Micro-dosing

[Tommy10]

Water down the VG if you want less per drop. The water evaporates quickly and you're left with a tiny amount of VG.

 

[lazylathe]

Thanks for the tip!
I remember reading somewhere you should use distilled water to thin it out.

Will try again tonight.

 

[Tommy10]

I found straight VG to be too consuming, even one drop in the vapman will give huge clouds. After doing one drop per bowl a few times you can leave the bowl empty and get many many clouds.
Got 10+ Once before giving up and loading herb in, must mean a lot of residual VG, which is not great for keeping things clean. Had to clean it in alcohol just to film a bowl without VG.
Doesn't bother me normally, I like that I can load a bowl with VG then the next bowl I still get the added bennifit.

 

[biohacker]

i am so annoyed. for about 2 years now, every morning i've weighed out .75 of a gram of one of several home grown genetics and gotten as high as i wanted all day long.

i've never had a tolerance problem as i always have a few genetics around and i switch them every day. then i started buying from dispensaries. i've tried about 20 different genetics. plus 3 of my own.

over a period of a couple weeks, my usage has creeped up and now i'm vaping around .75 in the morning and i'm vaping close to 1.75 grams a day. i realize this isn't a terrible problem, after all i get to buy at a dispensary, but now that i'm buying it i can't piss away so much weed anymore. it's expensive!

i just wanted to vent. first time in 20 years i've had to cut back on my consumption or maybe even take the dreaded T break... i'm going back to micro dosing starting in a couple days, after i go buy a few new genetics.

I gathered from @stressed's post he was experiencing increase in tolerance over time. This is something I experience all the time, and I take it as a sign that I need to cut back to keep myself in check. I don't see anything in his post that indicates the increase in strain availability is the cause of his tolerance going up. It just sounds like tolerance going up with daily use over time. Having strains around might make one want to vape more, but it doesn't have to do with tolerance. That's like saying if you switched from drinking one brand of beer to drinking a different microbrew every time your tolerance will go up for alcohol. If you replace one beer with trying two or three different microbrews then yes, tolerance will go up, but just switching beers but maintaining the same alcohol content will not increase alcohol tolerance.

So you think just because he increased his consumption that is tolerance went up, and it has nothing to do with the new strains? The period of time is only 2 weeks, and i'm not sure if he knows how much THC is in each of those strains, but higher thc strains can make your tolerance go up. Many dispensaries do not disclose lab tests on genetics, thc, cbd, etc. so it's very easy for a new strain to make your tolerance sky rocket. Your beer analogy is irrelevant in this case IMHO.

Perhaps we're reading into his post differently. I clearly see that his entire post is about an increase in strain availability causing an increase in tolerance. Pretty sure we'll never know if it was the new strains or the increase in consumption, but more than likely it's both!

 

[Farid]

So you think just because he increased his consumption that is tolerance went up, and it has nothing to do with the new strains? The period of time is only 2 weeks

Yes. And we couldn't know otherwise unless he did not increase his use and his tolerance still went up. We know definitively, however, that an increase in use leads to an increase in tolerance, so no surprise there.

New strains have new ratios of cannabinoids and terpenes. That change is going to make you feel the new strain more distinctly than the same strain. What you describe is just increasing use, but nowhere does it show that strain has anything to do with it. 2 weeks is a long time when considering cannabis tolerance, certainly enough time for tolerance to skyrocket with changes in consumption.

The beer example was brought up because beer has a known % of alcohol. In this hypothetical example we are comparing 2 strains that have the same THC% but come from different genetics, to maintain the variables, so differences in % is not being discussed. My point is that tolerance would not go up from changing the strain or the beer. If anything some say it goes down (that's an entirely different discussion), but I don't see any evidence of how it could go up.

EDIT: In order to compare 2 strains objectively we would need to be discussing two strains with equal THC content, but different ratios of terpenes and other features unique to different strains. The THC content must be kept constant to do any sort of comparison between strains, which is where the beer example is relevant.

 

[biohacker]

That's what i'm saying, without lab tests you don't know the %thc and thus you are playing with fire in terms of tolerance when your home grow is 15% thc and your dispensary strain could be 20%+. Even with THC% being identical, there are so many other cannabinoids and chemicals in play that could affect tolerance IMHO as i've experienced myself.

