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I started consuming cannabis when I was around 30 years old, and there are some things I wish I knew. I had recently been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. I started consuming cannabis to try to help me deal with the symptoms of that disorder. I also was using it as a tool to help me figure out and challenge the roots of my anxiety. I wanted to use it so that I no longer experienced the symptoms of my disorder, which were nearly debilitating.
So, I came to cannabis as an adult. I’ve learned a lot about it as I’ve traveled along my own cannabis journey. I’ve learned about cannabis, how it works, and how to use it to support one’s health, well-being, and holistic wellness. This post is designed to help you understand cannabis better. Ideally, you will consider some of the parts of consumption that you might not have considered. The goal is to enhance your experience and avoid some of the pitfalls that are common among consumers.
Terpenes Are Important
When I first started smoking weed, I had no idea that terpenes were even a thing. In fact, I’d never heard of them before. It wasn’t until I had been consuming for a while and started working in the cannabis industry that I learned about terpenes.
Terpenes are the essential oil molecules of every plant. Every plant uses its own essential oils to either attract pollinators or to repel pests, predators, and mold. In the same way that we’re attracted to scents, pollinators are attracted to scents. So plants use terpenes to draw them in. As well, plants repel certain pests with terpenes. Some terpenes are used in natural bug sprays because insects don’t like them.
When we consume cannabis, those same scent molecules also interact with our bodies. We smell them through our nose. Then they interact with the limbic system in our brain, and they affect our bodies physiologically. They can affect our mood, our memory, and our emotions, such as whether or not we feel sedated or uplifted. All kinds of different things. There are so many different effects—they can make us feel creative, they can make us feel energized. It’s important to understand that terpenes absolutely impact your experience, especially when they’re found in dried flower.
When you understand terpenes and you understand how they work and their effects, you can make better consumption choices. If you’re looking for an uplifting cannabis product, you’ll want to choose uplifting terpenes, like limonene, terpinolene, or alpha-pinene. Whereas, if you’re looking to feel calmer, look for something more sedating. Terpenes like myrcene, linalool, or beta-caryophyllene are usually more calming and relaxing.
There are over a hundred different naturally occurring terpenes in the cannabis plant! Understanding them impacts your cannabis experience significantly. Understanding their effects can help you choose better products for the outcome that you’re seeking.
Level UP and Flow Scientific are currently putting together a course called the Terpene Expert Certification course. This experiential course trains you on 12 different terpenes. Learners will receive 12 different terpene isolates and 24 different blends: one strain-specific blend; one general blend. For each terpene isolate received, a series of 10 lessons, spaced out over a number of weeks, will teach you all about the terpene, including how to identify it on its own, in cannabis strains, and in blends. You’ll learn everything you need to know about that terpene to use it effectively. By the time you complete the course, you’ll know how to use your knowledge of terpenes to make the most informed choices for creating a specific cannabis experience.
Sign up for the waiting list here and be the first to earn a Terpene Expert Certification when it’s launched.
Cannabinoid Ratio Matters More Than Amount
The second thing I wish I knew is that cannabinoid ratio matters more than the amount.
THC and CBD are commonplace. In fact, some people are high-THC seekers, refusing to consume anything under 30% THC. This is a silly, ego-driven approach. Different cannabinoids have different effects and different impacts on our body. But the ratio of those cannabinoids to each other significantly impacts the outcome, even more than the dose.
Here’s an example. A product that is high in THC without any CBD is going to given a very strong and intoxicating experience. But the same amount of THC balanced with an equal amount of CBD will offer very different effects.
It makes the most sense if you think about it in terms of an edible. Let’s say that you eat a 5mg THC edible. The effects will be quite different than if you’d eaten an edible with 5mg of THC and 5mg of CBD. CBD balances the effects of THC; it changes the experience.
THC and CBG is another ratio and combination that I really enjoy. THC on its own can be quite sedating. But when it’s combined with CBG, it becomes much more uplifting, and is more enjoyable.
Combining cannabinoids together will produce a whole new set of outcomes. Often, those outcomes are more enjoyable than from one cannabinoid on its own. Of course, everyone is different, and every consumer is going to have their own unique experience. That’s why experimenting with different cannabinoids and ratios is the best way to figure out your personal preferences.
Personal Biology Matters
The third thing that I wish I’d known when I started smoking weed was that personal biology matters.
We are each individual, unique beings. We all have our own genetics, our own metabolism, and our own experiences. Each of those can affect your cannabis experience and your cannabis journey.
Factors that impact your cannabis experience include your age, weight, health conditions, and previous experiences with substances. Your own personal experience is going to be unique, and so too will be the outcomes you experience.
It’s vital to listen to your body and adjust your consumption to your needs. What your body needs in one moment to maintain balance is going to be different than what it needs at another time.
