Cannabis Pro Tips: How to Make Your Medicine Last Longer
Do you ever feel like your cannabis isn’t lasting as long as it used to? That’s a common complaint with those of us who use medical cannabis on a regular basis. If you sense a change in the effectiveness of your medicine, you’re not imagining it: Research shows that our bodies tend to build up a tolerance to many of the cannabis plant’s effects.
Why does this happen, and—more importantly—what can you do about it? There are several urban legends and folk myths around the question of how to stay high longer, and we’ll share what we currently know about them.
That said, as in many things in life, the simplest answer is often the best. If it’s challenging to sift through the scientific literature on cannabis tolerance, one finding is crystal-clear: When regular cannabis users engage in a brief “tolerance break” (or “t-break”), the length, effectiveness, and benefits of their cannabis medicine returns to normal fairly quickly.
How to Stay High Longer: Time for High Tea?
One often-shared tip about extending the length and effectiveness of your high is to pair it with tea. There’s some evidence for this, but it’s less than conclusive: Citing evidence that the antioxidants in tea interact with a protein in our Endocannabinoid System called GPR55, some researchers suggest that tea enters into an “entourage effect” with cannabis, in much the way that the cannabinoids and terpenes within cannabis interact to boost the overall effect of the plant.
But we can vouch for one proven effect: Taking the time to center yourself with a dedicated tea-and-cannabis break can have a uniquely calming and focusing effect. It raises a question: Is it just a coincidence that once upon a time, “tea” was slang for “cannabis”?
How to Stay High Longer: Mangos, Myrcene, and Marijuana
If you’re curious about the topic of terpenes, you may have heard of myrcene, the most abundant and arguably important terpene in cannabis when it comes to the cannabis plant’s medical effects. Myrcene imparts powerful anti-inflammatory and analgesic (pain-fighting) qualities, among others. So it’s not totally unreasonable to wonder if consuming mango—a fruit naturally high in myrcene—and cannabis together might inspire a beneficial interaction.
But is it real? The jury, as they say, is out. There hasn’t been a gold-standard study on this effect, but engaging in a little math would suggest that the “mango effect” is no more than an urban legend. Has it worked for you? Let us know!
How to Stay High Longer: Take a T-Break
Don’t get us wrong: We love both tea and mangos. But as we suggested earlier, there’s not a great deal of evidence as to whether either of these substances will help you stay high longer. If you’re really interested in tackling that issue, we recommend you try a “t-break.” Here’s why.
As CB1—one of the two primary cannabinoid receptor sites in our bodies—is exposed to regular doses of cannabis, over time, the brain will naturally work to minimize its effects, in effect preserving homeostasis, the baseline functioning of our bodies’ many systems and regulatory networks. This finding is supported by research conducted by a research team at NIMH, as described in this essay from High Times magazine.
So, what can we do to reset our Endocannabinoid System? Fortunately, the answer is simple and elegant: Just stop—or at least substantially reduce—your cannabis intake. Many experts feel that a break of even a few days will help bring most of your tolerance response back to baseline. But if you can stand a break of a week or two, there’s a great chance that you’ll enjoy a near-complete “reset.”
How will you know? After you get over the “hump” of that first week or two, you’ll notice a subtle shift in your perspective and/or your physical and mental state. That’s a great indication that the “t-break” has done its work, and you can—gently—begin incorporating cannabis back into your routine.
If you have any questions about how to stay high longer, how cannabis tolerance works or any other cannabis-related topics, drop us a line. We’d love to help!