What is Microdosing and How Do I Do It?

The Microdosing Trend and What it Means

With 62% or about six-in-ten Americans supporting the legalization of marijuana, more and more people are wanting to know how they can incorporate the benefits of cannabis into their lifestyle—without any unpleasant side effects such as anxiety or paranoia.

This is where microdosing comes in handy. The Microdosing market has been on a steady rise for the last couple of years, especially among women who are now the largest demographic of low dose consumers.

Essentially, microdosing is when you inhale or ingest a very small amount of a particular substance, with the end goal of experiencing the therapuetic benefits without the psychoactivity.

If you are interested in learning more about the best methods to help you on your microdosing journey, keep reading!

Vaporization

Vaporizing cannabis is always a great option to consume your weed even if you’re microdosing or not, because it allows you to completely bypass harmful carcinogens that you would otherwise be inhaling with traditional smoking. While cannabis in general does not produce the same harmful carcinogens that tobacco does, it does expose you to some to an extent.

 

Combustion

While joints and pipes are the easiest way to get the ball rolling, this method of consuming marijuana is the dirtiest and hardest to dose. This method of consumption is the easiest way to overdo your tolerance levels, however we recommend using a free online dosage calculator that will help you in your microdosing quest if you choose this method.

 

Ingestion

Ingestion is a clean and effective way to consume cannabis because enjoying it requires zero exposure to carcinogens, and they already come with dosages on the package. However, please be aware that edibles take much longer to kick in— which makes titration a bit trickier.

Here are some resources for dosing recommendations:

1. Leafly: Cannabis Edibles Dosing Chart
2. High Times: Marijuana Edible Safety
3. The Cannabis Cooking Calculator

Again, slow and steady wins the microdosing race. This is the key to microdosing. The most important aspect to keep in mind is to be very mindful of even the subtlest of side effects—then adjust accordingly.

 

Benefits and Side Effects; Maintaining a Balance

The microdosing trend has spanned both age and vocational divisions—professionals frequently use it during the workday to get the focus and creativity enhancement. Some microdosers also incorporate this method to help with their socialization without the belligerence of alcohol. Many users have reported a decrease in chronic pain, anxiety, ADHD, stress, indigestion, inflammation, and both emotional and mood disorders. 

However, the benefits don’t stop there. In a recent study, it was found that low doses of THC reverses age related memory loss among the older mice.

How Long Do Effects Last?

This entirely depends on which delivery method you end up going with in conjunction with your own personal genetic makeup, metabolism, and BMI. Edibles do deliver the longest lasting effects, sometimes up to 12 hours and traditional smoking typically lasting a couple of hours.

 

What is The Recommended Dosage?

Once again, this depends on the person. For a person in their 30’s who regularly takes multiple low-doses per day should be just fine because they are aware of their unique tolerance levels. Listen to your body; if you are falling asleep at your desk and can’t remain active all day, maybe you should cut back on your dose.

What We Learned

Microdosing is a great way to get the mental, emotional and physical benefits of THC and Cannabis without the high or sans undesirable side effects. If you find that you get extremely creative right after your first toke that diminishes the more you smoke—you may benefit from microdosing before or during your work session.

To learn more about the many benefits of microdosing, check out the video below from our friends over at MerryJane!