Microdose Cannabis

Updated September 10, 2024

Microdosing THC is the new kid on the scene! Cannabis consumers have come from all walks of life with different needs for THC dosage. You might think of a traditional weed consumer and imagine someone from the ’60s lighting up a huge joint. While that kind of person is likely still part of the demographic, not everyone wants to consume cannabis by taking massive rips from elaborate water pipes.

Some people use weed to help regulate their sleeping or eating habits. Some use it to soothe pain, and Mallory Lofl, a co-author of  a federal study conducted by the UC San Diego School of Medicine, found that “veterans with PTSD can use cannabis at self-managed doses, at least in the short term, and not experience a plethora of side effects or a worsening of symptoms.”

It suffices to say that people can consume different amounts of weed for all types of reasons. Enter microdosing THC: the new way to get through the day without being completely stoned out of your mind. Michael Backes, the author of Cannabis Pharmacy, claims that microdosing could be the most popular way that people use cannabis. What is Microdosing THC?

Microdosing is nothing new. Micodosing cannabis is the practice of intentionally consuming minimal doses of THC to minimize the psychoactive effects of THC while enjoying the other, usually more therapeutic, effects.

Made popular by Silicon Valley tech professionals experimenting with psychedelic substances, microdosing has been a curious option for those seeking to gain a creative edge in high-paced and competitive work cultures. However, the ordinary consumer may just be looking to create a more sustainable everyday cannabis experience. 

The Benefits of Microdosing THC

People are turning to microdosing weed to get the maximum benefits without feeling the other effects of marijuana, like paranoia or intense psychoactivity. Microdosing weed means you consume just enough cannabis – the minimal amount – to feel more subtle effects of THC compared to a higher dose.

The benefits of microdosing cannabis may include:

• Avoiding the psychoactive effects as much as possible
• Increased creativity
• General pain relief
• Helps in falling asleep
• Improved mood and disposition

How Much is a Microdose of THC?

So how should you microdose weed? And how much is the correct THC dose to take for microdosing? Those are great questions that don’t have any set answers. Cannabis is still illegal at the federal level, making it difficult to conduct scientific and medical studies on THC and its consumption. Because of this, there is little information and regulation about cannabis dosage that consumers can use to find the proper THC dosage for themselves.

You can go online and search for THC dosage charts that may contain some information about what to expect per cannabis dose, but they don’t consider a plethora of variables like weight, age, body composition, and, especially, tolerance. And even with those things considered, it’s still possible that THC can affect two consumers that are otherwise identical in entirely different ways. Some people can vape an entire live resin disposable over the course of a few hours, while others need to pace themselves over the course of days or more. With marijuana, there’s no majority response that can be applied to all, or even most, consumers.

It's possible that our endocannabinoid system may hold further clues as to why every person can be affected differently by the same dose of THC. The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is a cell-signaling system identified in the early 1990s by researchers exploring THC, which is a well-known cannabinoid. The ECS regulates and controls many of our most critical bodily functions, such as learning and memory, emotional processing, sleep, body temperature control, pain, inflammatory and immune responses, and eating. 

As it turns out, the cannabinoids found in THC mimic the cannabinoids that naturally exist and are created by our own bodies. And since no two bodies are precisely the same, it follows that people have differences in their own ECS that affect how they process and react to cannabinoids found in THC.

How Many Milligrams of THC: What Is Considered a Low Dose of THC?

So how can you find the correct THC dosage for you? Well, there are some ideas about a strategy for it. There are many opinions and theories available online, but the consensus seems to be to start from zero. For new users, that’s easy to do, and existing cannabis consumers are encouraged to abstain for some time, ranging from as little as two days to a month, depending on their THC consumption habits. Abstaining from THC consumption can help reset your tolerance, making it easier to gauge how a small dose of THC may have an effect.

The next step is to start with a low dose, which is usually 1mg of THC, and wait 45 minutes to an hour to notice any effects. This could mean a slight elatedness and well-being, a feeling of increased creativity, or slight pain relief. A slight effect could mean anything, and it really depends on your personal reaction to THC and goals for sustainable THC consumption.

This process is repeated until the most minimal effect is noticed. Once the slightest effect is noticed, you have found your own minimal THC dosage for microdosing.

Finding the Right Dose of THC

This brings up how to find or consume cannabis in a 1mg THC dosage. Although cannabis flower and other THC products are labeled with THC content by percentage, they are not labeled by milligrams, making it challenging to ration out a 1 mg THC dose.

Aside from this, one should also consider that every strain of cannabis, regardless of the percentage of THC, may affect everyone differently. For example, even if the consumption quantity is small, some studies have found a correlation between THC and blood pressure.

The best way to microdose THC is to find what works for you based on what you like to consume. You can try keeping a log and recording which strains of cannabis you consumed, how much you consumed, and how you feel it affected you. This may help you see what you like and what may work for you when it comes to consuming cannabis and microdosing THC. 

With microdosing THC, the idea will always remain the same: the goal is to find the minimal amount of THC to help you feel its effects in a sustainable way. To learn more, talk with a professional at a Chicago dispensary or one nearby.