GET YOUR MEDICAL CARD
Am I Stoned? Oh, Wait, No, I'm Not
If there are fifty ways to leave your lover, there must be fifty ways to ingest marijuana without getting high. Experience tells me there are more than fifty ways to leave a lover, but I may be pushing it with the cannabis. I touch on this topic because many people assume I’m stoned most of the day because I work in the cannabis industry. Certainly, there are others in this industry who most likely are, but it’s not me. Fuel is added to the ’You must always be stoned’ fire as I publicly write and talk about consuming cannabis on a daily basis for migraines and fibromyalgia. The reality is, I rarely get high and usually if I do, it’s an accident (Oops).
So, I frequently take time to educate people on how to take cannabis in different ways where you can manage pain, insomnia, anxiety, depression, etc. without getting high. My prognostication, is a world-in-the-not-so-distant-future where everyday suburban Moms and the like have a full medicine chest/arsenal of mostly non-psychoactive cannabis that supports health and well being for the individual as well as the whole family. And, no, I am not an advocate or supportive of getting your kid high.
50 Ways to Take Cannabis without Getting High
OK, it’s going to be less than fifty for now, but it is a good start.
1. Take a Higher Ratio of CBD to THC
There are 80+ cannabinoids in cannabis and the cannabinoids are CBD is both an analgesic and an anti inflammatory. CBD will relax you, and take care of aches and pain. It’s my secret recipe for combatting migraines and it’s one of the reasons why legalization is sweeping the United States, because it helps with that many medical conditions.
CBD is also the antidote to a high gone wrong. If you have a bad edibles trip, suck down some CBD and it will take the edge off the psychoactive trip. It’s like your Mother’s hand on your forehead when you have lost your proverbial shit.
2. Micro Dose Your Marijuana
If you are an American, my guess is you think more is better or more is more effective. More is not better, more will help you lose your proverbial shit. Micro dosing is a specialty of mine, as I always take products with some THC potency. The key to micro dosing for me is to never ever go above 2.5mg of THC in any single dose and to dose throughout the day when needed.
3. Select a Vape Pen with High CBD
I recently wrote an article on my love for Bloom Farms new high CBD vape pen which is called Electra Tsu. Rather than wax rhapsodic about it again, you can read my post as well as my heart felt haiku. If I really love you, I write you a haiku. Enough said.
High CBD vape pens are a core component of my arsenal and they instantly relax me and I don’t get high. Depending on the ratio of CBD to THC it may be possible to get high, so of course micro dose or in other words ‘self titrate’.
4. Rub it In Baby
Oh, for the love of a good cannabis topical! Cannabis topicals can help with sore muscles, nerve pain, cranky backs, sun burns, etc. I carry a topical with me in my purse everywhere I go due to an old Cross Fit injury (I know…why did I ever do that 'sport'?). As topicals do not cross into the bloodstream, you do not get high. I personally love Sweet ReLeaf.
5. Stick it Where the Sun Don’t...
I am happy to share that I use cannabis suppositories and they work well for me. When my back is killing me or I get bad cramps I stick in a Foria suppository, snuggle up on the couch with a bag of chips and Big Dog (my dog), turn on the TV to watch the movie ‘Bad Moms’ and sit it out for the long haul. They really work, relax your entire body but are not psychoactive. Personally, I would not drive or leave my couch for the next four hours but why would I want to do that anyway?
6. Nibble on Low Dose Edibles
OK, so to some, a low dose edible might be mildly psychoactive so proceed with caution. But, ALWAYS, proceed with uber caution with edibles as they are metabolized differently and can take up to two hours for you to feel the effect and for many the high can be MUCH stronger. Read my post of avoiding ‘Edisasters’ for more on this.
That said, I am a huge fan of the low dose edible for pain and most specifically for sleeping. My personal favorite are the Kiva 5mg chocolate love balls, that keep me in my slumber. No more waking up in a panic at 4am wondering when the next Zombie apocalypse is coming - thanks Walking Dead.
Low dose is 5mg or less in my book. The typical person might feel slightly altered at 5mg, and this dosage is perfect for me for sleeping. Many people I know combat insomnia with 10mg, but those people are not me and we are talking about NOT getting high. So, start at 2.5mg one day and if it is not enough try a 5mg dose the next day. Most edibles are almost exclusively THC, but there are some new all CBD or hybrids to be sourced out in the wild!
Be warned, some edibles, with less quality control, may have ‘hot spots’. A hot spot is where more THC has landed in a spot in the edible. This makes me very, very unhappy. I like reliability!
7. Take a Tincture
My tinctures, they line up like little soldiers marching into battle. I have a variety that I use daily. I start my day with a 20:1 high CBD potency which seems to keep my migraines at bay, so far indefinitely. I then take a high CBD ‘Anxiety Tincture’ later in the day and that has a negligible amount of THC. I like the taste and it feels like the dosing is very easy to manage. Please know that when you get into any ratio of 4:1 or lower you start to get into more psychoactive territory.
8. Have Tea with the Queen
I like to think of myself as a Queen and yes, we can have tea. There are many new product manufacturers that are making high CBD ratio teas. Tea is soothing and for me it offers full body relaxation when combined with a high CBD to THC ratio. Call me when you want to have tea, I like Thursday afternoons.
9. Take a Hot Bath…ALONE
I have several rules in how to live my life to the fullest, and one is to never live in a house that does not have a bath. There are many more rules around the bath itself, but this is not about that. The only thing better than taking a hot bath after a bad day is taking a bath in a CBD-rich ‘Restorative Soak’. Yes, the Gods created bath salts that are a blend of epsom salts and and cannabis oil. The last time my back was killing after a killer vinyasa session I hopped in the bath with my iPad and locked the door and did not emerge for hours. Love the Relax Bath Soak by HoneyBeeBuzzed. LOVE.
10. Go to Yoga and Enjoy an Awesome Forearm Stand
My test for whether a product meets my standards is whether I can do yoga and I'm happier, relaxed, centered and not high as a kite. So maybe this is not advocating a certain way of ingesting cannabis, but cannabis that doesn't get you high can also help you focus better during your athletic pursuits. It helps push my practice into a different realm. I like to take a high CBD tincture before yoga and without a doubt I am Birding My Paradise or doing an epic forearm stand.
Do you have questions about this article? Ask a question in HelloMD's new Answers feature. A doctor or member of our community will answer.
If you are new to cannabis and want to learn more, take a look at our Cannabis 101 post. HelloMD can help you get your medical marijuana recommendation; it's 100% online, private and efficient.
