Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Understanding Cannabis Tolerance Breaks

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

    HELP! Understanding Cannabis Tolerance Breaks

    For the first time in my long and passionate relationship with cannabis I'm considering the need for a "Tolerance Break!"

    As it turns out I have have more high potency cannabis (5 flavors & counting), in more forms (flower, hashish, tincture & edibles) and more spare time (retired) than ever before and every day seems to require a new "experiment" with the various consumption options in a quest for the tailored epicurean buzz.

    I credit this happy outcome to careful study of and adherence to the GWE Forum and tutorials!!! So, yay for that and no complaints but I still need to balance it with my need to function at a high level for at least part of every day and recently I've been wandering around in a happy fog despite unprecedented dosage levels from the available supplies.

    I've already cut back on my "experiments," so full function has been restored through moderation (before the Saintly Spouse even noticed!). Absolutely zero withdrawal effects, for the record. I am however very aware of a creeping increase in the amount that it takes for the same effect.

    As a result it's time for me to learn about cannabis tolerance breaks and I'd like to invite comments from GWE veterans about their experiences, the "break" schedules they find effective and any other info they think a Tolerance Break Novice should know.

    In the spirit of BU2B 's OG GROUP, I'd point out that if we pack this thread with useful information on Tolerance Breaks, it will remain as a helpful resource for future Forum users. So, pile on and share your story and knowledge!

    Paz y Amor,

    -Grouchy
    My goal is epicurean quality rather than high yield.
    I'm learning how to create cannabis tinctures and hashish and I almost always use a vaporizer to spare my aging lungs.
    Despite my avatar name I'm generally amenable and helpful. So, if there's a question I'm qualified to answer, hit me up!

    -Grouchy

    #2
    I can tell you as a 30+ year user almost daily I had to take a break for a month and a half. Before that I don't believe it took any more to get happy just didn't last as long. No withdrawal other than maybe 1 more beer after supper lol. Once I started back up I remember taking one toke and couldn't get off the couch for 2 hours. I was uncomfortably high. Took several months before I could do more than a tiny hit. This was 9 months ago and I'm still at one hit to get happy. Just my experience.
    keeping it green with the soil thing
    love me some frosty autos
    braap
    BRAAPZAI https://forum.growweedeasy.com/forum...162-braaap-zai
    Mephisto run. yeah i know spellcheck https://forum.growweedeasy.com/forum...-memphisto-run
    the fruit basket https://forum.growweedeasy.com/forum...et-auto-runrun
    blue strawberries in a four assed galaxy https://forum.growweedeasy.com/forum...r-assed-galaxy

    Comment


    • grouchyoldman
      grouchyoldman commented
      Editing a comment
      I can relate Going2fast! I had to resort to an extra glass of Zinfandel instead of the Vape for the last few daze! Great to have a "Fall Back" position...

      Any idea on why, after 30+ you suddenly needed a break?

    • alltatup
      alltatup commented
      Editing a comment
      Wow! Fascinating!

    #3
    You have more or less outlined my life right now. I too feel a need to walk things back a couple of steps. I experiment with strain mixes all the time. I think of it as a Red Blend wine, the whole is greater than the sum of it's parts. Too much time available and too much weed beckoning.
    Current Grow: 1 Purple Haze, 1 Bay Burger, 1 11 Roses Photoperiods
    5 gallon cloth pots
    30"x30"x60" tent
    Spider Farmer SE3000
    Coco Pearlite mix
    GH Trio, Silica, Cal-Mag

    Comment


      #4
      New employment
      keeping it green with the soil thing
      love me some frosty autos
      braap
      BRAAPZAI https://forum.growweedeasy.com/forum...162-braaap-zai
      Mephisto run. yeah i know spellcheck https://forum.growweedeasy.com/forum...-memphisto-run
      the fruit basket https://forum.growweedeasy.com/forum...et-auto-runrun
      blue strawberries in a four assed galaxy https://forum.growweedeasy.com/forum...r-assed-galaxy

      Comment


        #5
        Love the topic Grouchy! Beautiful pics as well btw👍🏻

        This is something the wife and I have discussed and experimented with on our own. For our own back room research I’ve basically lumped my strains into 3 categories….Anytime, Chill and Bedtime. Anytime is mostly Sativa or Sativa leaning hybrids, Chill is along the lines of GG or GSC and Bedtime is your heavy body strains like a Bubba or Purple Kush.

