Beginner’s Guide to Weed

Hello and welcome to the first instalment of the Higher Limits Cannabis 101 Blog!

I’m Athena Lumsden, your friendly neighbourhood cannabis educator, and I’m here to guide you through some of the “higher” points of cannabis consumption.

Our favourite plant has been legal in Canada for over 2 years and we are adapting to seeing (and smelling) it everywhere. Legal dispensaries are becoming commonplace, home growing resources are readily available and social acceptance is growing.

Liberation of this basic resource has been a huge victory for all of us! There’s one hiccup though. Prohibition has left us with decades of ignorance and misinformation to correct.

How on earth are people supposed to have confidence in their consumption when they are unsure of what, exactly, they are consuming and why?

Generally speaking, most of us get our cannabis education from mainstream media and while I love weed humour as much as the next person. It doesn’t usually reflect a realistic experience, which sets people up for disappointment or can scare them away from trying cannabis at all.

In order to promote a realistic view of cannabis, we’re sharing a direct guide on why this plant is so amazing and how to make it fit your life, your way! We’re starting with the information most relevant to brand new users and exploring from there.

We’ll be bringing you recipes, science and reviews to help bring confidence to your cannabis experience! We have a lot to share and I personally can’t wait to get started!!

Potency

While there are many factors to how you will react to any given cultivar, one of the easiest to track is the cannabinoid content.

You can find this information in the cultivar description.

0-5%: Weak

6-10%: Low

11-15%: Average

16-20%: High

21-25%: Strong

26+%: (Insert terrible joke about hearing colours and tasting sounds here)

How much is a dose?

This is the hardest question to answer in cannabis because everyone’s answer is different and it’s not as simple as body mass or experience. You have to figure this out on your own because there’s no test. Just your personal comfort.

So how big is this gap and why are official sources so gun shy about placing regulations on a plant that’s safer than half your spice cabinet??

For those who are THC sensitive:

A single puff can be overwhelming and an edible dose as small as 0.5mg THC can last for 12-24 hours.

For the average user:

A small joint (0.35g) is usually plenty for a single person and a 10 mg edible will last for hours.

For those who are THC resistant/high tolerance:

The knowledge that cannabis cannot kill you by itself is comforting for these folks. Doses of inhaled cannabis concentrates are rarely tracked by the mg and edibles can reach 100mg and up.

Whether you’re looking for a light glow or landing on Mars, the best advice I can give is:
- Start low
- Go slow and
- Track everything
Listen to your body and it’ll work out for the best.

If you need help picking a cultivar: Ask your local budtender. They have the training, experience and resources relevant to the cultivars they have in stock.

What to do if you get overwhelmed:

Step 1- Don’t panic: Cannabis by itself is incapable of causing death by overdose.

No matter how odd you feel, unless there is a special reason to believe that you’re in danger, the wise course is to take a deep breathe and remind yourself that you really are OK.

Step 2 – Have some CBD: CBD has the ability to help modulate the effects of THC. It helps tone the roller coaster down to a more gentle ride. It should be noted that it changes the nature of the buzz to something more manageable. It does NOT promise sobriety.

I always have a stash of my favourite CBD products on hand just in case.

These are a couple of my favourites.

Step 3 – Support your system: Drink a glass of water, have a snack and get comfortable. Citrus, black pepper and pine nuts will also help modulate the overwhelm to something more manageable. So snacks with these ingredients are a fantastic idea!

Step 4 – Find an activity that suits the buzz you’re dealing with: Movies are great for a foggy high while I love a good jigsaw puzzle when my focus has gone into overdrive. Light exercise is also a great option. If you have the need to move, then get moving!!

No matter what you choose, just make sure you stay safe and have fun.

We’ll be back soon! Next time, I’m diving into the ECS and how cannabis actually works!!

For more information:

In the meantime, if you’d like to learn more, please check out my website where I have free resources, DIY videos and premium content to help take the confusion out of your cannabis experience.