.png)
Missouri Marijuana Card Helps You Understand How to Use Cannabis Therapeutically When You're Busy
One of the biggest challenges to having a robust medical marijuana program in Missouri is simply the stigma and lack of information that comes with cannabis. Many patients avoid medical marijuana because they are afraid it will make them look like stoners, or because they are unsure of how to use cannabis when they have things to do.
At Missouri Marijuana card, we think that you should not have to hold off on getting the relief you need, no matter when you need it. If you have a condition that qualifies you for treatment with medical marijuana, then you deserve natural relief throughout your day—not just after you’ve checked off everything on your to-do list.
We understand that you may be concerned about impairment getting in the way of your productivity. However, feeling your best can lift your mood, your energy level, and even your focus. When you are feeling good, nothing can stop you from being your best, most productive self!
In this article, we are going to look at some of the factors that may affect how your chosen cannabis makes you feel. Knowing these may help you better predict the way cannabis will interact with your system.
We are also going to look at the differences between product formats and what you can expect when you use them. Take a look at this article about terpenes common in Missouri cannabis strains in order to learn more about the effects of specific products you might find in dispensaries across the state.
The biggest thing to remember when using cannabis throughout the day is that you do not need to feel intoxicated in order to get the healing effects that medical marijuana can provide. Start slowly, and only take a very small amount at a time until you know what each product will do.
Understanding the Way Your Body Responds to Cannabis Takes Patience
The following is meant to be a starting point from which to devise your treatment plan. A marijuana doctor can offer more specific suggestions. Schedule an online telehealth appointment to talk to one of the doctors here at Missouri Marijuana Card, and you will also get an unlimited number of follow-up appointments for the whole time that your card is valid with us.
Keep in mind that you will likely need to experiment in order to know what works best for you, and you should always allow yourself some time to understand how a new product makes you feel before planning a full day. Weekends are a good time to get to know any cannabis items you haven’t tried before.
A Word About Variation in Medical Marijuana Effects
Did you know that mangoes may enhance your high when you use medical marijuana? This might be true for some, but not others.
We can’t really give you a one-size-fits-all sort of guide to medical marijuana, because everyone’s body is different. But here is a list of some of the most common things that have an effect on how you will feel when you use medical marijuana:
Weight/Metabolism
Your weight will affect how much medical marijuana you need to get the effects you want. Additionally, your metabolism will affect how edibles and some tinctures will make you feel, the length of time before they take effect, and how quickly they pass through your system.
Diet/What You Ate Today
Your overall diet has an effect on the way medical marijuana makes you feel, but what you ate today (or even within the last couple of hours) can dramatically change the way your body interacts with medical marijuana. Particularly with edibles and tinctures if you end up swallowing some or dropping it into your smoothie.
Diets and meals high in fat may make it more difficult to efficiently or evenly process the THC in edibles, and some fruits like mangoes may increase your high. This is different for everyone, and keeping a cannabis journal may be the best way to learn which foods agree with your treatment choices.
How You’re Feeling
Do you ever have those days when you are just sensitive to everything? Even your sleeve brushing against your arm may set you on edge. On days like this, you might also be more sensitive to the way cannabis makes you feel.
On the other hand, you might need more cannabis in order to get the same relief on days when you are trudging along, oblivious to your surroundings and your physical state.
Personal Chemistry/DNA
Your personal chemistry and DNA are going to have a major effect on the way your endocannabinoid system responds to cannabis. There are some mail-in kits out there that claim to use your DNA to determine which strains and dosing are best for you, but there is not a lot of evidence that these necessarily work.
Greenway DNA is one of the few kits that is backed by peer-reviewed research, but this one only tells you what your CBD/THC ratio and dosing should be. This is still a potentially valuable tool in figuring out where to start.
Vapes, Flower, Edibles, Tinctures, and Topicals - Which Missouri Cannabis Products Should You Use?
This is another factor that is not one-size-fits-all. It’s a little different for everyone. For example, this author uses medical marijuana to manage pain, muscle spasms, fatigue, and brain-fog. I start my day with a 5:1 CBD:THC Wana gummy, use a high CBD sativa vape pen (usually the ACDC strain) throughout the day, and finish out with high THC indica flower to help me sleep.
This may not be a convenient routine for you, it may not fit into your lifestyle, or you may decide that you don’t like the way edibles make you feel regardless of how low in THC they are. Some people like to use a combination of marijuana forms, and others like to stick to one format for the sake of simplicity.
