4 Helpful tips to deal with high cannabis tolerance.
The human body is smart – and it doesn’t like to be intoxicated! Even though you might enjoy regularly burning one up as your day or week progresses, your body is working in the background to counter these effects, and gets better at it with time.
What is cannabis tolerance and how does it develop
Just as with any other intoxications we may consume regularly, our bodies develop a degree of immunity to the psychoactive effects of Cannabis.
This is partly because our bodies recognize the psychoactive compounds in Cannabis as a potential threat or form of intoxication, and over time forms a tolerance to the chemical – aka, making your body require more of the same substance to get the same effect that’s delivered at first.
Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) binds to cannabinoid type 1 (CB1) receptors in the brain. With increased ingestion of THC, the CB1 receptors in your brain will reduce significantly. How strong a tolerance can grow depends on a user’s frequency of use as well as bud-strength and dosage each time. Generally speaking, the more cannabis you consume, the quicker you’ll build a tolerance to it.
In a nutshell, these 3 points determine the solidity of a Cannabis tolerance:
- How often you smoke
- How strong your Cannabis is
- Personal biology
Depending on frequency and duration of use, cannabis users can build up strong tolerances that are applicable to either a specific strain or even a smoking accessory. This inhibits them to feel the full effects many recreational cannabis users are after.
Regularity of cannabis ingestion more so than the strength of the cannabis ingested can cause a cannabis tolerance. And of course, no one wants to arrive to the day when a puff of your favourite strain leaves you disappointed.
This can happen easily if one doesn’t stay conscious of how Cannabis is affecting them in the long run. Be mindful of smoking patterns and how much you generally consume. Daily routines and habits add up over time, and that predictability ultimately helps your body to build resistance to it.
To conclude, regular use of cannabis over a period of time can cause a tolerance just as consuming high strength or concentrated THC can. Consuming high strength THC products may result in a quicker tolerance response.
How to reset it (tips and guide)
It’s a wonderful experience when beginners experience that first kick of Cannabis. This feeling can be intensely euphoric, and cannabis smokers often spend years trying to recreate that first high.
There are quite a few ways to restore your cannabis tolerance:
- Consider taking a T-break (stop smoking cannabis for a few weeks)
- Use cannabis with a higher CBD-THC ratio
- Tightly control your doses (use less cannabis per session)
- Use Cannabis less often
Taking a T-break
The most popular way of breaking a tolerance – simply stop consuming cannabis for at least 1-2 weeks with no interruptions. Upon reintroducing cannabis to your body, you’ll surely be surprised by how much you’ve actually gotten used to the effects of Cannabis before taking a T-break.
You will notice that only a smidge of the cannabis that used to “not be enough” will now once again have a much stronger effect.
A tolerance break of 1-2 weeks will be sufficient to bring back that cannabis kick, however extending your Cannabis break for up to 3 weeks – 1 month promises a completely green system to deliver the effects you’re after. Pun intended!
Use a higher CBD-THC ratio
CBD is another cannabinoid in Cannabis, however it doesn’t seem to deplete the CB1 receptors as THC does.
CBD won’t get you ‘high’ as THC does, but it does have numerous health benefits such as reducing pain and inflammation.
Many dispensaries have availability in 1-1 ratios up to 16-1 ratio CBD dominant strains.
Tightly control your doses
The only thing that can build up a THC tolerance quicker than regular Cannabis consumption, is consuming high amounts on a daily basis, or per session. High THC strains also largely contribute to building your tolerance.
In simple terms – lesser cannabis and the weaker the cannabis is you use, the lesser the chances are of you building up a tolerance to it, at least for a while. The stronger the cannabis and the more regular you consume it, the quicker you’ll build a tolerance to THC in general.
A good tip: Use the minimum amount required for you to be comfortable, and try not to overindulge.
Use Cannabis less often
Cutting down on your cannabis intake entirely often is the best thing you can do to break your tolerance. This can even prevent it from happening again in the future.
Pay close attention to when you smoke or consume edibles during the day and see what you’re able to cut out. It would also help only to consume cannabis when absolutely sober from the previous session, this way you won’t be indulging in over-consumption.
What are some of the cannabis withdrawal symptoms
It’s very easy to raise an eyebrow at ‘cannabis withdrawal symptoms’. However, it’s real, and it can be quite harsh if not treated well.
Here are some known symptoms:
- Mood swings
- Loss of appetite
- Insomnia
- Stomach problems, including nausea
- Headaches
Cannabis is widely labelled as a “safe” substance to use for recreational and medical purposes. What is less heard of, is the withdrawal symptoms that come over some time of use, especially when attempting to cut down on regular consumption or stop smoking altogether.
Usually when regular smokers need to take a tolerance break or even attempt to stray away from Cannabis for a day for whatever reason, withdrawal symptoms are quite dominant and not something that should be taken up lightly.
Summary
Your body can create a tolerance to Cannabis (especially THC products) after some time. Consuming stronger strains will likely lead to a higher tolerance in a shorter time period. There are measures that can be taken to remove a cannabis tolerance, however all include cutting down on cannabis consumption in one way or another.
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