I’ve spoken to many women who are reluctant to use cannabis, and the reason why is because they’ve used it before and don’t like the way it makes them feel. I hear it all the time and not just from women, men also who’ve had a bad experience and are now reluctant to ever try it again.
However there’s usually a simple reason why it didn’t feel good, it mostly comes down to not using cannabis properly. It’s not your fault, cannabis has been demonized for so long that it was difficult to find good information about how to take cannabis.
It doesn’t help that the Canadian government limits what cannabis stores and producers can say about cannabis and one of those things is dose.
This is why I created Weed Mama, to make that information easy to understand and accessible for all, so you can enjoy the wonderful, healing properties of this natural botanical.
Here are the 3 reasons why you tried cannabis and didn’t like the way it made you feel.
Reason one: Maybe cannabis just isn’t right for you
Cannabis is a plant, some of you will be allergic to it, or your brain simply can’t handle any THC. There’s some people who can take a massive doses of THC and barely feel it, other people can’t handle even a small amount, that might be you.
How to find out if you can’t use cannabis
First of all, you need to try several different products at different doses. Also, keep track of your use with a cannabis journal, this will enable you to see patterns that may help you determine when is a good time to use cannabis, and when you need to avoid it.
Maybe it’s certain strains or certain types of products that bother you. Maybe certain times of the month you’re more sensitive to the effects of THC. Maybe when you’re very tired or too anxious it’s not good for you. The only way to tell is to keep track.
If you do all of that and you still have a bad reaction, it’s unfortunate but it’s likely cannabis simply isn’t for you.
Cannabis may trigger certain health conditions
While it may help some people with their health issues, it might aggravate yours. This is especially true if you suffer from serious mental health issues that cause paranoia (like panic disorder) or cause psychosis, like schizophrenia.
Some people may find relief from the plant with these types of mental health issues, however it’s more likely to aggravate it. If that’s you, I recommend working with a doctor or a medical cannabis consultant who understand your disorder and how to use cannabis.
I have panic disorder and I have to be very careful using cannabis. I’ve triggered panic attacks a few times from being careless and not being mindful with the plant. Everyone is different, what works for some won’t work for others, so use caution when using cannabis if you have a serious mental health disorder.
Related articles:
Cannabis isn’t safe for everyone, what you need to know about the potential risks
FAQ will cannabis make my anxiety worse?
Reason 2: You took too much, or used the wrong type of cannabis product
This is hands down the number one reason why most people had a bad experience to cannabis. I’ve had people tell me how it makes their thoughts jumbled and they feel jittery and some have said they felt like they were going insane. When I asked them how much they took, they can’t tell me, they don’t know.
If I told you I drank alcohol and I was vomiting, unable to walk, not aware of my own actions and had bruises all over my body. Then went on to say that alcohol is bad for people because it makes them sloppy, stupid and can lead to lack of consciousness, you would say the reason why is because I drank too much.
This is the same problem with cannabis, doing too much can be a frightening experience for some people. Never, ever take cannabis unless you know how much you’re taking. Don’t just eat a pot brownie because your stoner friend made some and weed is weed, right? No, it isn’t.
Dose is everything
This is why this site is dedicated to teaching people how to use cannabis correctly, with as much detail as I can provide because you’re not going to find this information very easily, and it’s crucial to know how much to take and how it works.
Edibles
Most people use edibles as an entry point to cannabis. Edibles can be very potent and it’s important to know how much to take and how long they last.
If you’re new to cannabis, or you haven’t used cannabis in a very long time, your starter dose for edibles is 2.5 to 5mg. Then go up from there, but how you go up is equally important. Don’t jump up in dose drastically; go up another 2.5 or 5mg at a time. Trust me 2.5mg can make a huge difference in how it feels.
Edibles can take up to 2 hours to kick in so don’t take more thinking it wasn’t enough. I recommend you don’t take more until the next day, let that dose work out of your system before trying again.
Fast-acting edibles may be a better choice, especially for those of you new to cannabis. They work similarly to smoking cannabis with the onset around 15min and duration around an hour or so. This makes it less of a commitment and fast-acting edibles aren’t as strong as regular edibles as they bypass the liver, going straight to the bloodstream.
