Once you receive your medical marijuana license in Florida, it’s time to embark on a journey of a lifetime.
The first time you get medicated from medical marijuana is an experience that you’ll never forget. Over time, however, you may wonder why you can’t replicate your first-time-peak.
Every medical marijuana patient eventually comes face to face with a marijuana or THC tolerance. Read along to learn everything you need to know about marijuana tolerance and how you can reduce it.
What is Marijuana Tolerance?
THC tolerance occurs when you regularly consume medical marijuana.
The basis of THC tolerance is — the more often you consume medical marijuana, the less high you become. For example, as a newbie to the medical marijuana scene, you may get medicated from a single hit from a joint.
As you continue to enjoy marijuana, however, you may need to smoke the entire joint to experience the same effects. Therefore, you’ve slowly built up a tolerance to THC, which forces you to consume more to experience the potent effects of cannabis.
Luckily, THC tolerance is not permanent. Instead, medical marijuana patients can reset their cannabis tolerance with a straightforward trick: taking a weed break.
Before we discuss how to take a medical marijuana break, let’s talk about the science behind a THC tolerance buildup.
How Does THC Tolerance Occur?
The moment you smoke medical marijuana, THC molecules bind to CB1 receptors located in your brain. Thus, the THC molecules block the CB1 receptors from functioning normally, which produces their psychoactive effects.
However, repeated THC exposure forces CB1 receptors to adapt because they want to continue to function normally. Therefore, CB1 receptors limit the binding potential of THC via a method known as desensitization.
The desensitization process is immediately noticeable. In other words, you’ll notice that one or two hits from a pipe or joint don’t cut it anymore.
After the desensitization of the CB1 receptors, internalization occurs. Once internalization occurs, the CB1 receptors disappear from the surface to hide from THC molecules. At this point, you’ll need to consume a lot of THC to experience psychoactive effects.
What Are The Effects of a Marijuana Tolerance?
Now, what are the effects of marijuana tolerance?
For starters, it’s going to take a lot more weed to get you high. Let’s take a look at the various effects of THC tolerance and how it impacts you.
You Need to Consume More Medical Marijuana
First and foremost, increased THC tolerance forces you to consume more medical marijuana.
Before THC tolerance occurs, you may experience potent psychoactive effects from a single hit from a bong. Once your THC tolerance builds, you may need to smoke an entire bowl to experience a head change.
You’ll be surprised by how much medical marijuana you can smoke without feeling super high after consuming cannabis for one week straight!
Increased Budget For Medical Marijuana
Now that you need to consume more medical marijuana to attain the desired effects — your budget increases.
Say goodbye to the good ol’ days where you could skip into a medical marijuana dispensary in Florida for a single gram and say hello to eighths or ounces.
As long as you allow your medical marijuana tolerance to build, so will your weed expenses. Therefore, you must keep your medical marijuana tolerance in check before it drains your wallet.
Promotes an Endless Cycle of THC Tolerance
Once you fall into a cycle of THC tolerance — it’s challenging to get out.
As a medical marijuana patient, you consume weed to alleviate a multitude of issues. Therefore, most patients can’t stop out of the blue because they need help from cannabinoids.
As you can imagine, you must stop for the time being to reset your THC tolerance. Until then, you may need to find an alternative in the meantime.
How to Reset THC Tolerance
Now for the most crucial question — how long does it take to reset your THC tolerance?
Typically, it takes 3-4-weeks to reset your THC tolerance.
We know, 3-4-weeks is a long time to be without medicine, but it’s a necessary break that allows your CB1 receptors to re-sensitize. After 3-4-weeks, it’s best to start slow because your THC tolerance will be at ground zero.
In other words, you may experience effects similar to days when you first purchased your medical marijuana license in Florida.
How Can I Avoid Elevating My THC Tolerance?
Want to avoid taking a THC break altogether?
Here’s a list of tips to avoid the dreaded t-break:
- Consume CBD products instead of THC-rich products
- Space out the frequency that you consume medical marijuana
- Only consume medical marijuana when you need to
Will I Gain a THC Tolerance If I Consume Small Amounts of Medical Marijuana?
Yes!
Even if you consume small quantities of medical marijuana, you will eventually experience elevated THC tolerance. Don’t worry — we all experience it, and it’s a small price to pay for the incredible effects that medical marijuana offers.
Learn More About Medical Marijuana at Compassionate Healthcare of Florida
Whether you need to renew your medical cannabis license or it’s your first time, head over to Compassionate Healthcare of Florida to learn everything you need to know about marijuana.
From reigning in your THC tolerance to using medical marijuana for a wide variety of mental and physical issues — CHF’s medical professionals are here for you.
Now that you understand everything you need to know about reducing your THC tolerance — it’s time to enjoy all of the sun, sand, and medical marijuana that Florida offers.
