It stands to reason that as with any new medication, a patient wants to introduce a new regime slowly and find the right dose for them…
While cannabis and CBD have been used medicinally for thousands of years, without a single recorded case of an overdose or any negative long lasting side effects, a novice still needs to titrate up carefully when starting a medical cannabis program.
Take too little and you’ll feel nothing, take too much, and you run the risk of feeling too light-headed, spaced-out and even sick. Anyone who has used cannabis, especially real beginners, will tell you about a negative experience when they just took too much, too fast.
The British call it a ‘whitey’ when you ‘overdose’ or when cannabis just hits you badly. That can be due to a host of factors like whether you are hydrated enough, if you have eaten well, and your sleep patterns. But it is less than pleasant when your heart beats fast, you break out into a sweat and your face turns white. Fortunately, it usually passes within a few hours, with the help of some chocolate and perhaps a little sleep.
There’s one major difference though that needs to pointed out at this stage. Overdosing on cannabis is not dangerous and certainly not as dangerous as taking the wrong dose of many pharmaceutical drugs prescribed daily by family doctors. In other words, take a chill pill, nothing really bad can happen to you on cannabis.
Numerous states are now offering medical cannabis as an alternative and holistic treatment for patients with a variety of conditions including, Parkinson’s disease, Epilepsy, Digestive issues and chronic pain. Many people receive the relief they need from their cannabis, as long as they dose correctly and are aware of common side effects.
Whether taking ones medical cannabis in pill form, or smoking and vaporizing it, finding the right dose is all-important, and something that can be achieved simply within days or weeks. Things like dry mouth and a sense of euphoria are common side effects which should be expected, but if they extend into paranoid bouts or feelings of extreme discomfort, the dose should be dropped immediately.
Another important factor can be environment or even state of mind. Some people can experience temporary feelings of anxiety and/or paranoid when taking a higher dose of cannabis. This can be exacerbated by a stressful situation or future worries. Cannabis patients should always ensure they medicate in a safe and comfortable environment.
The best advice for any newbie cannabis patient is start slow and keep a dosage record. Increasing gradually is far better than the other option, and is safer for you.
[Featured image credit- Wikipedia]
