It’s That Time of Year!
Halloween is right around the corner, sort of unofficially kicking off the holiday season. That usually means lots of family and friend events and get-togethers…and lots of FOOD. For those of us who medicate with cannabis, it also brings opportunities to expand our cannabis palate by adding cannabutters and oils to our recipes….and to medicate discreetly, if necessary. After all, not all holiday gatherings – even Halloween – are conducive to lighting one up! And with advances in the cannabis industry, many products on the market are as good as, if not better, than the original.
Not everyone prefers to get high off their edibles. Some prefer just a slight lift; others, none altogether. Fortunately, the cannabis marketplace has a cornucopia of options for the discerning cannabis consumer to microdose via their edibles. And Rule #1 – In any kind of group setting or holiday party, ALWAYS let fellow party-goers know what foods are infused/medicated and how many milligrams are in each serving. Everyone deserves to know what they are ingesting and to make an educated choice about it. That way, everyone can relax and enjoy in their comfort zone!
What’s This Microdosing Thing All About?
The term “microdosing” seems to come up in more and more conversation and media these days. So what’s it all about? There are no hard lines around the subject. More like shades of grey. Leafly.com defines cannabis microdosing as “taking small amounts of cannabis in order to reap the medical benefits of THC while avoiding its psychoactive effects that can interfere with the demands of daily life.” In other words, finding that delicate balance that allows us to reap the benefits of cannabis without the high knocking us on our butts.
Because of a lack of research, there is no “recommended dosage” on any medical cannabis products. Finding the right dosage or THC:CBD ratio involves an extensive trial-and-error process, starting with as low a dose as possible (2mg) and gradually raising the dosage until you find the one that’s right for you. It can take a lot of time and effort to find just the right balance that alleviates symptoms but still allows you to function in public, and when you do, you don’t want to lose it.
Taking Charge of Your Consumption
One of the most popular ways to add some cannabis to your recipe is by using cannabis-infused oils. Brands such as Vireo offer cannabis-infused extra-virgin olive oils for cooking and baking. If you’re more of a sweet tooth, Heavenly Sweet has a 1,000mg or 2,000mg unit of cannabutter for those infused brownies everyone loves.
For those of you who may be a bit more adventurous in the kitchen, our own Jeff the 420 Chef has some great recipes to make your own canna-oils and cannabutters. He even offers some great tips on how to cook with cannabis in your recipe cards (people still use those, right?).
Either way, you’re going to have to do a little math to make sure you’re medicating with the right dosage. For example, when I was baking brownies using a 660mg jar of cannabutter, I would use half the jar (330mg) for each batch. Each batch made 12 brownies. Thus: 330 ÷ 12 = 27.5mg in each brownie. In other words, those were some pretty strong brownies.
When microdosing, you need to start low and work your way up. If a recipe calls for four tablespoons of infused product, start with one tablespoon and make up the remaining three with the non-infused equivalent. Vireo’s EVOO contains 6mg of THC per tablespoon, so you might even want to cut that in half to start. Remember: Low and slow is the microdosing tempo.
Get a Little Help in the Kitchen
If you want to take out all the math, or you just don’t cook or bake, you can always have your infused meal made for you. There are some chefs offer amazing options out there! Just do an Internet search for “cannabis chefs near me”. Trust me, infused meal options and catering are the next wave of foodie enthusiasms.
Here in So Cal, the duo at Mangia Ghanja offer a wide variety of recipes microdose-infused with either THC or CBD. They’ll prepare a custom menu for you and add however much, or little, CBD or THC as you desire. Whether you’d like some infused hors-d’oeuvres, elevated desserts, or an uplifting main course, they’ll do all the heavy lifting to make sure you have a very happy holiday.
Now, take a deep breath and look forward to taking your holidays to a whole new level. You can enjoy delicious holiday meals while battling some of that leftover holiday stress. Wait, did somebody say leftovers? That’s my favorite part of the holidays, especially when they’re infused.
Cheers!