Being brand new to medical cannabis often translates into not knowing what to do. This is especially true for patients who possess no experience with cannabis prior to getting their state-issued medical cards. Given the scientific nature of cultivating modern cannabis, it is not wise for a new patient to go into it blindly. It’s better to plan to create an intentional routine.
The question for many new patients is how to create that routine. It starts with an in-depth consultation with either a medical provider or a medical cannabis pharmacist. At Salt Lake City, Utah’s Beehive Farmacy, they recommend consulting with a pharmacist. They are the most qualified medical professional to help you optimize cannabis as a medicine. Visit BeehiveFarmacy.com
The Process of Developing a Routine
A new patient would find it impossible to establish an intentional routine before using medical cannabis for the first time. In reality, there is a process to routine creation. There are three steps in that process:
Initiation – The initiation step introduces your body to medical cannabis. Most pharmacists would recommend the ‘low and slow’ approach, which is to say taking only a small amount and waiting to see how it affects you.
Titration – The titration stage follows initiation and can last several days to several weeks. During this stage, you gradually increase your dose until you find what works best. Note that you might go too far and need to dial it back before finding the optimal dose.
Maintenance – Once you land on the ideal dose, the maintenance stage kicks in. Here is where you maintain both dose and duration for as long as you feel good. If you felt worse again, you go back to the titration phase.
It is worth noting that the impact of a particular dose will be influenced by your chosen delivery method. You’re going to have vastly different experiences if you try both vaping and edibles. So deciding on a preferred delivery method is a normal part of the titration stage.
Personalizing Your Routine
The three-step process for developing an intentional cannabis routine isn’t meant to dial you in to the perfect dose, duration, and delivery method. It’s designed to get you into the ballpark. Once there, you are going to personalize things based on your needs and goals. Some things to consider include:
Symptom Type – Different symptoms respond to both dosage and delivery type in different ways. If your main symptom is anxiety, you might need the fastest possible delivery method. But if you’re treating chronic pain, you might do better with a delivery method and dose that provides longer-lasting relief.
Genetics and Lifestyle – Your genetics will partly influence how you respond to medical cannabis. Likewise with your lifestyle habits. For example, your diet and exercise would have an impact on how your body processes edible cannabis products.
Tolerance – Most medical cannabis patients develop tolerance at some level. You might develop tolerance more quickly or slowly than other patients. Regardless, it is important to recognize the signs of tolerance and adjust accordingly.
A medical cannabis pharmacist can go over all these things with you to help you personalize a routine. By collaborating, you can account for everything that might affect the usefulness of your medicines and then create an intentional routine that works.
Intentional Use Is Important
Intentional cannabis use is important for a patient’s health. Cannabis is no different from any other medicine in that taking it haphazardly and without intention is likely to yield poor results. If you are a new patient, get with your pharmacist and figure out an intentional routine.
