s medical cannabis program, a neuropathic surgeon, and the executive director of a top ten cancer treatment center to form the Medical Cannabis Alliance. I wrote the first Medical Cannabis Patient Guide reviewed and approved by a major cancer treatment center, a Medical Cannabis Patient Guide, and a Medical Cannabis Provider Employee Handbook. I was also Deputy Director of our state’s NORML organization and lobbied for medical cannabis issues.

Nowadays, after legalization, I’m just a patient and a stoner, but I wanted to share my knowledge with you and learn about your experiences.

With over 450 different active ingredients, cannabis, unlike liquor or ibuprofen, is too complex to know everything about it. There are decades of research ahead before we can reliably predict its effects as a recreational drug or as a medicine. The fantastic thing is this infinite variation could someday lead you to the perfect buzz for the moment in time or the best treatment for your ailment(s) ever.

Cannabis is nontoxic, and mostly harmless, so experimenting won't harm you. Cannabis is the gentlest drug and the gentlest medicine on earth; even a 10,000X overdose goes away after a good night’s sleep. That alone should tell you that this drug does not play by the same rules as any other drug.

If you're intrigued by that, follow along with me.

I recommend reading the piece about your Endocannabinoid System first, The Entourage Effect second, and then the microdosing in under 48 hours to get microdosing asap. You won't be sorry.

I always use the name “cannabis” and not “marijuana” because the origin of that term is racist. I appreciate you using “cannabis” here, but not going to lecture you if you don’t.

5/28/23 A sidenote. I still have about 3/4 of a gram of this 3.5-gram nugget 4 months later. Microdosing works!