Perhaps @stressed will chime in with his thoughts.

 

[Farid]

If you think that is playing with fire, I won't disagree it's your opinion. But if that's the case I really suggest you stick with drugs that are made in a lab. Even those have some variance in drug %, but not like a plant can.

I don't see it as playing with fire, I just see it as having a bit more control over my medicine. In the end I know that the colas are going to be stickier than the trim and shake - even from the same plant of the same genetics.

This is why a key component to micro dosing is waiting to feel effects. This allows users to feel the dose that is right for them without overdosing. Each time new buds are introduced the dose is re-determined.

 

[howie105]

Amargi: I just came here to ask what units people are using to micro. I've got both the Ascent and OG DaVinci, and am interested in experimenting with micro-dosing..

Favourites In order of preference
E Nano......Works well because of relatively small capacity design, constant temperature and strong basic function.
MFLB.......Another small load vape that I find easy to control the temp on just because I use it as much as I do.
LSV..........The surprise of my vapes for micto hits. It takes a couple of screens and some fiddling to position the load but it works enough to get along.

I think its about the vape having decent basic function, the user ability to manage the vapes operation and willingness to tinker with the set up till they work.

 

[biohacker]

but if that's the case I really suggest you stick with drugs that are made in a lab.

Thanks for your suggestion. I'm not sure if i'd call it a lab, but this is precisely why i'm now purchasing from Licensed Producer's (in Canada), so I know what i'm getting. Any other strain i've been able to get my hands on (dispensaries) over the past decade, has had no lab specs, and thus I have no idea what the real potency is. It's not perfect, but at least i know the lab tests for thc.

Do you think temperature could be a variable in tolerance? Perhaps higher temperatures could increase tolerance vs lower temp vaping?

 

[stressed]

Using different strains should keep your tolerance lower than if you were using the same amount of cannabis of the same strain. Having lots of strains and thus wanting to try them might result in using more than intended, but it should not make your tolerance go if you use the intended dose. Your tolerance would go up if every time you smoke you want to try every strain you have, but that's a self control issue, and not a product of the strains you have.

yeah, i wasn't clear on that point. it's not that my tolerance went up because of the different strains, i was just doing more because i was like a kid in a candy store and i stopped doing smaller doses. i'm not new to over doing a good thing.

my latest purchases - girl scout cookies, cherry pie and green crack.

i am now back to normal. i started micro dosing again 2 days ago and i'm back to a gram a day.

variety is the spice of life!

i'm glad you guys are finding smaller doses do the job. i did .05 this morning and was perfectly happy for over an hour. not too much but more importantly, not too little!

 

[biohacker]

yeah, i wasn't clear on that point. it's not that my tolerance went up because of the different strains, i was just doing more because i was like a kid in a candy store and i stopped doing smaller doses.

Exactly, access to lots of varieties is very hard to resist with will power! Glad the initial shine and honeymoon phase has worn off and you are back to your old tolerance with micros! It definitely motivates.... but i just don't know how all of you guys do it when vaping tastes and feels so good! How can you scratch your vaping itch with only .05g? That's like one hit for me..... do you guys hold as long as possible?

 

[stressed]

Exactly, access to lots of varieties is very hard to resist with will power! Glad the initial shine and honeymoon phase has worn off and you are back to your old tolerance with micros! It definitely motivates.... but i just don't know how all of you guys do it when vaping tastes and feels so good! How can you scratch your vaping itch with only .05g? That's like one hit for me..... do you guys hold as long as possible?

next trip, i'm going to hit 2 or 3 dispensaries and get 1/8th of 8 or more different genetics.


i vape using bags so even .05 will fill half a bag with a few decent sized tokes. i was surprised when i realized .05 could get me a nice buzz. for me, it's a - let's clean the house kind of buzz as opposed to a let's watch resident evil again kind of high.

 

[biohacker]

What vape do you use? Micro dosed bag....never thought about it!

 

[Farid]

Thanks for your suggestion. I'm not sure if i'd call it a lab, but this is precisely why i'm now purchasing from Licensed Producer's (in Canada), so I know what i'm getting. Any other strain i've been able to get my hands on (dispensaries) over the past decade, has had no lab specs, and thus I have no idea what the real potency is. It's not perfect, but at least i know the lab tests for thc.