Related article: Fast-acting edibles reinvents your cannabis experience
Inhalation
Avoid concentrates and smoking cannabis. This is where many people make a mistake with cannabis, using a method that’s too potent and they end up having a bad reaction.
I had to quit smoking cannabis back in 2008 because it was giving me bad panic attacks. Smoking cannabis makes it stronger, it’s better to put the ground up herb into a dry herb vaporizer and set it to a low temperature, rather than lighting on fire. This is the method I use and it’s the best way to enjoy cannabis with mild effects.
Dabbing, vape pens and concentrates
Dabbing is very popular with young people and it’s the worst way to try cannabis. It’s a form of vaporizing using a high temperature and a concentrate that can be almost 99% pure THC. This is going to have too much of a psychoactive effect for most people. If there’s one thing I can tell the developing brains in this world (those of you under the age of 25) it’s to stay away from dabbing.
Vape pens are another form of vaporizing that uses a concentrate. There’s some vape pens that are formulated with high CBD and low THC, such as the Dosist pens, those pens are mild and fine for beginners. However vape pens can also be high in THC and very strong, so don’t buy one without talking to the budtender first, so they can recommend one that’s lower in THC.
I read an article awhile back about a woman who tried one hit off of a vape pen -one her husband bought from a cannabis store without really knowing what he was buying- and they ended up calling an ambulance because she was unfamiliar with the side effects of too much cannabis.
Vape pens can be too strong, I know, I’ve had one hit off of one -me someone who uses cannabis regularly- and not only did I get too high, I was hanging around the toilet feeling like I was about to vomit.
Side effects of too much cannabis are:
- Shaking and trembling
- Dizziness
- Fast heart rate
- Anxious and paranoid thoughts
- Nausea and vomiting
Keep in mind that cannabis doesn’t have a lethal dose, it can feel scary when you take too much but that will pass and you’ll feel normal again once it wears off. For edibles that can take 8 hours or more in high doses and for inhalation it can take an hour to several hours if you took way too much.
Concentrates are strong, too strong for most people who haven’t built up a tolerance to cannabis. If you take cannabis regularly, you build up a tolerance so you can use higher doses. I sometimes use concentrates like hash, mixed in with my dry herb but I only do that rarely.
Reason number 3 – You mixed cannabis with another substance like alcohol
I’ve lost count of the number of people who’ve told me that cannabis made them sick, only to tell me that they had been drinking before they used cannabis.
Just because you can drink anyone under the table, doesn’t mean you can mix it with cannabis. Cannabis is a completely different substance and mixed with alcohol, it can mess you up.
“weed before wine and you’ll be just fine…
wine before weed and you’ll be sorry indeed”
Always use cannabis first if you plan to have alcohol. A nice glass of wine or beer is fine after you use cannabis, then you can control how you feel, if you start to feel uncomfortable, stop.
Cannabis and alcohol don’t mix well. They can, if you’re used to using both but even still, you have to be careful. It’s better that you don’t drink alcohol and instead drink a CBD seltzer instead.
Related article: Can you mix wine and weed?
Bonus tip: Always take CBD with THC
CBD is scientifically proven to reduce the side effects of THC. I noticed this myself when I would combine a nice big dose of CBD with THC, that it felt cleaner, smoother and I didn’t get some of the side effects like feeling jittery.
If you don’t use cannabis that often, buying a CBD edible to take with your THC edible is something you can try. You can buy some edibles that have CBD in them however I recommend buying a bottle of CBD capsules or oil and taking about 20 to 50mg whenever you take THC.
Related articles: Why you should always take CBD with THC
Use cannabis with intention
Mindful use of the plant is how you’re going to get the best experience, where you can feel cannabis working for you rather than against you.
This means being aware of what type of cannabis your taking, how much and when. Again, keeping a cannabis journal is how you can keep track of what works and what doesn’t.
There’s also the saying of “get high on your own supply” don’t just take cannabis from someone to try, when you don’t know how much you’re taking. Don’t let anyone push you into taking it as well, you have the right to say no. What works for them might not work for you, find the products and dose that do work for you and stick to those.
For more information on how to use cannabis properly, check out the Learn section as it contains all you need to know to get started with cannabis.
Still unsure?
