Recently, I began a light detoxifying regimen, meant to gently clean out “stuff” that’s built up in my body over the last six decades without causing undue gastric distress (the dreaded “colon cleanse”).
As I’m pretty sensitive to the effects of everything going on in my body, I noticed an inability to focus and mental fogginess. To me, these are often the signs of some sort of imbalance or other. To my detox guide, these were part of an expected “disconnect” for a first-time detox user.
I’ve gotten over the detox effects by “cannabinizing” myself. That’s a word I came up with to describe the practice of keeping a low level of cannabinoids in your body for an extended period, in order to help balance things internally.
The best way to cannabinize yourself is with some kind of edibles, because they will last a longer time than smoking or vaping cannabis. In my case, I did it with cannabutter and tincture for 36 hours and never went above a level [3].
If you do this properly, it won’t cause any tolerance buildup. How do I know this? Because I can still get high by taking twice my usual medical dosage, and this hasn’t changed since I started using medical marijuana daily almost 1½ years ago!
While I’ve found interesting personal data that supports my theory that your body and brain need the right level and balance of cannabinoids to function properly, there is also some scientific data to back it up. So a day or three of cannabinizing to rebalance your levels every once in awhile can keep you from being marijuana deficient.
The keys to cannabinizing yourself properly are twofold. First, you should use a totally different, and if possible, “opposite” strain of what you’re used to. This will insure that you’re building up the cannabinoids that you haven’t been ingesting regularly. So, since I use Sour Diesel daily, which is a mind-stimulating sativa, I go to the opposite end of the spectrum to Purple Kush, a body-heavy indica.
Secondly, you must know your medicine well enough to give yourself a light dose, preferably one that you feel comfortable and can just “cruise along with”. You’re shooting for something between “I can feel it in my body, but it isn’t affecting me at all” (level [1]) and “oh, I’m actually high” (level [4]). You don’t want to be high, and certainly not for 3 days!
The word “cannabinized” came to me after hearing one of the top 25 psychedelic songs of the 60s, “Time Has Come Today” by the Chambers Brothers, come up on my random iPod mix:
This song has the possibly immortal line, “And my soul’s been psychedelicized”. If you say “And my body’s been cannabinized” just right, it will fit in with the song. Nugs and hugs!
Words can be interpreted in many ways, so it is with that in mind that I’d like to make comments. What you are writing can only be fully understood by the experienced Cannabis user and as I understand, to be specifically relating to your experiences surrounding your own health concerns and consequent interests in those concerns. I’m pleased that you mentioned those two key points, which are quite applicable for others with different health problems. An example might be somebody using cannabis as an alternative to analgesics and synthetic morphine to treat chronic pain. I don’t think a newbie or those not so enlightened could gasp everything exactly as you might intend.
The links in your article to levels of highness, although integral as a possible explanation and example leading to the subject matter; also detract from the seriousness and sincerity of your convictions. For the prohibitionists and haters, the list reinforces their view that Cannabis can be used to intoxicate and lead to experimentation of drugs, perhaps some narcotics that would be classed in the upper end of your scale and beyond. They already think it dangerous, at least as dangerous as alcohol and shouldn’t be available. In all fairness though, I read through your blog and am assured that this would not be intentional and you are an honorable person. Nevertheless, I suggest that you may need to exercise some caution in what you write and qualify some of your opinions to avoid misinterpretation.
I understand the levels of highness intimately too and quite clearly understand the gist of this article, and agree that there is merit in your concepts. Perhaps, one day your experiments might prove helpful for some mental disorders. However, Cannabutter is very strong and you do need to qualify this and advise on how to determine dosage and strength.
I believe that for many medical Cannabis users, a level 3-4 would suffice and indeed is all they would expect for their medical needs, particularly newbies. As an alternative to your suggestion, abstinence for a while, would also achieve an adjustment of dosage for many people and indeed, with some illnesses, like anxiety, some patients may find that they require Cannabis maybe 3 days a week rather than every day as a consequence. After all, this herbal remedy is a cure, so it should be a logical conclusion that eventually, less would be required.
