Medical marijuana patients can consume as much cannabis as they need with a West Virginia medical marijuana certification, but with more consumption comes a higher THC tolerance.
And although tolerance offers some benefits, as time goes on, more cannabis will be required to achieve the same effects.
In this article, we’ll cover what tolerance to THC is, how it can benefit you, and how you can reset your tolerance to achieve better results!
What is Cannabis Tolerance or THC Tolerance?
Tolerance to THC Gets Built Overtime
Tolerance to THC is a natural thing that occurs when using cannabis over time. As you use cannabis, you will slowly (or rapidly) build a tolerance to THC, making its effects seem less potent over time.
When THC enters your system, it interacts with CB1 receptors to produce the varying effects that you experience when using cannabis. With time, these receptors will start to be reduced with consistent cannabis use, causing the effects of your regular dosage to become noticeably lighter.
This is a perfectly normal and safe activity. Your brain goes through a lot of complex systems to build and rebuild receptors that are being used, so there isn’t any permanent damage, as the receptors will begin to rebuild if you take a short break from cannabis, called a tolerance break.
THC Tolerance Can Be a Good or a Bad Thing
Tolerance to THC can really be a blessing or a curse. In some cases, tolerance can be a good thing for patients uninterested in the more aggressive effects of THC, while in other cases, patients with a high tolerance may feel like they’re missing out on a bit of potency.
Having a high tolerance to THC likely means that you’ve used enough cannabis to experience some of its more heightened effects at larger doses. If you don’t prefer those experiences, having a high tolerance can keep you away from THC being too potent in a single dosage.
On the other hand, if you are the type of patient that requires much stronger effects from cannabis, having a high tolerance will require you to bump up your dosage, which will ultimately mean less money in the bank account.
Pros & Cons of Having a High Tolerance to Cannabis
A Higher Tolerance Means Less Potent Effects
For many medical marijuana patients, keeping dosages at an optimal level means being able to perform daily activities without too much interference from your medication.
With a low tolerance to THC, even microdoses can sometimes be a little overwhelming, and this is a great reason to develop a higher tolerance to THC.
With a higher tolerance, you can take the same dosages, but experience less impairment. If you find yourself putting out a joint after a few puffs, there’s certainly nothing wrong with that and you’ll save some money, but if you find that it would be more convenient not to have to limit your dosage in order to be able to function, building a higher tolerance is the best way to do it.
Higher Tolerance Means Spending More Money at the Dispensary
Ultimately, having a higher tolerance means you’ll be using more cannabis to achieve the same results as you had when your tolerance was lower. That means buying flower with higher THC, moving into concentrates, or upping your dosage, which can get a little pricey as you move up the ladder.
Everyone builds tolerance at their own pace based on their biology, so developing a higher tolerance is a matter of when, not if.
Having a higher tolerance also means that you may have to increase your dosage frequency and choose more specific cannabis strains, as often the major complaint with having a high tolerance is not so much that the cannabis feels less potent, but that it doesn’t last quite as long.
How to Reset Your Tolerance to THC
Resetting Cannabis Tolerance is Easy… Most of the Time
Fortunately, resetting your tolerance (or even just dialing it back a bit) is very easy for most patients.
All that’s required to reset your tolerance to THC is to take a break. How long of a break you take will be up to your biology and experience, but most people agree that somewhere around 2 to 3 weeks is enough time to reset your tolerance.
After a few weeks, it’s highly recommended to return to using cannabis by starting with a very low dosage, as your body will not be as ready to handle larger doses as it was before you quit.
That’s it!
So, if you find that you’re lighting up a few extra joints, it might be time to take a short break and let your system refresh so that you can get the most out of your medicine!
What to Do When a Tolerance Break Isn’t an Option
For some patients, a tolerance break may not fit into a strictly regimented cannabis treatment schedule, and taking a few weeks off from their medication could cause immediate problems.
For example, patients who suffer from epilepsy & seizure disorders can’t justify taking a break from their medicine when it’s preventing multiple seizures a day, and the same goes for many conditions like Parkinson’s, PTSD, cancer, and many others.
For patients who can’t fit a tolerance break into their treatment plan, there are a few other ways to help adjust your tolerance level to a lower point.
For starters, try mixing and matching cannabis strains and products. If you’re typically using indicas, swap to sativas. If you use many edibles but no tinctures, swap to tinctures for a bit. Switching up the types of products, changing your dosage size, and experimenting with different dosage intervals can help keep your medicine feeling effective long-term.
Get Your Medical Marijuana Certification in West Virginia
There are a variety of medical marijuana products available to help with patients that have high or low tolerance to THC in West Virginia.
Take the steps to schedule your West Virginia medical marijuana evaluation appointment today and get access to legal marijuana products available at dispensaries!
Being a West Virginia medical marijuana 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 877-303-8424 and we can answer your questions about getting a medical marijuana card in West Virginia.
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If you have any questions, call us at 877-303-8424, or simply book a medical marijuana evaluation to start getting relief you can trust today!
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