Your endocannbinoid system (or ECS for short) is a series of receptors found all over your body–in nearly every tissue. These receptors interact with certain molecules, including those found in cannabis. The purpose of this system is to keep your body in homeostasis, keeping everything balanced and working properly. The ECS does this by facilitating communication between your various body systems, which don’t necessarily speak the same language. It allows your cardiovascular system to speak to your skin and allows them both to speak to your endocrine system. They all speak different languages, but the ECS acts as the translator.
But you are a living being that is constantly growing and changing and adapting to the world around you. This means that your body and it’s needs are also constantly shifting. What your body needs in one moment to maintain homeostasis will be different than what it needs in another moment.
Your endocannabinoid system is always working to find your balance. There’s not one static, specific spot where you are balanced. Everything is moving all of the time within you—within your body, within your psyche, and within your endocannabinoid system. That’s why the way cannabis interacts with you will be unique in that moment. And it will absolutely be unique from what somebody else needs to find their balance.
My husband was the one who really introduced me to consuming weed. When I first started using is, I would just consume whatever he was consuming. “That’s fine,” I would tell myself. “It’s just weed.”
But eventually, I learned about cannabis and about the ECS, and began to pay attention to my own experiences. I learned that someone else’s journey has nothing to do with what I need to feel my best. And if someone tells you that what they are consuming would be best for YOU, it is their ego making that recommendation, rather than their heart.
Now, speaking of ego, I pride myself on being able to throw down with the best of them. I can sit at a table with you, take 18 dabs to the face, and walk away from the table. But I’m not going to feel good if I do that. I would be more likely to feel my best after maybe one or two dabs instead.
Instead of comparing your cannabis journey to anyone else’s, understand that it’s your body. You’ve got to find your own sweet spot. You must understand your unique biology’s impact on your cannabis use and consumption.
Don’t go into the experience expecting it to be like anybody else’s; it’s your experience. Keep a journal. Keep track of what you’re consuming and what the outcomes are. That’s will generate the best information for you to make choices from. On the other hand, looking at what somebody else is doing isn’t going to give you a lot of information.
Mindset Is Important
The fourth thing I wish I knew when I started smoking weed was that mindset is important.
Your mindset refers to your mood and your set of expectations going into your cannabis experience. If you’re going in with a garbage mood and you don’t expect anything good to happen, then it probably won’t. But if your mindset says, “Hey, I’m not feeling great right now, and I’m going to consume some cannabis mindfully and intentionally so that I can feel better,” you’re a lot more likely to feel better.
Mindset is crucial for any experience. When you go into a cannabis experience with a specific intention in mind—like “I want to be more creative,” “I want to feel more focused,” “I want to feel relaxed,” or “I want to connect with my partner more easily”—that actually allows you to then engage more mindfully and in a way that is more likely to help you achieve that outcome.
If you want to have a more positive mindset, try meditating or journaling before you consume. Sit down and really think about, “What are my intentions for this cannabis experience? Why am I doing this? How am I feeling?” and, “What am I going to consume?”
Then note afterward if your experience changed. Do you feel different? Do you feel better? Do you feel worse? How were you impacted by this product and by this experience? That will also help you have a better mindset in the future when you know more about what to expect.
Looking for a more impactful experience? Check out this video on nine mindsets that cannabis can help with
Here’s an example of how mindset can really impact your experience. I was with a group of friends the other day, and I was already feeling a bit anxious. There were some things going on, besides the fact that it’s an anxious time to be alive on the planet. They were smoking weed, someone passed me the joint, and I just started smoking it too. I wasn’t intentional about it, I didn’t consider my own mindset going into the experience. About half an hour later, I realized I was actually feeling more anxious than I had been.
I mindfully told my friends what was going on, and we talked about it. Someone got me some CBD, and that helped as well. I began to feel a bit better at that point. Because I wasn’t paying attention to my own mindset going into the experience, I felt worse than I needed to.
Instead, if I had said to myself, “Yo, your mindset is not in the place that you need to be to be consuming this high-THC strain with your friends—don’t do it!” I would have had a better experience. I could have chosen a different product; I could have started with CBD instead of starting with the high-THC product. I could have just said, “You know, I’m not feeling so great. This might make me feel a little bit more anxious.” And my friends would have said, “Yeah, of course, it’s not a big deal.”
So much of your journey is about learning to be really aware of yourself. Aware of where you’re coming from, and aware of how you’re feeling going into that experience. Self-awareness is the most foundational part of wellness. It’s actually where wellness starts—with self-awareness. When we are aware of how we’re feeling, where we’re coming from, our mindset, expectations, and mood, it sets us up for more success. Not just on our cannabis journey, but in life, because we start from a more intentional place.