Here are the main differences between the varying formats:
Vape Pens
Vape pens are a concentrated version of cannabis flower. Using a vape pen is generally more convenient than using flower, and you will start feeling the effects of your product within a few minutes. Some people claim that vapes are more intense than flower, and they are certainly smoother. It may just be the case that you are inhaling larger amounts and not noticing it until the high hits you.
If you find that you have a harder time controlling the level of impairment you get from vape pens, try slowing down or taking smaller hits. Use a small amount, then wait to see how it makes you feel before taking more.
And remember, you don’t necessarily have to feel intoxicated in order for your pain to be made more tolerable. Sometimes, one drag from a vape pen every couple of hours is just the thing you need to keep your mobility and your mental wherewithal at the same time.
Flower
Flower is a favorite among many seasoned cannabis users. If you find one that has the right terpenes, the smell and the flavor can be quite pleasant and soothing—not to mention the buds are pretty to look at, and bees like them too.
Flower is about the same as a vape pen when it comes to the amount of time before it takes effect, and the amount of time it lasts. However, a vape pen generally produces cleaner results than flower.
Lots of people save flower products for when they have more time to really enjoy the way it makes them feel, and hold off on using it when they have things to do.
Edibles
Edibles are often a big question mark in people’s minds, because the way they make you feel can be unpredictable, they take longer to kick in, and they last longer than many newbies expect.
Our advice for using edibles is to start out VERY SLOWLY. Make sure you don’t have anything to do before you try a new edible product. Try taking just a half of a dose, or even a fourth of one. Sometimes that’s all you need for effective pain relief. Wait at least an hour or two before taking more.
Additionally, if you eat something before you take an edible, that will help it move through your system more evenly. Taking an edible on an empty stomach is not a great idea when you are new to ingestible THC.
Tinctures
Tinctures operate differently depending on how you take them. When you take a tincture sublingually, it generally starts kicking in within a half hour to 45 minutes. This is because holding it under your tongue means the THC is absorbing right into your bloodstream.
Mixing tinctures in with your food or beverages is just like using an edible. The product still travels through your digestive system and gets processed by your liver before taking effect.
The nice thing about tinctures is that you have a little more flexibility with dosing, because you can just take less in the dropper if you are trying to manage your symptoms without getting buzzed.
Topicals
Topicals are where it’s at if you want some extremely targeted and effective pain relief that’s almost instantaneous. Additionally, topicals will not make you feel intoxicated, and they may not even show up on a drug test.
Rubbing a topical on your most painful spots may be one of the quickest, most dependable ways to manage pain and muscle spasms with cannabis without getting “high”.
What Should I Do if I Get Higher Than I Want to Be?
One of the best ways to control the level of impairment you feel when you use medical marijuana is to understand how it interacts with your body, and control the dosing accordingly. Start out slowly. You can always take more, but you can’t take less once you’ve already eaten the entire gummy.
Take Deep Breaths
Sometimes the anxiety over being too intoxicated is actually worse than being too intoxicated. If your palms are getting sweaty and you’re feeling uptight about it, start by taking some deep breaths.
Drink Water
Staying properly hydrated is one of the most important things you can do to keep yourself feeling good whether you are using medical marijuana or not. Drink some water, and it will help you feel more grounded.
Eat Something
Eating often helps when you are feeling “too high”. That’s because it helps move cannabis through your system. Try eating black pepper or pine nuts in order to help bring on the calm and reduce the buzzed feeling.
Get Moving
Getting your blood pumping is another great way to get that cannabis through your system and stop feeling higher than you want to be. Get out there and go for a walk. Before you know it, you may even feel good about breaking a sweat since your pain is probably nonexistent at this point!
Be Patient
No matter how intoxicated you feel in the moment, you will eventually come down. Fortunately, marijuana doesn’t generally cause a hangover the way alcohol does!
Doctors Who Care. Relief You Can Trust.
At Missouri Marijuana Card, our mission is helping everyone achieve wellness safely and conveniently through increased access to medical marijuana. Our focus on education, inclusion, and acceptance will reduce stigma for our patients by providing equal access to timely information and compassionate care.
Call us at (877) 303-3117, or simply book a medical marijuana evaluation to start getting relief you can trust today!
Check out Missouri Marijuana Card’s Blog to keep up to date on the latest medical marijuana news, tips, and information. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to join the medical marijuana conversation in Missouri.