If you’re a frequent marijuana user, you’ve probably noticed that you don’t get as “stoned” as you used to, you might even smoke larger quantities. We as humans develop a quick tolerance to THC and with that, we can become desensitized to the overall effects every time we consume cannabis. In some of our recent posts, we discussed cannabinoids and how THC is one of the main cannabinoids found in the marijuana plant. What you might not have known is that our body has lots of cannabinoids (CB) receptors and that THC binds directly with them. One of the most abundant cannabinoid receptors found in the brain is the CB1 receptor, these receptors react with the brain in areas that control your:
- Mood
- Memory
- Motivation
- Movement
- Sleeping Habits.
Even if you don’t consume marijuana frequently, understanding how your THC tolerance works are quite important and can help you medicate properly. There have been lots of research on marijuana THC tolerance and how to fix issues for those getting too intoxicated and those not getting a psychoactive effect to last. What’s important to understand is that tolerance doesn’t stick and is something you continually work at. Researchers discovered that you can control your THC tolerance by building it up, bringing it down, and even taking “tolerance breaks”. We understand you may not want to go without medication, that’s why we even found ways for you to build your THC tolerance without having to take a tolerance break!
How to Build Up & Bring Down THC Tolerance
With consistent use of marijuana, the THC downregulates the amount of CB1 receptors, which leads to tolerance. People will often confuse this with addiction, and though it is one of the factors of addiction, there is no evidence proving it is a leading cause. In fact, studies show that THC affects men and women differently and that females build up a faster tolerance to marijuana than men. If you’re new to medicating and don’t have much of a tolerance, you’ll want to slowly build it up so that you do not get too intoxicated. For most consumers, the goal is to be able to medicate and still function, that’s why building your tolerance is important. What’s great is that it’s not rocket science, you’ll build a natural tolerance with consistent use of marijuana over time. It is even said that you could smoke the same amount every day for the rest of your life and still have a normal THC tolerance. However, over time your intake of marijuana may increase, due to your tolerance intake. Here are some things you can do to build up and bring down your THC tolerance intake:
- Be Productive– Planning ahead and finding activities or chores for you to do while you’re medicated will not only help you build your tolerance but you’ll get used to functioning while medicated. It’s recommended to dive into a hobby, play around in the kitchen, or even exercise.
- Smoking vs. Cannabis Alternatives-You can switch things up by using edibles and oils for medication and only smoking to help build your tolerance. Smoking is one of the fastest ways to help build your tolerance but not everyone is a fan so an alternative would be vaping.
- Micro-dose– Building your tolerance to marijuana is like building your liquor tolerance, know your limits! Micro-dosing is when you consume small amounts of marijuana on a continuous basis. This is a great way for beginners to build their tolerance and you’ll be surprised at how far you’ve come by the end of the week. This option can also help those with a high tolerance—not wanting to take a break.
- CBD (cannabidiol)- You could either switch to CBD for a little while or find a hybrid strain with high-CBD/low-THC with a balanced ratio. The reason for this is that CBD counteracts THC and has the opposite effects. Some argue CBD is better used for medicinal use, but that really depends on you.
What is THC Tolerance Breaks
When you were younger you might’ve experimented with marijuana and you might even remember being high for a long period. If you’re still smoking today, you’ll notice you have a very high tolerance, which in some cases, can be a real bummer. If you have a high-THC tolerance and would like to bring it down, it’s recommended to quit smoking for one month to get back to your normal THC tolerance level. This is what is known as a THC tolerance break, usually recommended for those who have abused the plant, due to not controlling their tolerance intake. We talked earlier about CDB and using it to help medicate, this will help you transition during your break and ease out of bad habits. For some, it’s the habit of smoking or medicating, in general, that makes people feel they are addicted to marijuana, but studies have proven it’s impossible. There’s nothing wrong with taking a break and there’s also nothing wrong with consistent marijuana consumption. We may all be human but our bodies are different and things react to us differently. It’s very important to understand how marijuana and your body work together because it helps you properly medicate.
If a THC tolerance break is something you are absolutely looking to avoid or even if you’re just wanting to know more about controlling your tolerance, check out YouTube star, Lex Blazer. Blazer has a cannabis culture show that goes into the history, horticulture, and science behind cannabis. In his video, he goes into how to calculate THC and why milligrams are the dominant units of measurement when it comes to cannabis. In some of his other videos, he mentions how 5-10% THC is considered a mild, average high, however, flower buds can only hold so much THC. He mentioned a patent could build a tolerance of up to 100% THC, however, it’s not common, and the consistent user has about a 20-30% THC tolerance.
Now that you know how to control your THC tolerance, we hope it aids you in how you medicate and your overall experiences. Let us know what you’ve done to help bring up or down your THC tolerance intake. If you’re on a tolerance break, we’d love to hear your story and how it may help others who are a bit skeptical.