        I’ve been trying to grow 1-2 strains from each category my last few grows and we’ve been rotating what we consume weekly. As in one week I only smoke one daytime strain for the entire week (W doesn’t like this category) and the same for the Chill and Bedtime strains. We started off bi-weekly but that was too long to smoke one strain tolerance wise for us.

        What we’ve found is that by going 2-3wks without smoking or consuming a certain strain it does help with the effects both immediately and for duration. Tbh it would probly be better to rotate every 3-4 days instead of 7 but I don’t want that many strains in rotation.

        Like I said this is our own backwoods experiment so I’m interested to see what everyone else has to say on the subject.


        Now funny story for my own personal experience with taking a long term break…..I’m naturally wound tight, super hyper but I don’t do meds or any of that made in a lab shit so I’ve been smoking weed since I was a teen to keep me focused and calm(er) 😂. After college I had a job that required lots of windshield time in a company vehicle which came with random drug test. So needless to say I didn’t consume anything for 3yrs (zero withdrawals stopping) Once I eventually landed a permanent desk job holding this beautiful chair down all day I had to do something because I couldn’t workout enough to get rid of all the energy plus I was driving the wife crazy. Anyways we’re going hunting one morning so I took a few hits off a bowl my buddy had before we head out to our stands. It was still dark and I hadn’t been in this stand since I hung it before season opened. I knew it was kinda high but it put me above the eyeballs coming down the mountain behind me. So I get settled in, chilled, feeling good, watching the woods come alive and everything waking up…great morning!!! Once it was daylight I stood up to start ranging everything around me (archery hunting) and it looked like i was 100ft off the f’ng ground😱😱😱 I had never felt a fear of height in my life until then and let me tell ya; being 32ft high in a tree standing on a little 18”x24” platform while higher than a f’ng astronaut isn’t the time you want to have this experience!!! I was f’ng shaking like a leaf for 30min even after I was able to let go of the tree, turn around and sit back down. Needless to say, I haven’t taken a break since. I may slow down but no complete breaks 😂

        Have a great weekend GWE’ers and keep getting lit

        Comment


        • bboyfromwayback
          bboyfromwayback commented
          Editing a comment
          There’s a lot of bear in my area so it could’ve happened 😂

        • Gingerbeard
          Gingerbeard commented
          Editing a comment
          Football bat is still the funniest thing I've heard all day. I'm watching Peaky Blinders this evening so no chance I'll hear anything funny before I go to bed.

        • bboyfromwayback
          bboyfromwayback commented
          Editing a comment
          I don’t know man, sometimes Arthur will say some funny shit if you can understand him 😂

        #6
        In my experience with recovery, the most honest opinion I ever heard a professional say is, 'Some people just need to get high.' I'm probably one of those. Week keeps me away from other non-prescribed drugs and vodka, and has dwindled my prescribed.
        My doctor knows I use and is okay with it. My health is fine. I don't spend more than I have and don't shirk responsibilities. I am more able to be around people. In my recent and ongoing fluff with the owner of my apartments, without a couple dabs before dealing with her, I would put my nuclear anger against her bullying. Otherwise, I just let her do her thing.
        Weed helps me eat, helps with pain, nausea, sleep, and helps relaxation. I don't like who I am when I'm not high.
        Now, everything I said is considered an addict's justification. I'm okay with that. Weed is who I am.
        All my personal willpower to you, grouchyoldman . If you think you need a break, you probably do. I'm in SoWeCal. If you're a Cape Cod surfer, get out your skeg and your head in a barrel. Maybe get killed a few times. It's a different high, but a real good one.
        More elephant!

        Coco/perlite
        3x3x6
        Nutes
        CalMag

        Comment


        • grouchyoldman
          grouchyoldman commented
          Editing a comment
          Time stands still when you're in the tube Brother!

          PS, Born n Raised in SD. Did the TJ Slough ear-ache ever bite you?

