Microdosing THC: Is A Low-Dose Better?

Within the cannabis community, the issue of potency has always been pretty important. A lot of consumers take it upon themselves to experience the latest high THC strands. That said, an increasing number of people are now realizing the possibilities that scaling back their dosage might afford. What that means in the most simple terms is that, as it turns out, sometimes, less actually is more.

Microdosing made its way into the world of cannabis enthusiasts. Whether you are a seasoned cannabis consumer or simply a beginner, just entering the world of marijuana microdosing might be the key to unlocking a new kind of cannabis experience. Or, at the very least, afford you a way of incorporating cannabis into your day-to-day life without worrying about it impairing you. Let’s learn how

Microdosing THC: What Is Microdosing?

As the name hits, microdosing means simply to enjoy small quantities of cannabis. People who microdose THC do it to strike the right balance between THC’s benefits and psychoactive effects. Initially, psychopaths used this technique for consuming hallucinogenic compounds like, for example, LSD. The logic behind it was that since too much of the compound meant impairment from its effects, maybe scaling back would allow you to be more functional and still derive from it. Now, microdosing THC it’s currently transforming the way enthusiast use their cannabis.

Much like other compounds, cannabis’ THC could cause significantly different effects from one person to another. In other words, what you personally think serves your needs might not do so much for another person. An integral part of the cannabis journey is identifying which strains, methods, and products suit your specific needs. Microdosing is, thus, providing a different approach for consumption.

Rather than aiming for sky-high THC levels, microdosing uses very small cannabis doses to deliver precise effects. Thus, you can figure out which THC dose best delivers for you via microdosing in a relatively safer way by carefully measuring it. Consumers looking for relief from specific conditions find microdosing an ideal fit precisely because of this.

Why Would You Want to Consider Microdosing THC?

Using a low dose lets you feel much more comfortable when going about your day. Cannabis’ THC psychoactive effects might have you acting inappropriately in many situations. Still, some people like to enjoy their cannabis as much as others like to smoke tobacco. Some others use it to manage conditions and ultimately feel better. Thus, they needed a way to do so without much risk involved: enter, microdosing.

Microdosing THC is particularly good for people that use cannabis to help them with insomnia, chronic pain, or anxiety. They are not looking to get high at all; rather, they want to enjoy the potential therapeutic benefits from the cannabis plant. Microdosing THC can help them accomplish this.

Microdosing THC Study: Important Findings

Up until recently, scientists had no idea whether microdosing was effective or not. Because of lack of official research, some of Syqe Medical’s scientists decided to learn more about this. They offered 27 individuals with chronic pain any of the following treatment options:

• Placebo without THC at all
• 1mg of inhaled THC
• 5mg of inhaled THC

Patients did not know which dosage they would receive.

Once done, the 1mg THC team’s plasma THC levels shoot to more than twice the 0.5mg team’s. That meant higher THC intake might contribute to higher THC absorption. However, although the 1mg THC team did get side effects twice as intensely, they did not get twice the pain relief. These two groups showed 39% and 25% in pain reduction, respectively.

Over 69.57% of those with a 1.0mg dose, and 63.64% with the 0.5mg dose, showed at least a 2-points reduction. That means higher THC doses are not necessarily mean higher pain relief.

Said findings show that it is actually possible to get the most out of both worlds. Researchers concluded that it’s all about taking the smallest quantity to get the least side-effects along with the most therapeutic benefits.

Undoubtedly, most patients issued with 0.5mg of THC didn’t get that much high, but they did get some notable pain relief.

What About Microdosing CBD?

The best part is that the advantages of microdosing do not end with THC. Microdosing CBD might allow for reduced inflammation and pain in the absence of side effects as well. According to some users, microdosing CBD might also help manage depression and anxiety.

Are There Benefits of Microdosing? What Are They?

There are already several clinical research studies that conclude that microdosing provides a good way to consume THC.

Researchers began a study back in 2012 involving people with advanced cancer. They chose patient that particularly had had not much luck with painkillers. The team gave a THC/CBD mixture to three groups at three different doses (low, medium, and high). They were looking to prove which group would experience the most pain relief. The surprising part is that the group that got administered the lowest cannabinoid amount showed the most pain relief. On the other hand, the high-dose group actually reported that their pain levels increased.

Another 2014 study researched if low-amounts of cannabinoids might help patients struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder. With only a 4mg dose, there was a significant improvement in different PTSD symptoms like insomnia and nightmares.

Should You Consider Microdosing THC?

Just like anything related to cannabis consumption, trying microdosing is a personal decision. It’s essential to first consider your specific goals and any medical conditions you’re looking to treat. In most cases, patients that choose microdosing want to relieve stress, pain, depression, anxiety, etc.

Most report that microdosing got them better results than just going with high THC strains. What’s more, patients with chronic conditions usually use microdosing to go about their day-to-day. Most of them rarely opt to take a higher dose citing only a flare-up in symptoms’ levels to do so.

Both recreational and medical consumers have a lot to gain from the microdosing approach. Microdosing THC allows you a way to experiment with low doses until you finally hit the sweet spot where you get the most benefits with the least side-effects. It ultimately comes down to your specific preferences.

How Can You Microdose? Which Products Are Best?

There are plenty of options you can choose from, and enthusiasts already figured more or less which are the best way with each. Below are several ways you can microdose with different products:

Oils & Tinctures

With cannabis oils and tinctures, you can actually keep greater control over the dosage you take. Since the delivery method is a liquid, it is very easy to measure and control how much you take up. Droppers are a must-have to measure your approach.

Smoking & Vaping

Some users choose to try vaping or smoking cannabis for microdosing. However, you know that microdosing on these is a more challenging task. The most rudimentary way to do so would be to take one puff and wait anywhere from 2 to 5 minutes before another. This is admittedly hard, especially if you are smoking and the joint still burns between puff; that’s wasted product. The main problem, however, is that you have very little control of how much THC you take, no matter how long the puff. Also, the lungs are a particularly effective delivery method for THC; you might absorb much with even a short puff. Thus, microdosing is very tricky here; bear that in mind.

Edibles

Generally, edibles are a common option for microdosing. However, keep in mind some things. Based on the kind of cannabis edibles chosen, it might be hard to break them into precise doses. For instance, a 100mg THC brownie will require slicing into exact servings to microdose 10mg doses. You can only imagine how tough it would be to measure and cut ten precise slices. However, there are specific low-dose products, like hard candies, gummies, or teas, that could make microdosing with edibles much easier.

The Best Dose for Microdosing THC

So, what is the best dose for microdosing? It’s complicated: that’s the short and simple answer. Since each user may experience THC differently, the appropriate microdosing amount varies widely. Factors such as experience level, liver metabolism, and cannabinoid receptors’ activity levels can all play a part. Above all, most professionals agree that starting low and moving slowly is a prudent, effective approach. You can try it out like the group in the research studio, though. 0.5mg would be a good reference point; start from there and go up.

The objective of microdosing THC is to hit the serving that suits you without inducing a high. Although that may need some amount of trial and error, after you get there, it’s worth it.

Microdosing THC – The Takeaway

Microdosing provides an approach for users that want to get the best from THC without risking the most. It is a matter of fact that the cannabis plant has a lot of therapeutic benefits that rival those of some conventional drugs. Unfortunately, the psychoactive effect it causes might endanger you. It then becomes a balancing act for the user that wants to advantage of cannabis, for which Microdosing it’s the best way to go about it.