Determining the Purpose and Right Dosage for Your High
What do you actually want, and what dose will help you get it?
“A goal without a plan is just a wish.”
-Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
You're about to prepare yourself a nice dose of cannabis, whether via a joint, vaporizer, dab, one-hitter, edible, or something else.
If you're anything like me, you probably feel a slight giddiness about this prospect. You're about to give yourself a treat 😎
But before you start, take a moment to consider the purpose of this high: what are you hoping to get out of it?
Being more purposeful is one of the core principles of Smart Cannabis Use. Too often we consume cannabis mindlessly, without considering what we actually want and what dosage is most likely to bring about the desired outcome.
Unfortunately, this mindlessness can easily lead to consuming too much, too often.
So, pause for a moment and ask: why do you want to get high right now?
For a drug as versatile as cannabis, the use-cases are practically endless:
Maybe you want some insights into a problem that's been on your mind?
Or a break from stress at work?
An appetizer before dinner?
A creativity boost?
A social lubricant before going out to a party?
Or something else entirely?
Take a moment to determine your purpose for this high, and then write it down somewhere, like a notebook or post-it.
(Sidenote: If the purpose you land on is to “Feel good” or something similar, it’s wise to pause and examine how you’re actually feeling right now. Sometimes, we do irrational things, like attempting to change our state of mind even when everything is already fine. So, if you feel good already, ask yourself: does it even make sense for you to get high now?)
Once you’ve defined your purpose, you're ready to determine the right dosage to achieve it. To do so, I use the three-step process below:
Set hard limits
Start by considering if you need to do anything later today, during which you don't want to be high anymore.
For me, this includes things like work meetings or injury prone sports. But it could be something different for you.
Also, consider how many hours it is until you want to sleep: how high do you still want to be then?
Define the right dosage for your purpose
Taking the above limitations as hard upper limits to your dosage consideration, look again at the purpose you wrote down for this high.
What dose is most likely to attain it?
Ultimately, the answer to this question is a personal one. But there are a few guidelines that help you get into the right ballpark.
If you need a boost of energy and clarity, you’ll want a microdose, meaning the minimum dose you've found that still has a noticeable effect, no matter how subtle.
And here, less is more. Just like the quantum scale seems to operate under different physics than the cosmic scale, in the realm of micro- and mini-doses, a different set of rules seem to apply: the smaller the dose, the bigger the stimulation 💪🏻
Incidentally, this is the kind of dose I would recommend starting with, if you’re planning to continue to a come-up meditation after this post.
On the other hand, if you want a more powerful, relaxing, and psychedelic high, you'll want a small to medium dose.
And if you want to get absolutely faded, then of course, you'll want to go for a large dose 😵💫 But pause first to ask yourself: Why do you actually want to get faded now? And how long is it since the last time you did so?
It can be fun every once in a while, but if you find that you’re getting completely incapacitated all the time, I recommend that you at least consider taking a tolerance break after this high. This means abstaining from cannabis for period of time to allow your brain to reset.
Cannabis is a wonderful plant, but it’s also addictive. Hell, most wonderful things in life are. That's why a core principle of Smart Cannabis Use is taking occasional tolerance breaks. They allow you to examine and make decisions about your cannabis use, without addiction swaying your judgment. The goal here is to keep your cannabis use life enriching, instead of life impoverishing.
If you do feel a tolerance break is in order, write that commitment down as well.
Prepare your dose
Once you've made a firm decision about the right dose for the purpose you chose, measure the desired amount of cannabis onto a separate area. Put the rest away.
Congratulations, you’re ready to continue to the first come-up meditation! 🤝
-G.G.
P.S. If you know anyone who you think would be interested in Smart Cannabis Use, please nudge them this way 🙏🏻
Smart Cannabis Use is for informational purposes only. You need to be aware of and abide by the laws in your area. Please also be aware that cannabis is not suitable for everyone, such as minors or those with certain mental health conditions. You are responsible for your own choices and actions.