How to Get Rid of #Marijuana’s Negative Side Effects - by Emily Earlenbaugh, PhD ( @emilyearlenbaugh)

Marijuana can be a wonderful thing, whether you are a medical patient finding relief from pain, or a recreational user looking to relax on your off time. Still, for some, the negative side effects that can arise with cannabis use make it far less appealing. There are few things as frustrating as using something to relax or heal but finding yourself even more anxious, or more in pain after using it.

Anxiety, headache, paranoia, rapid heart beat, difficulty thinking, hallucinations, lack of motivation and even increased pain are all known side effects of THC but they don’t always occur, even for the same patient. When I first started using cannabis I found the situation to be very hard to predict. Some types of cannabis were incredible - giving me relief from my pain and anxiety which leaving me with a clear mind and tons of energy. Other times, I would try some and end up in even more pain, or find I had side effects that left me feeling too anxious, disoriented and tired to get anything done.

Eventually, I learned more about the different types of cannabis, and methods of using it, and found a regimen that worked well for me. Now I almost never get negative side effects and if I do - I know how to get rid of them right away!

If you have trouble with this too, here are a few tips to kick the side effects.

1) Lower your dose

This might seem obvious, but a lot of people don’t realize that cannabis can be even more effective in smaller doses. Research has shown that patients who get pain relief from cannabis can actually see their pain worsen if they take too much. So if you are having negative side effects, especially if you find the same strain gives you negative effects only some of the time, try lowering your dose. You may find yourself spending less money and getting more effective relief.

2) Pick your Strain Carefully

There is a lot of variety in the cannabis plant. One of the most important variables is the plant’s strain, or genetic lineage. There are thousands of different cannabis strains and each one has a different taste, smell, and set of effects. These different strains also have different chemical profiles, with unique blends of cannabinoids, terpenoids and flavonoids. Depending on the blend, you can get very different effects. It is important pay careful attention to what strains are working for you and which aren’t. I can only use about 10% of the strains I find in my area to manage my condition. The rest give me negative effects. So when I was getting started I spent a lot of time recording my positive and negative experiences, so I could hone in on the types that work for me. Now I know certain things about my preferences. I do well with strains that are high in THC, but also have specific terpenes like myrcene and beta-caryophyllene.

I know that I like strains that other people describe as sedative indicas (even though for me they feel more energizing than sedative) and that strains people describe as heady or cerebral usually give me negative effects. By paying careful attention to the strains and chemical profiles you try, you can start to notice what works for you and what doesn't. This can make all the difference.

For those unsure how to get started with this process, check out my course the Mindful Guide to Cannabis. I have each step clearly outlined and offer tracking tools to make it easy.

3) Experiment with Method

The way you use your cannabis can have a big effect on how it feels to you. When I was getting started, I tried almost everything in my search for the best method- smoking, vaping, dabbing edibles, topicals, teas… I found that certain methods gave me great relief (like smoking joints, and taking certain types of low dose edibles) but other methods gave me negative effects. If I vaporize, I get jittery and anxious with a headache. If I eat edibles at night, I sleep poorly. By noticing these variations, it is much easier to avoid the methods that gave me bad effects. If you’ve had a bad experience with one method, try some others. And remember to always start small with dosing and work your way up - new methods can sometimes be surprisingly more potent than what you’ve been used to.

4) CBD to the Rescue!

While THC, the most well-known and studied chemical in the cannabis plant, can contribute to many of these side effects, CBD (another one of its compounds) has been shown to reduce or eliminate THC’s negative effects. Many medical patients find a blend of CBD and THC is most effective because the synergistic blend between the two provides balanced symptom management, with a less overwhelming high.

If you are already in the midst of a bad cannabis experience, taking a few drops of a high CBD tincture and holding it under your tongue can help eliminate the negative side effects of the THC. I keep a bottle of this high CBD Moxie Meds Tincture with me in case. Then, if I ever feel negative side effects come on from, I take it and feel better within minutes.

With these handy tricks, I’ve gone from someone who got negative side effects the majority of the time, to someone who almost never gets them at all. Try them yourself and see if they help!

//How about you… I would love to learn about what negative effects you have encountered. Have you found ways to manage those effects? Comment below!

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🔥🔥🔥 Emily is a freelance @KushSmokers author and we hope everyone enjoys her Steem articles. She is new to the Steem community and was introduced to it through the #KushSmokers onboarding program, so please take a second, follow Emily, as she will be posting on her own account as well as under the @KushSmokers handle, alongside many other new high quality authors such as Emily in the near future!🔥🔥🔥

Read Her Introduction Post Here:
https://steemit.com/kushsmokers/@kushsmokers/welcome-our-first-freelance-kushsmokers-author-why-i-left-academia-to-teach-people-about-cannabis-by-emily-earlenbaugh-phd-my

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