For depression and anxiety, it should also be remembered that the person’s mood, present company, surrounding and self awareness of the subconscious would also contribute to their recovery when it is assisted by the use of Cannabis. At least, that is my experience.
I would also like to add in your defense, that I have many times reached your level 18 from anaphylaxis caused by conventional medication, particularly some antibiotics and also ant stings from particular species, so I can only hope you might agree with my comments and be as responsible and you claim.
It is very difficult to quantify the strength of a homemade batch of medicine made from a plant whose effects vary based on the way it was grown, when it was harvested, and what part of the plant was used. It’s impossible to do this for someone else remotely over the Internet, especially when you throw in normal variables like strains and how long it’s cooked for. So if I were to say, “Always use a pea-sized piece of cannabutter because that’s what I do”, that would be irresponsible. Just a week or two ago, for instance, I ran into someone who makes cannabutter using 5 ounces of cannabis per pound of butter. I can’t even imagine using my normal doses with anything made that strong!
That’s why I’m using a fixed highness scale, to better illustrate to people how to be aware of their level of impairment, so they can communicate to their loved ones or caregivers more accurately, and make responsible decisions (Old Hippie says: “Don’t drive over [5]”). But by and large, I’m talking to MMJ patients. I actually got the idea for using the levels from medical professionals, who use a very similar list and chart to talk about pain. Since there’s no reliable and accepted method of measuring pain in a patient without a brain scan, they have to rely on this for treating pain appropriately. It’s my hope that people will use the Levels of Consciousness chart in a similar way.
As far as the prohibitionists and haters, they don’t need excuses, since they lie anyway. We’re not dealing with honorable people there. And sure, there are always people with a frat-boy mentality and competitive mindset whose first thought is “Who can get to [10] faster?” But they’ll be doing their immature antics whether I have a chart on my website or not.
You make a lot of great points, and I hope to address them in future articles, especially appropriate levels and usage and dosage. Thanks for writing, and please come back. We need more thoughtful people out there. Nugs and hugs!
Pleased my feedback didn’t offend and has proven helpful in expanding your article, we are probably a kindred spirit, though I’m from the opposite side of the globe. All the best with your fascination about this plant, it will probably consume a lot of your time and life investigating it and for no particular reason. It’s not an exact science and never could be, that is the nature of things, that is reality. The truth comes from deep within your own consciousness and you tell it how you see it, from your own creative thoughts.
I would have taken a pea sized amount of cannabutter anyway, if I was to repeat your experiment and I probably will give it a try one day, interesting idea, thanks.
In the last 3 to 4 years I have been a medical MJ patient I have found that people’s experience from edibles varies considerably. There are so many variables that it’s almost impossible to predict how someone will react, so starting at the smallest possible dose can definitely save someone from a bad experience that may turn them off from the plant forever. That’s not what we need to promote our cause for sure. I think your approach works well, Old Hippie.
Personally, what and when I ate last has a HUGE effect. Typically if I want the maximum high I will eat something with fat in it, then wait about 45 minutes to eat a medible. Then I will feel the effects within an hour. If I have an empty stomach it can take up to 3 hours, and I’ve made the mistake of dosing again at one hour and again at two hours, thinking it was a weak batch. Whoa Nelly! That makes for quite a ride, and not always pleasant.
I’ve seen the same medible at the same dose put one person to sleep for 12 hours, give someone else the giggles for 2 hours, and not affect a third person at all. Go figure. Pretty hard to set any type of standard wouldn’t you say?
So much to learn, and you have a lot on this great site. Thanks!
Thanks so much for your kind words! Your “45 minutes to maximum high” scenario is legit and works because of the First Pass Effect, especially with the initial stimulation of your digestive apparatus by eating a fatty meal. Conversely, when we use Canna Caps and take them with a meal, they work exactly the same way every time. Standardized doses and procedures lead to standardized results!
We’re also starting up another website, to be announced in the next few weeks, that will focus on dosage and safety. Look out world!
Nugs and hugs!