        #7
        I'm a sponger but we can talk the same language grouchyoldman . Tried a longboard for a bit but never got into it. I like being close to the water. South Mission, mainly. Del Mar. La Jolla. Took a trip to do all the Surfin' Safari spots up to Santa Barbara.
        My handful of tube experiences were of complete silence. Utter audio vacuums. I've been in IB for 8 1/2 years and have been to the beach exactly once before finding out about the TJ river. My sponging days are over and when I found out about the endemic Tijuana sea turdle, I gave up the beach.
        Yeah, bro'. A dolphin pod swimming under the board and a silhouetted dolphin in a sunset wave. I'm getting nostalgic.
        Born here. Been for the last 26 years. Grew up elsewhere.
        More elephant!

        Coco/perlite
        3x3x6
        Nutes
        CalMag

        Comment


        • Gingerbeard
          Gingerbeard commented
          Editing a comment
          Love the glider port. Love to stay on the glider port. You and your large testicles can hang all you want.
          I can see much of the SEAL training base from my house as it is only about two miles away, and I'm on a third floor. When they get to their parachuting fun I can see their stacks several times a day. I'll jump and I'll repel. Hang gliding is a whole other thing.

        • grouchyoldman
          grouchyoldman commented
          Editing a comment
          OMG quirk I flew Torrey Pines w/Bob Wills & the Top Gun kite guys... no need to answer, but I bet I know you!
          Last edited by grouchyoldman; 09-19-2021, 01:28 PM.

        • Gingerbeard
          Gingerbeard commented
          Editing a comment
          There is an article in this or last weeks Reader magazine. It was a picture of a family at the beach by the IB pier. The caption said something along the lines of the locals know, and we don't tell the tourists.

        #8
        I get the breaks, been a twenty year toker on and off, and need a break every once in a while, in fact I am on one right now, it is worth it, almost as good as getting stoned in the cold and then going inside to warm up and you are couch locked.

        Comment


        • grouchyoldman
          grouchyoldman commented
          Editing a comment
          That makes perfect sense Ace1973, Saintly Spouse and I went on an extended RV journey and I went dry on canna for a few months voluntarily. When we hit Colorado I stopped at a "Legal" dispensary for the first time and smiled like a madman with my first legal purchase! The first toke of that wild 25% fire weed was revelatory to say the least.

          Proposal: taking a little time off pays big benefits in future appreciation. I think that is generally true. Agreed?

        • Ace1973
          Ace1973 commented
          Editing a comment
          grouchyoldman , I do agree and sounds like you have already experienced it to some degree.

        • bboyfromwayback
          bboyfromwayback commented
          Editing a comment
          Grow up you two. That kinda stone is for the young bucks!!!

          I completely agree with you both, only I don’t like getting that f’d up anymore 😂😂😂

        #9
        My hope is to pack up this thread with enough info to be useful to anyone considering a Tolerance Break. Here's some interesting info I stumbled onto in researching the subject. The InterWeb of course offers a lengthy menu of T-Break websites but most can be divided into three classes: Medical advice, Stoner Bro-science, and touchy-feely support guides. They all have a role I suppose and below you'll find a sample of each.

        First, some specific suggestions for managing a cannabis Tolerance Break from the article BU2B suggested.
        With a nod to NaturalHealthservices.ca for their fact-based approach to the subject.



        1. Microdose

        Microdosing, or consuming a minimal amount of cannabis on a regular basis, is a popular method of use for medical purposes. In this way, you can get the benefits of THC without developing a tolerance to its effects. By microdosing, you can be medicated all day without overwhelming your CB1 receptors with larger doses.

        2. Switch to CBD-rich strains

        Both psychoactive THC and non-impairing CBD engage the endocannabinoid system. However, these two compounds work in fundamentally different ways. We know that CBD works on many receptors, and not just on our CB receptors. For this reason, it is much harder to become tolerant to the effects of CBD. Opting for a high-CBD strain may be helpful to those looking to decrease their tolerance to THC, but who still require the relaxation and pain relief cannabis offers.

        3. Mix things up

        Rotate strains or try using new consumption methods such as vaporizing, oils, or making edibles. Change up your routine. For example, skipping consumption in the morning may encourage the onset of stronger effects during evening use.

        4. Try a fast partial resensitization

        Used to drop the amount of cannabis needed to achieve desired medical effects, this method only requires a few days’ break. Use no cannabis at all for two full days. On the third day, take one puff and then wait for five minutes. If you feel any effect of the cannabis at all, put down your cannabis and do not use anymore that day. If you don’t, however, feel anything in the five minutes of after first puff, then take one more puff and wait another five minutes. Continue this process until even the smallest effect is felt.

