Tennessee is inching closer to rolling out their medical marijuana program, which will allow the sale of low-THC cannabis oil with less than 0.9% THC.
Being Tennessee’s first shot at an official MMJ program, they’ve chosen to produce cannabis oil with a relatively low THC content, and that might make getting an effective dosage a little tougher for some patients.
In this Tennessee Marijuana Card Guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about tolerance, and how to maximize the effectiveness of your dosage!
How You Build Tolerance With THC
Tolerance can be your friend or your enemy depending on how you look at it.
Usually cannabis tolerance refers to your body’s tolerance to THC, the main psychoactive compound of the cannabis plant.
The higher your tolerance to THC, the less potent it will feel.
The lower your tolerance, the more potent it will feel.
This is partly why someone who has never tried cannabis will often have a very different response to a small dosage than someone who has used cannabis regularly for a long time.
Fortunately, tolerance occurs naturally and is ultimately just part of the process of consuming cannabis. This can be a great thing for people who tend to feel overwhelmed by the effects of cannabis because with more tolerance the effects will become less intense.
For some patients this is an undesirable effect though.
Particularly in cases like Cancer or HIV/AIDS for example, where larger and more potent doses are administered more frequently, tolerance will be built quicker and heavier effects will degrade over time.
And tolerance does have a cap too, just because your tolerance can become very high, it will never be high enough to cause cannabis to be completely ineffective.
How Long Does it Take Marijuana to Leave Your System?
You can’t really stop tolerance altogether, but there are some cool tricks to keep your tolerance lower.
The most obvious one is to take a break, called a tolerance break or “T-Break".
Everyone’s biology will come into play here, for some a tolerance break might only need to be a week or two, for others it might be a month or three. Your dosage size and frequency, as well as your body’s ability to breakdown cannabis compounds and metabolites will play a huge role in how long it might take.
Generally, 90 days is enough time for the body to clear itself of measurable amounts of THC, so if you’re looking for a complete purge & cleanse, 3 months is enough time to get a fresh start.
In some cases, a tolerance break isn’t an option, or it’s maybe the least preferable option, in which case there are a few things you can do to try and maintain your lower tolerance for as long as possible.
How To Slow Your Tolerance to THC
One of the best ways to keep your tolerance down, aside from taking a T-break, is to change up your strains and terpene profiles.
Terpenes, flavonoids, and cannabinoids are responsible for a lot of the effects produced from the cannabis plant, and are often just as important as THC in producing those effects, and especially important for the entourage effect.
By swapping out strains you can keep your body fresh, adding new compounds and different mixtures of cannabinoids from the cannabis plant can help keep your body from getting too used to one type or the other.
Alternating an indica for a sativa or swapping out for a hybrid if one or the other is too aggressive can be an excellent way to keep your system fresh and your dosages potent.
How to Make a Small Cannabis Dosage More Effective
Although some people actually microdose cannabis, but for chronically or terminally ill patients that are looking for the most efficiency out of their medicine, there are more than a handful of things you can do that can help.
Again, it’s kind of obvious, but it goes without saying that you can take more of a product for a more potent effect.
But if taking more isn’t an option there are some clever tricks to maximize your cannabis consumption for the most potent effects possible:
Mangos
Add some mangoes or mango extract juice to your session.
Mangoes are rich in a terpene also found in cannabis called myrcene.
Myrcene has its own independent effects, but it also helps increase the saturation level of the CB1 receptor, which can allow for a greater maximum psychoactive effect.
For best results, try one about 45 minutes before your next session.
Chocolate
Chocolate with at least 72% cacao can help slow the breakdown of anandamide, the chemical that THC mimics to enter your brain’s receptors and get to work. More room for THC to enter your system more efficiently and can help your high last a little bit longer!
Black or Green Tea
And lastly, try a nice cup of black or green tea.
Black and green tea contain catechins, a powerful flavonoid that binds to your CB1 receptors similar to the way THC does. In fact, catechins have their own anti-inflammatory & neuroprotective properties, so not only is introducing them a healthy decision, but they can help your high by allowing THC to come on much more efficiently!
Medical Cannabis in Tennessee
Tennessee cannabis patients will soon be able to legally purchase low-THC oil and see the relief they need organically.
Reserve your appointment today and get $25 off when we start processing applications!
Being a Tennessee cannabis patient allows you the freedom to take your medication the right way for you.
We’re dedicated to helping patients every step of the way, feel free to give us a call at (833) 781-5611 and we can answer your questions about getting a medical cannabis card in Tennessee.
Doctors Who Care. Relief You Can Trust.
At Tennessee 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 (833) 781-5611, or simply book a medical marijuana evaluation to start getting relief you can trust today!
Check out Tennessee Marijuana Card’s Blog to keep up to date on the latest medical marijuana news, tips, and information!