Hemp Peppermints, or The Future Lies in Microdosing

03/09/2021 7 min read

Successful treatment with natural cannabis is in many cases at far lower doses than used in recreational, for example

Successful treatment with natural cannabis in many cases lies in far lower doses than those customary among, for example, recreational users.

So-called "microdosing" of medical cannabis has recently been becoming increasingly popular throughout both the recreational and the patient cannabis community.

"The future of medical cannabis lies in microdosing." So declares Christie Strong, head of marketing communications at Kiva Confections, in an interview for Extract magazine.

The Californian company Kiva Confections, a manufacturer of cannabis confectionery and the winner of several awards, is currently facing an enormous increase in demand for products with only a small content of cannabinoids. Kiva now plans to considerably expand its range of low-dose products. One of their most popular products to date is their peppermint sweets - the dose in one such sweet is a mere 2.5mg of THC, which is roughly a quarter of the lowest standard dose available in today's commercial edibles, i.e. 10mg of THC.

"You can think of our microdosed 'cannabis confectionery' roughly as a dietary supplement," Strong goes on to explain. "Our dosage is exactly sufficient to 'kick-start' your endocannabinoid system and thus provide the health benefits of medical cannabis without the often unwanted, intense psychoactive effect."

A market full of overly strong "coffee"

Strong further describes the current situation of the legal cannabis market, flooded with cannabis edibles capable of literally "launching into orbit" most moderate users. Kiva therefore sensibly decided to fill the gap in the market and developed edibles after which beginners will not be calling ambulances out of fear for their lives, as still happens in many cases.

Cannabis edibles containing a mere 2.5mg of THC can be considered a very effective, portable aid for coping with stressful situations and calming anxiety. Moreover, consuming such a small amount of the active substance THC does not overload the endocannabinoid system or lead to a rapid build-up of tolerance, as tends to be the case with ultra-potent brownies.

"It is all about a health-promoting implementation of medical cannabis into everyday life. We are talking here about modern bio-hacking and an aid that helps us live more productively, not just get as 'stoned' as possible."

Less is more

The founder of Integr8 Health, co-founder of Healer.com and a respected scientist in the field of cannabis research, Dr Dustin Sulak, describes how lower doses of cannabis in many cases improve a patient's health in the same way as higher doses, without the unwanted build-up of tolerance.

"We have already had a whole range of patients who come to us saying that cannabis helped them at first, but now it has somehow stopped working. 'Why is that?' they ask. Our typical answer then is that they should drastically reduce their doses," Sulak describes in an interview for Project CBD from May 2016.

"I have found that over time it is always possible to find, for a given patient, a dose that will provide them with the health effects of cannabis, minimal side effects and at the same time will not build up their tolerance. If they start exceeding this dose, the health-promoting effects will recede over time. As soon as the effects recede, people start taking larger doses to achieve the same effects, which ultimately only accelerates the onset of tolerance and leads to an even more significant decline in the health benefits of the treatment."

Cannabis edibles

Christie Strong agrees with exactly this view; as a long-term user of medical cannabis, reducing her dose has, in her own words, benefited her considerably.

A microdose of 2.5mg taken via the digestive tract is admittedly very low, but according to Strong one will certainly feel it. Moreover, when the active substances of cannabis are absorbed in the digestive tract, the resulting effect lasts much longer than with ordinary smoking.

"The only thing I feel after 2.5mg of THC is a slight feeling of relaxation and calm, without excessive psychoactivity. I simply feel more present in the moment, which I enjoy with greater calm. "It is the only cannabis product I take during the day."

Strong recommends caution with cannabis dosage to all patients. "Experiment, start with the absolute minimum dose and gradually work your way up to the one that suits you best. The whole process is also highly subjective."

Put down the joint and go for a run

For more experienced and, above all, daily cannabis users, Sulak then recommends the so-called six-day "sensitisation protocol".

"This protocol uses a total of two days of complete abstinence from cannabis followed by four days of gradual, careful dose increases. Most of the time they then report that their current dose is a full 50% lower. This is ultimately reflected in their overall consumption and side effects, and on top of that it saves them a lot of money.

I then often hear phrases such as 'Doctor, I used to smoke 12 joints a day, now two are enough and I feel a much stronger effect. It is stronger, it makes me feel better and it also heals me better'".

Author: Emily Gray

Translation: Filip Maral

Source: extract.com

Images: media-cache goddessdelivers