Everything, Everywhere, All About Finding Your Perfect Dose of Cannabis.

Does anyone else walk into a cannabis dispensary and get a little overwhelmed? You’re not alone. Over the last few years, cannabis products have expanded to a wide variety of ways to enjoy cannabis. Which is amazing. But it can also lose the thread of what’s really important: how you feel. When we are empowered with knowledge, we can reap the full benefits that mother nature has to provide. Because all of us have unique body chemistry, your experience is highly (pun intended) impacted by your dose and how you decide to enjoy cannabis. That’s why midose. created products that make it easy to find (and repeat) your perfect dose of goodness. So let’s go back to the basics, and discover how and why your relationship with cannabis is so uniquely yours.

One of the most well-known and widely used medical and recreational plants in the world is cannabis. There are many methods to consume cannabis, including smoking, vaping, eating edibles, and taking sublinguals. How you choose to enjoy cannabis depends on several key factors, including your preference for the onset time, how long you want to feel the effects, bioavailability (aka how easily your body can absorb), and the desired results.

Smoking + Vaping

Inhaling is the most well-known way to enjoy cannabis flower or its extracts. When cannabis is inhaled, the active compounds, such as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), are rapidly absorbed through your lungs to your bloodstream. You usually feel the effects within minutes, with a peak arriving within 30 minutes to an hour. Inhaled cannabis is loved for its psychoactive effects, such as euphoria, relaxation, and altered perception. In other words - it’s a good way to “get high.” How you experience these effects varies depending on the strain, potency, setting, tolerance, and metabolism.

The drawback? For some, inhaling cannabis can also cause some negative side effects, such as coughing, throat irritation, and respiratory problems.

Quick-Dissolve Sublinguals

This is a newer, more discreet way of consuming cannabis that is growing in popularity. Sublinguals are often preferred by people who want a discreet and convenient way of consuming cannabis without the risks associated with smoking or the unpredictability of edibles.

Sublinguals are small tablets or strips that dissolve rapidly under your tongue to deliver their active ingredients directly to your bloodstream. The effects may begin within 10 to 30 minutes and extend for several hours depending on the product. One of the major benefits of sublinguals is that they bypass your digestive system and liver, which can break down some of the active compounds in cannabis before your body is able to absorb them. As a result, sublingual products have a higher bioavailability than edibles - which can take longer to kick in and have less predictable effects.

Another big reason sublinguals are so popular is that they typically produce a smoother, more balanced effect, with a little less psychoactivity and a little more therapeutic benefit.

Because they tend to be more predictable and consistent than inhaling cannabis, sublinguals are great for anxiety, sleeping difficulties, chronic pain, and other medical issues. They are also less likely to cause negative side effects.

Edibles

Cannabis edibles have evolved since your parents’ generation of special brownies. These days you can find cannabis baked, melted, frozen, or vaporized into pretty much anything. When cannabis is enjoyed in an edible form, it is processed by your body in a different way compared to being inhaled or absorbed under the tongue. Edibles first have to be digested and metabolized in the liver before the THC and other cannabinoids reach your bloodstream. This can take anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours, depending on the dose and your body chemistry.

Edibles produce a slightly different “high” effect because the THC is metabolized in the liver and converted into 11-hydroxy-THC - a more potent form of THC. For many people, this may feel like a stronger, longer-lasting (6 to 8 hours) “body high” compared to other ways of enjoying cannabis.

Why Does Cannabis Affect Me Differently?

While it may sound nice to have a one-size-fits-all remedy, the truth is they don’t exist. Cannabis (much like all foods or medications) impacts each of us differently based on our own physiological makeup. The cannabis plant contains dozens of active compounds that impact our bodies, including cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids. These compounds will interact with your body's endocannabinoid system (ESC) differently than they do with mine or anyone else’s. Your relationship with cannabis is based on a complex network of cannabinoid receptors and enzymes that regulate your physiological and psychological functions, such as mood, appetite, pain, and sleep.

Reasons why we all react differently to cannabis:

1. Your Genetics

Yep, turns out who we are genetically has a major influence on how cannabis affects our bodies. While it may not seem fair, some people may have genetic variations that affect how well (or badly) their body reacts to and metabolizes cannabis cannabinoids. This is why you may have a different experience enjoying the same cannabis product than your friend. Some people may have a genetic predisposition to develop a tolerance to THC, while others may be genetically more predisposed to be more sensitive.

2. Different Tolerances

Over time, your body will build up a natural tolerance to cannabis cannabinoids. This may change your experience of THC, such as the level to which you feel “high.” This is one of the reasons why some friends may need to consume more (or less) cannabis at any given time. Rather than continuing to increase your doses to achieve the same effects, one of the best ways to reset your body is to take regular cannabis breaks for around 48 hours at a time. However, your tolerance can also vary depending on other factors such as your age, gender, and overall health.

3. How You Consume Cannabis

As we went over before, the method of cannabis consumption can also influence the effects and outcomes of cannabis use. Inhaling cannabis through smoking or vaporizing can produce a faster onset and more intense effects than ingesting it orally, such as through edibles or tinctures. Then there are sublinguals, which can provide a more consistent and predictable effect but may take longer to take effect. What you prefer may depend on how your body reacts to each way of enjoying cannabis.

4. It’s All About the Dose

As you may know, here at midose. we are all about finding the right dose. It’s why we created products that put you in control with easily doseable vape pens and subliguals. So you never have to wonder “what’s my dose?” again. The dose and potency of a cannabis product influence the effect and outcome of your cannabis experiences. As does the ratio of the different cannabinoids - like CBD, CBN, and CBG. Doses with higher levels of THC can produce more intense psychoactive effects, such as feelings of euphoria. But for some people, higher THC levels may also lead to anxiety or paranoia. Folks more sensitive to the effects of THC will have a way better time enjoying lower doses to achieve their desired effects. Like we said, it’s all about finding your own perfect dose.

And let’s be real, things like your mood, expectations, setting, and social context can all affect how you experience cannabis. We all react differently to cannabis due to a variety of factors, and understanding these factors can help you find the doses and blends that work best for your body. So you can enjoy cannabis freely, without worrying about the risk of unwanted side effects.

How Do You Dose?