What is microdosing cannabis? 

We want to talk about microdosing cannabis edibles, because believe us - there are plenty of reasons people have tried this trend. But before we get into that, we first need to explain what microdosing cannabis is. To put it simply: microdosing is consuming tiny amounts of cannabis over a certain period of time. Many believe that you can receive the same amazing benefits, but in smaller and more controlled doses. 

It used to be that more is more when it comes to cannabis, or at least that’s what people thought. Taking a bunch of cannabis at once is how you reap the most of its numerous benefits, so just smoke a ton of weed and wait for the magic to happen, right? And for some people, that is how you get the most out of it. 

Evidence for microdosing cannabis

But for other people, consuming cannabis in tiny, frequent doses is proving to be just as, if not more, effective than using heavy amounts all at once. And in fact, Israeli researchers think even pain can be managed through micro doses of cannabis. Chronic pain sufferers are typically very heavy users, so it’s interesting to see pain as the microdose measuring stick. 

Syqe Medical presented evidence last summer to support low and precise THC dosing for pain relief. The study shows that 500 micrograms of THC is an optimal amount for relieving pain. For context: if you consume one gram of 15% THC cannabis per day (the average for many medical cannabis patients), you’re taking in 150,000 micrograms! This study shows us we can potentially be using so much less cannabis than we think! 

Microdosing cannabis edibles

Let’s talk about microdosing cannabis edibles specifically though, because there is a lot to unpack. Microdosing edibles is becoming increasingly popular, and it’s because they are adaptable to your life. Think about this: when do you have time to use cannabis and wait around to feel the effects before taking more? When do you have time to smoke a joint in between your job, your kids, your workout routine, your social life, and errands? Probably close to never. At least not during your busy day.

Instead, knowing your dose and sticking to it removes that obstacle. And microdosing cannabis edibles removes: 

1. The smell of cannabis 
2. The guesswork from dosing 
3. The potential for overconsumption if you’re sticking to your dose
4. Fiddling with tools or supplies, just grab the jar and go

It’s common to microdose cannabis through smoking, most commonly a pipe that holds one hit’s worth of weed. But, that isn’t everyone’s scene. Whether you have concerns about the potential dangers of smoking, don’t like the way it smells, or don’t want to smell like cannabis, using edibles removes that. And microdosing those incredible edibles removes the guesswork from dosing and the opportunity to overconsume! 

Cannabis edibles can be delicious when set amid the right ingredients. At Pantry, edibles are only made with premium ingredients and chef-curated recipes, free of artificial flavorings, natural flavorings, colorings or additives that may affect absorption and and experience.

• Vegan Jellies
• 5 milligrams of THC per piece
• Keto Bites
• 5 milligrams of THC per piece, 5 milligrams of CBD per piece

Microdosing can reduce anxiety

For anxiety-prone users, microdosing cannabis reduces your chances of feeling paranoid after too much THC. It’s really common for people to overdo THC, and then feel paranoid and swear off cannabis forever. There are many reasons why paranoia happens, and microdosing eliminates many of them. Some of the more common reasons for THC-induced anxiety include: 

• Genetics
• Hormones
• The setting
• Your mindset when consuming 
• The method of consumption you choose

CBD microdosing 

We’ve mentioned a few reasons people chose to microdose THC, but CBD is absolutely not out of the question. Just because it doesn’t have psychoactive effects, doesn’t mean it can’t be microdosed! CBD is powerful in small quantities, especially if you’re just looking to take the edge off. It is easy to feel sleepy, lethargic, or even anxious if you consume too much CBD at once, especially if you aren’t waiting long enough before taking more. This isn’t ideal, especially during the day, so microdosing your CBD can save you money and avoid adverse effects. Before you attempt to begin a microdosing routine, you should wash the cannabinoid slate clean. In other words, go 48 hours without consuming cannabis before you start microdosing!

Osteopathic physician, Dustin Sulak, told Leafly a 48-hour abstinence is enough time to reset the endocannabinoid system and allow you to start fresh by microdosing. This seems like a super small period of time, but this brain image scan published in 2016 showed endocannabinoid receptors to bounce back to normal levels after two days - even in heavy users! A 48-hour window of no cannabis use will reset your system and allow you to feel the effects of cannabis. Some things to keep in mind when resetting the endocannabinoid system, or taking a “T-break”:

• You might consider abstaining for 3 weeks to allow your receptors time to renew. If you can’t go that long, try and take short and frequent T-breaks often
• Change up the products you use, and incorporate different strains of cannabis 

Microdosing calculator

Before you embark upon your microdosing journey - you should establish your dose first. Our dosing calculator takes into account many details that affect cannabis dosing including how much you’ve eaten that day, your desired effect, how you like to consume, etc. While our calculator is a fabulous starting point it’s a calculator; a cannabis calculating robot at the end of the day - so it is not the end all be all. If your calculated dose isn’t working for you, adjust as needed. But these questions are formulated with your experience in mind, and can serve as a great launching point!