Happy Halloween! We’re celebrating the spooky season with a new series inspired not by ghosts and goblins, but by my early career working on Wall Street! Finance has a language all its own that often feels like it was meant to intimidate, and I felt it while working in that very male-dominated industry.
Fast forward to today. Cannabis culture is coming out of the shadows, but it can still feel intimidating and is definitely defined by men. Weed Words is here to help! These fun, short episodes will cover all the words you think you should know about weed, but maybe don’t, plus lots of practical tips just for women.
The first episode of Weed Words is PARANOIA, which breaks down why weed can make women feel paranoid, how to avoid it, and a quick history lesson about the cultural paranoia about cannabis. We hope Weed Words will become your go-to for defining all things cannabis. Let us know the words you want to learn about – we can’t wait to hear from you. ❤️ Ellen
HOW TO AVOID FEELING PARANOIA WITH WEED
1. STRAINS. A University of Chicago study showed that higher levels of THC in cannabis led to more feelings of paranoia. A quick & easy tip is to look for strains with under about 18% THC or strains that contain CBD, like Harlequin. Check out our list of the 12 essential strains for women for inspiration. If you end up with a strain with more than 20% THC, start with one or two hits of a joint to be sure you like how you feel.
2. HORMONES. According to a study from the University of Washington, estrogen can lower women’s tolerance to cannabis by increasing sensitivity to THC by almost 30 percent. What does this mean? Depending on the time of month, the same dose of cannabis can make you feel really different. This monthly cycle chart shows that women begin to be more sensitive to THC when ovulating and before getting your period.
3. PACE YOURSELF. Many new cannabis consumers expect a huge revelation when they first consume weed, but often cannabis can have really subtle effects. While waiting for the big event, sometimes you can miss the subtleties. We recommend considering the timing for what you’re consuming. Smoking may have nearly instant effects, and the high can last for 1-3 hours. Edibles can take 1-2 hours to feel, and the effects can last between 4-8 hours after that. No matter how you consume cannabis, it’s important to wait before consuming more cannabis. Even though that gummy looks small, some of them pack a big punch.
4. MICRODOSING. Microdosing is taking small amounts of cannabis over a longer period of time, and it’s a low risk way to experiment with weed. If you’re feeling paranoid about potentially experiencing paranoia, a microdose is a great way to try a new strain or new method of consuming cannabis. With edibles, I suggest trying cannabis with THC in the range of 1-2mg. For me a perfect microdose is 2mg of THC, and I prefer all my edibles with CBD. Check out our episode about the benefits of microdosing to learn more.
5. Oh no, you feel PARANOID! You’ve consumed some cannabis, and it’s not going well. A simple way to get “less high” is to take CBD in an oil tincture form. You can buy CBD tinctures from a licensed dispensary, or CBD derived from the hemp plant can be purchased online. Some of our favorite tinctures are from East Fork Cultivars, Juna and Care by Design. Put the oil under your tongue for 30-60 seconds. You’ll feel less high and more like yourself in about fifteen minutes.