        Once you hit that point, stop for the day. Continue this process of one puff, waiting, and ceasing as soon as you feel any effect, for the next three days. On the fourth day, resume your regular use and timing. You should find that your body requires much less, even up to only one-half, of the cannabis that you previously needed to achieve the same medical effects.

        5. Do a complete tolerance break.

        This method has a double effect of both increasing the amount of added receptors and restoring your baseline receptors to normal function. It requires stopping all cannabis use for at least two days and up to four weeks. CB1 downregulation begins to reverse surprisingly rapidly upon termination or decrease of cannabis use. Studies show that tolerance can start to change within two days of abstaining from using cannabis.

        Enjoy your tolerance break by staying active as much as possible, and make sure to hydrate often. Engaging in rewarding physical activities will help make resetting your endocannabinoid system more effective. Eating well and focusing on proper nutrition will also give more positive results. Try going for a run, cooking a healthy meal, or taking on a hobby that will offer some positive reward or self-satisfaction.

        Cannabis has an interesting and noble effect — it provides comfort, care, and treatment for genuine needs, at the level the user needs. As such, many see it as a spiritual plant and have great respect for its varied effects and how it communicates within our bodies to help bring things back to balance. Take this time to focus on the benefits of cannabis and make an effort to be mindful and thankful for what this plant has to offer.

        Keep in mind that a tolerance break means your dosage will change when you start your treatment again. When re-starting your medical cannabis, start with a lower dose than you were using previously. Keep doses low until you get an idea of how it will affect you with your new lower levels of tolerance.

        ===============

        Next up, guidelines for the length of a Complete Tolerance Break needed based on your current daily usage. I wonder if anyone who has tolerance break experience would agree with these? I am also impressed with their top end daily dosages. Five grams of 20% herb delivers about 1000 milligrams of THC! That would leave me staring at the ceiling and babbling weakly. *Sheesh*

        Our in-depth and easy-to-follow grow guides will help you grow a successful crop and avoid common mistakes that many cannabis growers make. Check out some of


        Perfect Length of a Cannabis Tolerance Break
        4.1 to 5+ grams 16 weeks
        2.1 to 4 grams 12 weeks
        1.1 to 2 grams 8 weeks
        0.6 to 1.0 grams 4 weeks
        0.4 to 0.5 grams 3 weeks
        0.2 to 0.3 grams 2 weeks
        0 to 0.1 grams No T-break needed
        [Proper cannabis tolerance break (T-Break) required in response to the use of daily average cannabis dosage before the break, based on the observations of experienced stoners' anecdotes.]

        =======================
        Finally, I found a more psychological/spiritual step-by-step guide to a complete T-Break that focusses on the emotional difficulties of following through on a complete break through careful planning and emotional support.

        https://www.uvm.edu/sites/default/fi..._-_Booklet.pdf by Tom Fontana

        "I created this guide because people would tell me that when they set out to take a T-Break, they only lasted a few days. Sometimes they felt ashamed because it was harder than they thought. There is no need to feel bad…
        This guide has daily practices. Each week has a different theme:
        • Week 1 - physical
        • Week 2 - emotional
        • Week 3 - spiritual / existential

        It may be useful to read a few a days at once because there are practical things about sleep and appetite that may be helpful right away. There is a calendar in the back that you can use to check-off the days. Plus, there are blank pages for your thoughts, drawings, etc. Care has been put into the content and order, but you know what works for you. Feel free to make this is a choose-your-own adventure guide. "
        ===============

        There are dozens of other T-Break websites but these seem to be representative examples. I'd welcome additions that folks have found helpful, or comments on the ones mentioned above.

        My goal is epicurean quality rather than high yield.
        I'm learning how to create cannabis tinctures and hashish and I almost always use a vaporizer to spare my aging lungs.
        Despite my avatar name I'm generally amenable and helpful. So, if there's a question I'm qualified to answer, hit me up!

        -Grouchy

        Comment


          #10
          The tolerance break I did earlier this week was more than 48 hours but less than 72. After 2 nights of restless sleep I got back out of bed on third night and took 2 hits of my hash and slept great.

          Comment


          • alltatup
            alltatup commented
            Editing a comment
            Amen!!!

        Check out our new growing community forum! (still in beta)

        Subscribe to Weekly Newsletter!

        Working...
        X