So you’ve finished a huge feast but now all the foods you’ve eaten are fighting in your digestive system, making you feel like you may need to hang near a toilet for a few hours. We’ve all been there, especially for those of us who suffer from I.B.S (irritable bowel syndrome) and GERD. Horrible cramps, gas, belching and nausea all can be relieved with cannabis.
There’s evidence that cannabinoids (chemical compounds of cannabis) protect the digestive system by inhibiting gastric acid and inflammation. This is welcome news for people who have to rely on prescription drugs to manage the symptoms
What if you don’t want to get high
Great news, you don’t have to get high to experience the healing properties of this incredible plant. Thanks to legalized cannabis, we not only have a better understanding of the plant and its healing properties, we also have new methods of taking cannabis such as dry herb vaporizing and fast-acting edibles.
Dry herb vaporizing and vape pens
Vaporizers work by heating the cannabis below the point of combustion, creating a vapor that you inhale, similar to smoking but much more controlled and safer for the lungs. Lowering the temperature of the dry herb vaporizer or using a low dose vape pen, enables you to get the wonderful properties of the plant without it effecting your cognitive functions too much. This is a highly effective way of reducing indigestion and stomach upset, it relaxes your stomach and reduces spasms.
As cannabis can have varying results in people, vaping is a safe way to try marijuana as the effects don’t last nearly as long as other methods, the effects of vaping starts to wear off after 20 minutes or so depending on various factors such as how you feel that day, your own tolerance level and how much you inhaled.
Personally I find higher temperatures work better for stomach issues. I recommend using a high CBD (5% and higher) and low THC (under 10%) cultivar to alleviate stomach discomfort and set the vaporizer to a temperature of 190c/375f or higher but only take one or two draws and wait 15 minutes to see how you feel, take more if needed.
Fast-acting edibles
New to the Canadian cannabis market are fast-acting edibles. Normally edibles go through your digestive system and are processed by the liver creating a more potent cannabinoid called 11-hydroxy THC. The effects of edibles can be strong and have an onset of 30 minutes to 2 hours and a duration of 4 to 8 hours. Fast-acting edibles bypass the liver and go straight to the blood stream, meaning the effects are similar to smoking or vaping cannabis. The onset of fast-acting edibles is 5 to 15 minutes and the duration is about an hour.
The other nice thing about fast-acting edibles is they feel lighter too. If you normally take 10mg of THC, the fast-acting edible will feel more like you took 5mg. So if you’re looking for relief of indigestion or other stomach issues but don’t want to get high, this method can help.
The downside however is you’re having to eat something when you’re probably not wanting to put anything else in your stomach. Look for a fast-acting edible like Ripple by TGod as it’s a powder that can be added to any food or drink, like gingerale and doesn’t have much flavour.
Welcome relief for your stomach ailments
Whether you have a serious issue such as Crohn’s disease or you simply ate too much food, cannabis can help alleviate pain, nausea and discomfort from stomach problems. The best thing to do when trying cannabis for the first time is to start low and go slow.