Do you think temperature could be a variable in tolerance? Perhaps higher temperatures could increase tolerance vs lower temp vaping?

Temperature definitely plays a role in the varied effects, and thus in tolerance. Its just another variable that makes getting the desired effects all the more difficult to nail. It's probably the variable I understand the least

As for testing, I'm still not sure how much trust I should put in the numbers. There is lots of variables in testing THC% in flowers. Say they test the top nugs at 21% but they sell you the popcorn nugs which are 11%. That's a 10% difference. When determining dose I think the only thing to trust is yourself and the effects you get. The hard part is starting with a low tolerance so that the initial dose is as low as possible.

The tolerance creep you describe happens to me all the time, and I find the best way to control it is to keep it on my mind. When I start using cannabis for pleasure that's the first thing I forget about. I've actually stopped enjoying big sessions because of the way they ruin my subsequent sessions until I can get my tolerance down. It's almost like I've had to make a conscious choice between enjoying cannabis as a recreational drug, and using it effectively as a medicine. I'm sure I could ride the line between the two, but it's hard to maintain without tolerance becoming an issue.

 

[stressed]

What vape do you use? Micro dosed bag....never thought about it!

i use the arizer extreme Q. it has a whip and a bag. i don't like whips but i love the bag.

 

[lwien]

I'm curious what you guys consider as micro-dosing.

Is micro-dosing 10 times a day still considered micro-dosing?

If one is considered to be a micro-doser where would the cut-off be, say on monthly basis where one goes over the line and is not considered to be micro-dosing any longer.

Or, does micro-dosing have nothing to do with monthly consumption?

I know what the definition is for me but I'm curious what it is for others.

 

[Farid]

To me mincrodosing is using less than your current dose to get desired effects, then maintaining it with the goal of not increasing, and maybe decreasing. That dose could be different for any person. I think for most humans it's using between .01 g and .1, but if you're an oz a day smoker, I think changing to using a gram a day utilizes the same micordosing techniques.

The easiest way to microdose for me is to take my dose, and split it in half. It almost always works to get me to the same place as the entire dose would have. Keep doing this, and you get Zeno's paradox. Maybe Zeno was just stoned as hell from microdosing?

 

[stressed]

I'm curious what you guys consider as micro-dosing.

Is micro-dosing 10 times a day still considered micro-dosing?

If one is considered to be a micro-doser where would the cut-off be, say on monthly basis where one goes over the line and is not considered to be micro-dosing any longer.

Or, does micro-dosing have nothing to do with monthly consumption?

I know what the definition is for me but I'm curious what it is for others.

for a couple years i'd load about .1 per bowl. this would keep me happy for about an hour to 2 hours. i find that doing .05 does about the same. although i go to .1 later in the morning because, well...i like to get stoned and take a nap.

i think i'd be happy just doing .05 all day long if i was out and about. as far as how often, for me, it varies depending on what's going on. i try to keep a nice buzz all day long. i'm de-stressing from years of work.

 

[organic weed]

Totally. The onus is on the consumer to craft his/her own buzz. It's so true that the majority of cannabis users over-dose themselves. The optimal high happens before you get to the plateau.

I couldn't agree more... I've been there several times already and the reason why I micro dose now is because it keeps me far away from overusage, compulsive use or abuse. I know how all of this feels like in my personal experience and they don't make cannabis the life enhancing experience I want to have. At the end, this is a medicine and all medicines should be handled with care.

There's a some degree of misinterpretation within the cannabis community on how to use cannabis. Most doctors say that average use is between 1 to 3 gr/day. But if you read carefully the specs and recommendations, this dosage is only for very severe conditions (chemotherapy, extreme chronic pain, etc.) and up to 6 months. Those with less severe conditions should in theory use way less than this amount and start micros, but I guess things got pretty much misinterpreted...

[QUOTE="Farid, post: 904743, member: ] I've actually stopped enjoying big sessions because of the way they ruin my subsequent sessions until I can get my tolerance down. It's almost like I've had to make a conscious choice between enjoying cannabis as a recreational drug, and using it effectively as a medicine. I'm sure I could ride the line between the two, but it's hard to maintain without tolerance becoming an issue.[/QUOTE]

I fully agree. However, I've decided to treat cannabis mostly as a medicine and follow both scientific as well as my home made rules... And I'm trying never to brake those. It may require some time to do it and find the right spot, but then I guess you'll have less duality in your life coz you'll just follow the rules you decided were the best for you to have a balanced relation with the substance. Any sort of craving, addition and abuse is bad I guess, and we should try to avoid those unless strictly necessary coz of serious medical conditions as I said before... and I'm no saint whatsoever... Just trying to do my best to be a happy and satisfied responsible cannabis user.

