We could all practice a little more mindful consumption in the many facets of our day-to-day lives. It’s far too easy to settle into a routine and start operating strictly on autopilot. For some of us, this can look like a change in grocery buying habits. For others, time set aside for regular meditation. For us cannabis users, our relationship with the plant is a great place to start. Especially since cannabis and mindfulness mesh together perfectly.
A Closer Look At Cannabinoids
To best understand cannabis wellness and mindful consumption of the plant, it helps to have a basic understanding of how its psychoactive constituents can affect the mind, body, and spirit.
The two most common and most used cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant are THC and CBD. Both of these compounds interact with our endocannabinoid system (ECS) to influence basic functions like memory retention, appetite, and mood. However, they don’t work in the same way.
THC mimics the neurotransmitters like anandamide and binds directly to the endocannabinoid receptors in the ECS. CBD doesn’t fit in the receptors quite as well. Instead, CBD takes up space in and around the receptors to influence how they respond to other neurotransmitters. CBD can also affect the way THC interacts with these receptors, at times tempering some of the intoxicating cannabinoid’s less desired effects, in what’s called the entourage effect.
Scientists speculate that this contrast in interaction accounts for the drastic difference in experience each compound can create. THC produces the intoxicating high associated with marijuana consumption. Users report feeling a buzz, sometimes euphoric, with changes in visual perception as well as the perception of time.
CBD, on the other hand, while still psychoactive, doesn’t come with the feeling of being stoned. However, consumers of CBD products say that the cannabinoid can affect their mood, typically ushering in feelings of relaxation and calmness, and at times offer pain relief as well.
Marijuana and Mindfulness
A key component to the mindful consumption of the cannabis plant involves setting your intention before you sit down to smoke. Our lives are busier than ever, and it’s easy for things to become a force of habit—including cannabis use. At a certain point, you end up consuming or smoking marijuana to perpetuate the habit, and the experience itself becomes diminished.
Here’s where intention comes in. Before you get out your lighter or vaporizer, take a few moments to really think about what you’d like to get out of the experience. Do you want to relax? Maybe enjoy a few laughs with close friends, or unlock the more creative parts of yourself? Communing with yourself and setting your intentions before cannabis use can transform the habitual into ritual, and expand your relationship with the marijuana plant.
If you’re a cannabis user yourself you’re probably already aware of the various benefits that cannabinoids offer. There are 15 important factors to consider when consuming cannabis mindfully. Your quality of sleep, dose, hunger patterns, hydration levels, and the type of products you use are just a few of the factors you should consider when trying to achieve specific goals.
Apps like Jointly make mindful cannabis consumption easy by helping you keep track of all these factors with your unique cannabinoid system in mind.
Whether you use cannabis for pain relief, relaxation, or to get those creative juices flowing Jointly can help simplify the journey with personalized routine suggestions that include safe and legal cannabis products so you can streamline your experience.
The Jointly app allows users to choose their goals and track their results from cannabis consumption by assisting their users to find new creative ways to achieve their wellness goals.
Choosing The Right Product
Mindful consumption doesn’t just begin when you decide to imbibe; it begins the moment you walk into the dispensary. When determining which cannabis product is right for you, there are several factors to consider.
For example, where was the plant grown? Indoor cannabis facilities can be a huge energy suck and negatively contribute to global warming. However, sun-grown cannabis, like the hemp found in E1011 Labs’ stelo™ and Ari53™, can actually help remove greenhouse gasses from the atmosphere.
It’s also essential to find cannabis products that third-party labs have adequately tested for potency, pesticides, mycotoxins, heavy metals, microbial, and other foreign matter. Otherwise, you run the risk of poisoning your body.
Finally, consider using full-spectrum products or flowers. When all the natural terpenes and cannabinoids are present in a cannabis product, it encourages the entourage effect and makes for a more holistic experience.
The Healthiest Way To Consume Cannabis
These days, there are more ways to consume cannabis than ever before. Cannabinoids come in candies, creams, and even activewear.
Despite the myriad of newfangled novel products, traditional inhalation methods like smoking marijuana are still the most effective at delivering cannabinoids to the bloodstream. These inhalation methods have much higher bioavailability than consuming marijuana. Practically, this means that your body will be able to use more of the cannabinoids, and their effects will come on quicker.
However, inhaling combusted plant matter isn’t the healthiest for the lungs. This danger can be somewhat mitigated by using a vaporizer, inhaler, or CBD delivery device such as the elon® from E1011 Labs.
