9 Mistakes to Avoid When Using THC
THC is one of the best-known cannabis extracts but not a lot of people understand exactly how it affects the human body. While the substance has not been shown to have any long-term effects, the intensity of getting high from an isolated cannabis compound can take new users by surprise! If you’re thinking about giving THC a try, whether for its health benefits or just for the pleasure of feeling stoned, keep reading to ensure that you don’t make these common mistakes:
1. Not Understanding the Differences Between THC and CBD
When you smoke medical marijuana or recreational marijuana, you are experiencing the effects of both CBD and THC working together. When each compound in cannabis is separated and used in isolation, however, the effects are different.
CBD is a cannabinoid that has healing and calming properties. THC is the substance in marijuana that makes you feel “high” or intoxicated.
Together, CBD lessens the paranoid and stoned feeling that comes with ingesting too much THC. Therefore, if you are using cannabis products that contain THC, you need to be prepared to feel stoned.
2. Taking Too Much THC at Once
Because THC products, such as edibles, are taken without CBD, it’s going to affect you differently than if you smoke the entire cannabis plant.
Whereas the lungs do not process cannabinoids into your blood system, the liver will metabolize THC products more slowly. For this reason, you will not feel high right away – depending on how your body metabolizes the THC, it can take anywhere from 20 minutes to 2 hours to feel its full effects.
This leads to many new users taking way more THC than they really need because they think it’s not working. Until you have experience using THC and know how it will affect you physically and mentally, you need to avoid taking too much at once. You can start with a low dose of 5-10 milligrams of THC and wait a couple of hours before consuming more.
3. Mixing THC With Alcohol
Since it takes a while for the body to process THC and for you to feel the full effects, it may be tempting to drink alcohol so you feel intoxicated while waiting for the THC to kick in. However, mixing alcohol and cannabis products can complicate the effects of THC and increase the potential for intoxication, leading to nausea and dizziness (also known as “the spins”). That’s not to say that you should never indulge in THC edibles and drink alcohol but you should definitely wait until you have a good handle of both substances before doing so.
4. Consuming THC on an Empty Stomach
You’ve probably been told that you shouldn’t drink alcohol on an empty stomach – the same goes for using THC products. The human body does not process THC in the stomach (remember the liver?) so an empty stomach will intensify your experience.
Since the purpose of using THC is to experience the euphoric effects during a slow and accumulating experience, you don’t want to get hit with the results too fast and too hard. THC is best enjoyed when you consume it after a proper meal. The compound will mingle with your meal and create a pleasant experience
5. Not Keeping THC Out of Reach of Children
Many THC edibles are made to look like familiar candies such as gummy bears and lollipops. For this reason, it’s imperative that you keep your THC products locked in a cabinet and box and out of the reach of children.
Cannabis ingested as edibles can have significantly stronger and prolonged negative effects in children under the age of 12. Small children are at an extremely high risk of complications related to THC consumption because of their size and weight. Most young children who consume marijuana edibles have to be rushed to the hospital and admitted due to the severity of their symptoms.
6. Consuming THC Products With No Label
It’s important to keep yourself safe too! You should never consume THC products that are not properly labeled, especially if they are offered by people you don’t know, when it comes to safety, purchasing your products from a legal cannabis store is your best bet. The label indicates quality control and contains information about ingredients that may trigger an allergy. Always check for a label before consuming.
7. Not Knowing How to Sober Up
THC can cause some intense physical and psychological effects so, if you accidentally overindulge, it’s important to know how to handle this experience. First, remember that you will be okay in a matter of hours. Find a place where you feel safe and can lay down – if you can sleep it off, you’ll feel rested and perhaps a bit groggy when you wake up.
If the effects are too much to handle, it’s best to have some CBD oil on hand. As we mentioned above, CBD can counteract the intoxicating effects of THC and balance out the high. Taking a dose of CBD oil sublingually can make you feel more relaxed in a matter of minutes (except you may have to repeat the process until the THC high wears off). If you don’t have any CBD on hand, try eating fruits that contain citrus (including the pulp). Citrus has been shown to counteract the effects of cannabis, especially THC.
8. Using THC Alone
If you’ve never used THC before, you should not try it alone. Cannabis intoxication can be confusing and sometimes scary for first-time users, so it’s important to try it with people who you trust and, preferably, who have used THC before.
Trying THC with seasoned users is helpful because they can walk you through what to expect and help you out if you become too intoxicated or “green out”. They can also guide you away from not-so-smart decisions you may make such as consuming too much alcohol or driving while under the influence.
9. Not Having Munchies On Hand
THC edibles can be quite yummy but you don’t want to keep eating them just because you’re hungry and taste good. Because, as most people know, THC is going to give you the munchies and you may be tempted to eat whatever you have on hand! Prepare yourself by having snacks on standby – and the healthier, the better. The munchies do not discriminate between healthy choices and sugar-laden foods. When you’re hungry during a THC high, you will eat anything!
Pro Tip: Make sure to have lots of water or non-alcoholic beverages on hand – THC can cause a severe case of dry mouth!
Stay Safe!
Taking THC can be an fun and pleasant experience – when done properly.