 

[archangelz001]

i am now back to normal. i started micro dosing again 2 days ago and i'm back to a gram a day.

...
... i did .05 this morning and was perfectly happy for over an hour. not too much but more importantly, not too little!

Somehow I don't think a gram per day qualifies for micro-dosing ;-) 0.05 gm per session does unless you are doing 20 such sessions per day to get to your 1gm/day. Please clarify...


P.S. how did this thread about micro-dosing get hijacked by a discussion of VG clouds?

 

[Tommy10]

Wouldn't call it a thread hijack... Micro dosing has the disadvantage to some of us of low number of hits, and small clouds. VG is just a means to an end, allows bigger clouds and longer sessions while still using micro doses of mj. If I were to appease my inner cloud chaser, which I find I must do, I would not be micro dosing.

 

[stuartambient]

Interesting thread though not sure how much I can add to it outside of a little sharing. I just recently returned to vaping from combusting however even when combusting I was using about .22/g a day. It seems like nothing when I think about it but it kept me "comfortable" throughout the day. It was broken up into 4-5 sessions. Hard to believe really but even smoking I take small hits and no big bowl pipes or bongs.

I'm back to vaping though and just added the @DDave mod for my DBV. I decided to try even smaller amounts and dial back to about 1/4 way up in heat (maybe a drop more) and from a pinch of material I can hit that at least 10 times with some wispy vapors on exhaling. It does the job and can usually hold me 3 hours or more before I start to wonder if I need another session .

This has come about partially due to economics but more just the frequency and amount that I feel does me justice.

 

[stressed]

Somehow I don't think a gram per day qualifies for micro-dosing ;-) 0.05 gm per session does unless you are doing 20 such sessions per day to get to your 1gm/day. Please clarify...


P.S. how did this thread about micro-dosing get hijacked by a discussion of VG clouds?

i used to wake and bake and get pretty high every morning. although i like being that high, it was a bit much so early in the day. doing these smaller doses gets me a nice buzz but i don't get to the point where i say fuck it and just veg out all day.

i don't micro dose to reduce my daily use. as long as i stay around a gram a day i'm happy. i kick it up at night and get nice and stoned before bed time.


some would say that i get too high, too often, but i've been getting high since 1969 and i know that what gets me nicely high gets some people sloppy stoned. i'm an enhancement toker. i can't think of many things that aren't more fun or better tasting with a bit of a buzz on. i'm retired and other than paying my bills, i don't have any responsibilities. nobody depends on me and i happily live alone. if i was wealthy, i'd pretty much live like i do only i'd be living in oregon with a state of the art grow room.

 

[EverythingsHazy]

I'm curious what you guys consider as micro-dosing.

Is micro-dosing 10 times a day still considered micro-dosing?

If one is considered to be a micro-doser where would the cut-off be, say on monthly basis where one goes over the line and is not considered to be micro-dosing any longer.

Or, does micro-dosing have nothing to do with monthly consumption?

I know what the definition is for me but I'm curious what it is for others.

I feel like a micro-dose shouldn't get anyone more than a very mild buzz for a short period of time. If you are getting fully high/stoned, then you are taking a "regular" dose, even if you are using a tiny amount because you have no tolerance. IMO, a micro-dose of alcohol wouldn't be a full shot that gets you drunk. It would be like a quarter of a shot that you can barely feel. Basically, the difference between a small dose and a micro-dose is that a micro-dose isn't really for recreational purposes since the buzz should be barely noticeable. They (micro-doses) are more for medical purposes, such as a single small hit that stops your leg from shaking due to RLS or something like that.

 

[Tommy10]

The "high" to some may be medical, for many it is the only effect sought. I consider my mushroom use both medical and recreational and I have read a lot on the bennifits of "micro dosing" them, however if I lost the high I think I'd loose the majority of what I consider to be bennifical for me. Mental health is health after all.