Consumption Setting Makes a Difference
That leads right into number five, which is that your consumption setting also makes a difference.
You’ve maybe heard about “set and setting” before. Set refers to your mindset, and setting refers to the consumption environment in which you’re consuming. Different environments can affect your experience. Think about consuming a cannabis product at home alone in a very relaxed setting. That will be quite different than consuming that same product in a busy social setting, like a party.
And each of those would be a different experience than consuming the product in nature. Consuming the same product in three different consumption settings will result in a different experience each time. You’ll have different perceptions; a different perspective; different encounters; different thoughts.
Once you understand that your consumption setting makes a difference, you can be more intentional about creating a comfortable space. If you’re comfortable at home, great—that’s easy. You might consider your lighting, or the music that you’re listening to. You could also have comfortable items like a nice, soft blanket available to make your experience more relaxing.
On the other hand, if you’re consuming for creativity, you’ll set yourself up differently. If you’re consuming before you work in your office, think about what you want that to be like. What music is going to help you work and focus after you’ve consumed this product? What things do you need on hand to be as creative and productive as possible?
Based on that intention, what does a comfortable space look like for you? Think about what comfort feels like for you.
Another part of setting is considering the social dynamics. The company that you keep can certainly alter the effects and the experiences. If you’re smoking weed with people that you can’t stand, you’re not going to have as good of a time. That’s true for anything—not just cannabis. If you’re doing anything with people you can’t stand, you’re not going to have as good of a time.
If you’re with a person who makes you anxious, then maybe it’s not the right time to consume weed. Wait until you’re with people that make you feel relaxed. If you’re at a party and you have a lot of social anxiety, consider what you’re consuming. You may not want to try that high-limonene strain because it can exacerbate your anxiety.
Also, consider the attitudes of the people you’re with towards cannabis. If you’re consuming a product for some intentional outcome, and you’re with people who don’t approve of your consumption, it could make your experience less effective. You might have a harder time achieving .your desired outcome if you’re feeling a bit anxious, a bit judged, maybe a little bit paranoid.
The Highest THC Isn’t Automatically the Best
The sixth thing that I wish I knew when I started consuming cannabis was that the highest THC product isn’t automatically the best.
We’re conditioned to think that when something has a higher number, it’s better. But higher levels of THC are not always synonymous with a better experience. Sometimes, you end up with a subpar experience because you’re lacking other compounds. A low terpene amount can create an underwhelming experience. An unbalanced cannabinoid ratio can create an overwhelming experience.
Other cannabinoids, like CBD and CBG, play a crucial role in the outcome of your experience because they modulate THC’s interactions with your ECS. And terpenes steer you into the type of experience that you want, whether it’s uplifting, creative, sedating, etc.
I’ve had products that have over 30% THC in them, and they smoke like crap. The ash is black; it’s unenjoyable; you cough the whole time; it tastes bad; and you don’t even get that high. Versus a product with 20%-22% THC with 3% terpenes in it. You might consume it and think, “Man, this is enjoyable! I feel so altered right now!” Because you got something lower in THC, but with quality compounds that truly impact your experience.
Flavonoids, volatile sulfur compounds—these are all other molecules that are included in cannabis beyond just THC. Just because something says it’s high in THC, it does not automatically mean it’s the best.
Cannabis Is an Agricultural Product
The seventh thing that I wish I knew when I started smoking weed was that cannabis is an agricultural product.
It’s not that I didn’t know it, it’s just that I never really thought about it. I started consuming cannabis before it was legal. The person that I bought it from would bring it to me in these little glass jars. I would buy a half-quarter at a time. When I got the jar, I would open it up and smell it. Through the glass, I could see the product, and I could even touch it if I wanted to.
But now, in Canada and in some other locations, all regulated cannabis must be sold inside a closed package. Consumers are prevented from seeing inside the package. All they have to evaluate the product is what’s written on the packaging, which is cannabinoid content and maybe terpenes.
But cannabis is an agricultural product. When we purchase an agricultural product, like fruit or vegetables, at the store, we evaluate it on freshness. You want to smell it and touch it. You might even listen to it, like thumping a melon. You might also consider the cultivation methods—is it organic, if that’s important to you? Was it grown in living soil?
We consider many different components when we purchase agricultural products. We should be able to consider them when purchasing weed, but it can be very challenging in some markets. In some markets, like Michigan, they have deli-style shopping. I can go to the weed shop and say, “I want to smell that one in that jar.” They open up the jar or package and let me smell it or look at it. I have more quality indicators to understand and evaluate the product inside that package.
If you can, think about supporting local growers and dispensaries in the same way that you would support local farmers. It’s similar. If you have the option to purchase locally grown weed—maybe in a vertically integrated dispensary—do it. It’s an agricultural product, and something local will have had a shorter time to market.
