Higher THC levels don’t mean you’ll get “stronger,” according to a new study

If you’ve spent a lot of money buying weed with higher THC levels with the intention of getting high, then you might be shocked by the news.

New research from the University of Colorado Boulder has shown that smoking high potency cannabis does not mean getting stoned. However, it does mean that it increases the THC concentration in the blood. It is the first study of its kind to measure how cannabis affects actual cannabis users using legal products available on the market.

For the study, they analyzed 121 consumers of cannabis flowers and concentrates. The samples were legally obtained from the state. The concentrates used varied between 70 and 90% THC and the bud strengths varied between 16 and 24% THC. They found that the participants who consumed concentrates reflected higher levels of THC in their blood before, immediately after, and one hour after consumption. They had about 1,016 micrograms per milliliter of blood. Meanwhile, those who consumed flowers had about 455 micrograms per milliliter.

What surprised them was that consumers’ self-reports of intoxication, cognitive impairment, and balance were “remarkably similar.”

According to Cinnamon Bidwell, the study’s lead author and an assistant professor at the Institute of Cognitive Science, they found that “potency was not consistent with intoxication levels,” although they “saw striking differences in blood levels between the two groups, they were similarly affected.” “

“It raises many questions about how quickly the body builds a tolerance to cannabis and whether people might be able to get the desired results at lower doses,” she said in a statement.

Kent Hutchinson, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at the University of Colorado Boulder, explained that if they looked at alcohol and elevated blood alcohol levels, “it would have been a different story.”

“People in the high concentration group were much less at risk than we thought,” he said.

They also found that participants’ balance decreased by about 11% after getting stoned. It also affected her memory, but those effects wore off in about an hour.

The results show that people who regularly use cannabis concentrates will eventually develop a tolerance. Biological and genetic factors could also play a role in causing some people to metabolize THC faster than others. If cannabinoids are reacting to receptors in the brain, causing intoxication, adding more cannabinoids will not have a greater effect.

This news might come as a surprise when you think about how much money you’ve spent on potent or high-THC cannabis, especially if you’re a regular user.

Managing Your THC Tolerance

With these insights, you now know, unless you’ve already discovered it yourself, if you’re an experienced cannabis user, that just because a dispensary charges more for higher THC strains or concentrates doesn’t mean you’re going to be charging higher.

You can probably remember when you first started smoking weed it only took a hit or three to get really stoned. Fast forward a few years and now you have to smoke a whole joint to feel the same way. These rules also apply to other methods of cannabis consumption, including edibles and concentrates.

It is inevitable that anyone who uses cannabis on a regular basis will develop a tolerance for it. The same goes for alcohol and almost every other drug in the world. This is how our bodies are wired. The human body is naturally self-regulating, which means it will automatically set limits on the THC you can absorb if you smoke it frequently or for long periods of time. Eventually, the brain desensitizes the CB1 receptors that THC binds to, studies show. This makes the experience less intense because you have developed a tolerance.

You might be surprised at how the body builds a tolerance to THC and how flexible the body is. Because of this, concentrate users will usually say that after a while, smoking cannabis flower just doesn’t do them any good. In the meantime, if you’re a cannabis flower consumer, it might take a while for you to build up that tolerance.

Understanding your own body’s tolerance and limitations is the best way to determine how much weed you need to get just the right amount stoned. Listening to your body could be the key to actually saving some money and always being sure of how much you need to feel the hit you want. There’s no reason you should spend so much money on high-THC products when you don’t need them.

There are reasons cannabis users occasionally take tolerance breaks to reset them. Sometimes all you need is a night’s sleep, but if you’re a regular and frequent user it can take up to 4 weeks to fully revert to your baseline sensitivity.

After a tolerance break, whether you do it for one night, 48 hours, or 21 days, it’s always wise to be cautious about how much you smoke when you start using again. Keep in mind that each reset lowers your tolerance, so you can get pretty high with a smaller amount of THC if you jump right back in. You may want to slowly and gradually start with a lower THC amount than you are used to until you find the perfect balance.

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