Let's talk! Cannabis Around the Holidaze/New Year with Friends + Family.

Whether this is the first time you've ever talked about it at the family dinner table, or it's your first time consuming cannabis with a loved one..we got you covered.

There's always that one comment about how red your eyes are, or how your jacket smells a little funky...

We’re used to brushing it off, rolling our eyes, or laughing awkwardly. This can be uncomfortable all around for a stoner! However, it’s important as to be prepared for these potential conversations as the country continues to push legal cannabis efforts forth.  

We'll help you get the convo started this New Year, so everyone in the family can get on the same page, and perhaps, start a cannabis journey of their own.  

cannabis conversation starters

“Have you ever consumed cannabis? What was it like?”  

“Would you ever partake again?”  

“Do you want to know why and when I consume? I’d love to share!”  

Perhaps you brought a joint or vape cartridge to the family event.  An easy way to share the experience of cannabis is through inhalation. This is of the most convenient ways to measure the amount of cannabis you are consuming.
If someone seems interested in cannabis, ask them if they want to take a stroll with you around the block. No pressure to consume. They could just walk with you while you experience and express the effects.  

Inhaling cannabis is commonly recommended for a beginner. But why? Bioavailability.
 

Smoking Cannabis + Eating Cannabis

When you inhale THC, it becomes available for the body to interact with at a much faster pace than eating edibles, for example. Flower passes through your system fast. One small puff could potentially have you high for 15 minutes, whereas edibles can linger 3 – 4 hours.   

Edibles are not as bioavailable as flower because of the consumption method. Edibles need time to pass through your body's digestive track before they can provide any effects, and those effects can vary as much as 500% depending on factors unique to individual diet and digestive traits.  

Edibles are still and will always be perfectly safe, but you'll have to gauge a dosage that works with your body to enjoy a consistent high. This will take time and patience.  

remember: pace out edibles

It’s a common tactic for new cannabis consumers to start with an edible over flower. Whether it’s a gummy, cookie, or a piece of candy – it can’t be THAT intense, right?  Not so much.  
If you don’t know your edible dosage, we don’t recommend going full speed ahead. Pace it out. Even if you’re “not feeling it”, it’s important to remember this is a journey. It might take a couple experiences to really figure it out. There should be no pressure to be an expert, as we all have our time and place with cannabis. 

Start small. We recommend starting with 2.5mg THC. This small dose may not even fully affect some but is a much safer starting point than popping 50mg THC because you “didn’t feel it”.  

edible dose recommendation

If 2.5mg THC didn’t feel like it did the trick, wait for the next time you want to get high, and take 5mg THC, or 10mg THC. Continue this process, slowly building up that milligram amount until you find your personal, comfortable, cannabis dosage.  

If you find yourself at a loss or need a little assistance having cannabis conversations with your family or loved ones, this could be a place to start.  

what are you looking for?

People use cannabis for a variety of reasons. Knowing the why is very important and personal.

It's important to recognize that folks are using cannabis to ease varieties of pain - while others are utilizing the euphoric effects of cannabis to elevate experiences, like concerts, and events.

Being intentional and knowing what you're looking for can be very helpful when first experimenting or jumping back into cannabis. 

On that note, start by reflecting on your personal experience(s) with cannabis. This can start the conversation. The keyword here is "personal". 
We encourage all cannabis users to jot down their cannabis experiences in a journal throughout any time in their journey.

cannabis is a journey

If you’d like, leave the heavy lifting to your local budtenders – who have been trained to explain the benefits of different cannabinoids (and other big words) for those specific issues like pain-relief or sleep-aid.  

Budtenders are here to de-stigmatize cannabis myths and tall tales. We regularly share our beliefs toward cannabis and give a fully educated perspective on cannabis topics.  
No need to feel pressured to know every technical term about cannabis – all you need to know is if it feels right for you.  

If someone you know is interested in cannabis, send them over to our dispensary. Our team of budtenders are ready to talk about it and educate. 

Thanks for reading. We’ll be back with more cannabis content soon.  

Signing off,  

Spark’d