6 types of weed tolerance breaks besides cold turkey

September 20, 2022

6 types of weed tolerance breaks besides cold turkey

let’s be real Quitting cannabis use completely and abruptly is harder than many people are willing to admit. And while people t-break for many reasons, we’ve found that the main reasons are:

1) You bought too much weed and went broke

2) they want to take a break for mental or physical reasons or

3) They feel like they aren’t getting that high anymore and want to reset.

Whatever your reason for taking a T-Break, you can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that cold turkey is far from your only option when thinking about blowing off the gas.

The basics of a tolerance break

T-breaks, also known as “tolerance breaks,” are short periods of time without cannabis (or any other substance). The point of a cannabis tolerance break is to allow your body to recalibrate its endocannabinoid system (ECS) and help restore the desired effects of your high.

There are three basic factors to consider when taking a tolerance break:

type of consumption – The way you enjoy your weed
dosage – The amount and variety of cannabinoids you ingest each time you enjoy it
frequency of use – How often you consume weed in a day, week or month

When you go cold turkey, you are effectively adjusting your consumption method, dosage, and frequency all at once. But even adjusting just one of these factors can have a significant impact on your experience.

By adjusting these levers on your T-Break, you can still reshape your tolerance without giving up cannabis completely.

Types of Tolerance Breaks

Here are six different ways you can redesign your weed tolerance breaks:

1. The daily fast

If you’re a heavy, frequent cannabis user who smokes multiple times a day, only enjoying weed at night is one of the easiest ways to induce a sustained break in tolerance.

Think of this as a daily fast of waiting for work or big tasks to be completed. Here you primarily adjust the frequency of use and ultimately reward yourself every day.

This is also a great option when using cannabis as a sleep aid. You can still cut back, but you don’t have to sacrifice your sleep routine.

How does cannabis affect sleep and dreams?

2. Low dose life

There are two variations of what we like to call low-dose living.

The first way is much more about awareness and reducing the amount of cannabis you consume each time. Instead of packing on full bong bowls, just take a pinch or use a one-hitter and allow yourself to become more aware of how you’re feeling. You’ll be surprised how little cannabis you need for optimal mood.

Your other option is to lower the THC concentration of the products you consume. There is a significant amount of high THC bud out there, ranging between 18% and 33% THC. Opting for low-THC edibles or strains with less THC can make a world of difference in regulating your tolerance.

3. CBD only + minor cannabinoid tinctures

For those determined to give THC a complete break but still want to benefit from the medicinal properties of cannabis, focusing on non-intoxicating cannabinoids via routes like tinctures is a solid strategy.

For this option, you’ll be using CBD, THC’s best-known brother, and maybe even some other smaller cannabinoid cousins like CBG and CBN.

The truth is that stopping your THC use can lead to general irritability or other symptoms that mess up your day. CBD and the rest of the entourage effect aisle can help make that THC-free time a lot easier.

If you need help finding a reliable source, we recommend starting with Xula or Polite.

4. Oral Reward & Meditation

Old habits are hard to break, so it should come as no surprise that part of the fascinating process of smoking weed is the meditative breathing we do. Taking deep breaths in and out is a big part of the smoking ritual and can be the main cause of you ingesting way too much THC.

Weed rituals: a cross-cultural connection to calm

A helpful hack is to find a vape that mimics this aspect of your routine. You can opt for a CBD pen like the ZONE CBD vape pen offered by TONIC, or even go for aromatherapy vapes like those by MONQ.

CBD hemp flowers are an underrated alternative for those who still want to feel the pull of a bud on fire. This way you can still participate in the peaceful act of smoking and achieve your THC tolerance break.

5. Tobacco Free: No backwoods, blunts or front

Blunt lovers sometimes need to think about taking a tolerance break from using their beloved tobacco-based blunt wraps like backwoods, cigarillos, and fronto leaves. Removing the leaves is also a great way to focus on smoking something cleaner or less loud.

The experience of smoking tobacco with cannabis is undeniably unique and preferred by many, but your lungs will surely thank you if you abstain from tobacco, even for a period of time.

Beyond the bluntness: 8 BIPOC-owned accessory brands to shake up your sesh

6. Smoke-free: Topical and edible products only

Changing the way you consume from smoking to topical and edibles can help you manage your tolerance while also battling body aches and giving your lungs a break.

For regular smokers, deciding to go the no-burn route is a great way to show your lungs some love. By fighting your pain with topicals and eating edibles, you can still get some TLC while quitting smoking altogether.

Finding the joy of a tolerance break

The biggest and most difficult part of breaking a tolerance is committing to a pattern and sticking to it.

Ultimately, you don’t have to be so rigid that you can’t adjust your tolerance break over time. But once you find a routine that works, stick to it and see if it helps you have more control over your cannabis use.

Remember, having a cannabis tolerance can actually be a good thing. Being able to take medication and still function at a high level is crucial for many people who use cannabis as medicine.

As a cannabis user, the main goal should always be to keep track of your use and find the regime that works best for you.

Nadir Pearson

Nadir is a dynamic East Coast cannabis leader and entrepreneur. He is the founder of SMART (Student Marijuana Alliance for Research & Transparency), a national cannabis college organization and co-founder of Hybrid Co. Nadir also serves as project lead for Cannaclusive.

Check out Nadir Pearson’s articles

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