You can ask about their growing practices: Are they organic? What kind of soil do they use? What kind of fertilizers do they use? You’re more likely to be able to speak to a local grower in this case. Cannabis is an agricultural product, and it should be purchased like an agricultural product.
That’s not possible in every marketplace, of course, but that’s something we can work towards as a society. And if it is available to you, take advantage of it.
Cannabis Can Help or Hurt—It’s All About Balance
The eighth thing I wish I knew when I started consuming cannabis was that cannabis can hurt or help. It’s all about balance.
Cannabis can absolutely aid in relaxation, creativity, focus, and all kinds of different things. But there are also risks associated with it, especially if it’s over-consumed. Potential downsides include anxiety. You can get increased anxiety if you’re over-consuming weed. It can also create dependence. You may start needing it to sleep, or finding it very challenging to relax without it.
In rare cases, we see things like cannabis hyperemesis syndrome if folks are genetically predisposed to this kind of condition. Consuming any THC makes these people feel nauseated and sick. They often throw up when they consume any kind of THC.
So the importance of moderation cannot be overstated. There are so many potential downsides that come with cannabis that is not used in moderation. Certainly, there have been times in my life where I have consumed cannabis in excess. I have smoked as much weed as I possibly could because I was stressed out, wanted to dissociate. Or I wanted to not think about the world, myself, and my challenges. I didn’t want to work on myself; I just wanted to get away from myself.
As a result, I became more and more tolerant of cannabis. I needed more and more of it to feel the same effects. It stopped working as well for me. I started to feel increased anxiety when I consumed it because I was over-consuming THC.
At that point, I realized I really needed to learn to balance this a little bit better. Cannabis is a really powerful and helpful tool, but you’ve got to use it in moderation. It’s a tool best balanced, and used in a way that supports your overall wellness.
It’s never going to be a panacea; it’s never going to be a magic pill. You’re never just going to smoke a joint and have all your problems go away. In fact, if you over-consume, it can cause more problems.
So make sure that you’re enjoying cannabis while maintaining a balanced lifestyle. It’s not about using cannabis to do everything in your life. It’s not the tool for everything. You have to do some of the work too.
Cannabis can help treat your anxiety, your mood, or your lack of focus. But you have to use it as a tool to help you while you’re doing the work.
If you want it to help, you’ve got to find the balance.
Cannabis Is a Powerful Tool When Used With Intention
The ninth thing that I wish I knew when I started consuming cannabis is that it’s most powerful when used with intention.
When use cannabis with purpose, whether it’s stress relief, social enjoyment, or creative inspiration, it’s an incredibly powerful tool.
When I first started using weed, I never considered it as a tool. I never thought of it as a tool that I would use in my wellness journey toward better mental, physical, social, and spiritual wellness. It is a powerful tool on every dimension of being human, but you’ve got to be intentional about it and use it with that purpose in mind.
It’s the same way, like, I could say a colored marker is a tool. A marker can be used for leaving a message; it can be a tool for making a sign; it can be a tool for coloring my face if I don’t have any makeup with me. But if I don’t have an intention for what I’m going to do with it, it’s just going to sit there. It’s not going to do anything; it doesn’t do anything on its own. It’s about the way in which I use it.
Any tool is like that, right? You can’t just expect a tool to get up and start doing things. If I have a hammer, I can’t expect the hammer to get up and start banging nails into the wall by itself. I have to use it purposefully. Cannabis is the exact same way.
This is why it’s so important to set intentions with your own consumption. When you go into the experience saying, “I’m using cannabis as a tool for this purpose, for this intention,” then it becomes a very powerful tool. But until you set that intention, until you have that purpose in mind, the tool does nothing; it does not help in any way because you have not used it for that purpose.
This is why you want to use a consumption journal. Think about it every time you consume weed—why am I doing this? Even if you don’t keep a journal, just keep it in mind before you approach a cannabis consumption experience. Think, “What am I doing this for? What am I looking to achieve? What is the outcome that I’m seeking here?”
That is what’s going to help you use cannabis as powerfully as possible, because you’re saying, “I’m using it for this purpose.” Afterwards you can say, “Did this product work as well as I wanted it to? No? Okay, let me find a product that’s better,” and then you try the next product. You say, “Okay, that one was better, but I still think I could tweak this part of it.” And then you try a third product, and you go, “Oh wow, that one really did what I wanted it to.”
Now, you’re dialing in the tool for the thing that you want to use it for. Cannabis is absolutely powerful; it is a powerful tool when it’s used with intention.
Conclusion
So those are the nine things that I wish I knew before I started smoking weed. What are some things that you wish you knew before you started consuming cannabis? Share your experiences and insights in the comments.
Until next time, take care of yourself and stay curious.