Getting Started With Cannabis

Begin with lower dosages of THC and / or higher doses of CBD

  • Higher levels of CBD will help counteract psychoactive effects of THC.
  • CBD can help prevent, and rescue from, uncomfortable experiences with cannabis.

Be patient with exploring new methods of consuming cannabis

  • The effects of edibles may begin 30-120 minutes after consumption. To avoid surprises, avoid having more than one edible within a 2-hour period.
  • Vaporizing is a learned skill. Effects begin slower with vaporized flower than with concentrates. The use of a vape pen, shatter, wax or other purified cannabis may require as little as 1 puff; it is easy to vaporize too much at one time. To regulate effects, consider waiting at least 1 minute between puffs of a vaporized concentrate.
Avoid combustion

  • Anytime one used flame on a product, you are risking the inhalation of toxins that are also found in tobacco cigarettes. The temperature of a flame can be up to 2,000°F, 10x hotter than what is required to consume cannabis.
  • Also, during the process of smoking, a burning ember heats up cannabis products to very hot temperatures too close to the ember, and also to lower temperatures farther away from the burning ember. At distance, temperatures may be not quite hot enough to vaporize cannabinoid products, but just warm enough to aerosolize particles that may be undesirable or potentially harmful, such as fungal spores. The random mixture of too hot and not hot enough makes combustion a riskier choice than vaporization.

Journaling your use of cannabis will help future recall of your experience and the benefits of different methods

  • It is also easier to share knowledge and questions if you record the experience as it happens If you need ideas for what to record, check out our journal outline HERE
  • At any time, snap a picture of your journal and email questions to info@cedclinic.com for guidance

A checkered approach to healthcare is often the wisest

  • The highest rates of success with cannabis use, in the long view, are when it is combined with multiple different types of other treatments or therapies, approaching the same problem from different angles

Trying new methods of consuming cannabis, including different strains and different dispensaries and different methods, helps one become more comfortable with cannabis.

  • Most people find themselves pleasantly surprised!

Consider sharing your experience with cannabis with friends, colleagues, neighbors and / or your doctors

  • Discussing what your find enjoyable, and any aspects that are unclear, is the best way for others to learn the benefits of cannabis, and for good experiences to help combat years of misinformed stigmas against it
  • The adoption of a more tolerant view is sure to come through dialog and learning

Avoid building a high tolerance

Consider taking a cannabis break of 1-2 days, at least every 2 weeks Daily use of cannabis can lead to increased dosage requirements; which is not harmful, but can be costly

Below is a list of other options to help reduce tolerance :

  • Breaks
  • Variability in schedule of use
  • Reduced frequency
  • Variability in products (method)
  • Variability in products (type)
  • Variability in dosage (amount)
  • Vary non-cannabis physiology (sleep, hydrate, exercise, nutrition)
  • Caffeine
  • Vitamin D flush
  • Vitamin C flush
  • Basic nutrition (fill gaps, deficiency)
  • Micro-dosing
  • Vaporize digitally (laser-precision consumption
  • CBD products
  • Limonene products
  • Copious water

Qualifying conditions include: Cancer, Glaucoma, HIV / AIDS, Hepatitis C, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Crohn’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, and other conditions as determined in writing by a qualifying patient’s physician such as PTSD, Anxiety Disorders, and Chronic Pain.

Patients should not be discouraged if they do not see their condition on this list, as certifying providers are able to approve patients that have other conditions not listed, if they find that medical cannabis would benefit their wellbeing.

General Anxiety / Severe Stress, Social Anxiety, Insomnia (difficulty getting to sleep), Insomnia (difficulty STAYING asleep), Back Pain (Dorsalgia), Arthritis, Headache, Body Injury (not otherwise specified), Migraines, Depression , Neuropathy, Low Energy, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Acne, ADHD / ADD , Gout, Crohn’s Disease, Cancer / Tumor / Malignancy , Menstrual Pains and Disorders, Substance Dependence, Withdrawal or Craving (alcohol), Post-trauma pain, Ulcerative Colitis, Menopausal symptoms, PTSD, Substance Dependence, Withdrawal or Craving (benzodiazepines), Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, Substance Dependence, Withdrawal or Craving (nicotine), Substance Dependence, Withdrawal or Craving (opiates), Substance Dependence, Withdrawal or Craving (other medication), ALS, Alzheimer’s Disease, Anhedonia (Loss of quality of life) , Cachexia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Dementia, Dizziness, Eczema / Dry skin, Ehlers Danlos, Eating Disorder, Fibromyalgia, Glaucoma Hepatitis C, HIV / AIDS, Infections, topical (bacterial, fungal), Lupus (Systemic Lupus Erythematosus), Movement Disorder, Multiple Sclerosis, Muscle Pain / Soreness, Nausea /, Vomiting, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Parkinson’s Disease, Psoriasis, Restless Leg, Syndrome, Rosacea, Scoliosis, Seizures, Sexual dysfunction / concern , Skin burns, Sleep Apnea, Tourette’s Syndrome.