By establishing a low-dosing routine, people can reap many stress-reducing benefits of cannabis without experiencing any undesired side effects such as coordination issues, drowsiness, paranoia or appetite stimulation.
What is Low Dosing?
Rebalan defines a low-dosing product as having no more than 5mg of THC per dose. If it’s important to you to mitigate the psychoactive effects of THC, make sure to use products that contain THC and CBD, or CBD only. Or, if using a THC-only product, keep it to less than 2.5mg of THC per dose. Depending on the product, the CBD to THC ratio will vary dramatically; some products are CBD-heavy, some THC-heavy, and others a 1:1 balance. Beyond the ratio, though, be sure to carefully look at the overall dosage. If you’re using a product that has a 2/1 ratio of CBD to THC but a single dose delivers 20mg CBD / 10mg THC, this will most likely produce unwanted side effects.
The Benefits of Low Dosing
Low dosing cannabis is particularly effective as a way to manage daily stress and aid sleep. It is a good alternative for prescription medication, such as benzodiazepines (Xanax, Ambien) and SSRI’s (Lexapro, Paxil), which may present many unwanted side effects. Cannabis in low doses is also an excellent choice over alcohol for stress management, or to “take the edge off.” Diet and exercise are better, but if you’re in the frame of mind where you are considering prescription medication, cannabis in low doses is worth a second look.
Ways to Low Dose
Given the plethora of products on the market and the variety of means of consumption, it can be difficult to precisely and consistently control the dose, and a negative experience may lead someone to erroneously conclude that cannabis is not for him or her.
Although smoking remains the most popular way for patients to consume cannabis, it’s difficult to strictly control the dose when using a pipe or rolling paper. Even with “cleaner” vaporizing technology, potencies vary widely and it can be very difficult to predict and control the dose. Because of these issues, we recommend low dosing via tincture or edible to give you tighter control over what you’re consuming and a longer lasting effect.
As described previously, the time of onset varies significantly by method of administration and other factors including general metabolism, interactions with other drugs, etc. Although smoking or vaping tend to produce immediate effects, ingesting cannabis is recommended for longer-lasting stress reducing effects and as a sleep aid.