DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO PROCESSING, ADMINISTERING AND DOSING CANNABIS

Processing, administering and dosing cannabis can be difficult without a proper guideline. Cannabis can be processed in many ways for instance fresh processing , dried, cold and heated extractions or concentrates. These products contains cannabinoids— compound essential in medical cannabis

Although rarely done due to the vast quantities usually needed, marijuana seeds, leaves and buds can be ingested raw, freshly cut from the plant. In order to essentially benefit from the acid cannabinoids and their anti-inflammatory effects. Terpenoids remain sound and psychoactivity is reduced.

Frequently, dried cannabis usually consumed by inhaling the burned or vaporized buds. Cannabinoid acids convert and transformed into their natural forms. The volume of terpenoids obtained will vary depending on the process of administration and the dosage taken and the instruments used (pipe, joint, vaporizer).

Cannabis Cold Extractions / Concentrates Processing Products:

Kief 

The powder of the trichomes that have dropped off the plant. Maybe ingested raw but usually smoked or ingested in prepared edibles.

Slurry 

An extraction using alcohol or olive oil. Regularly ingested raw.

Cannabis Hash 

Extraction using cold water and ice. Maybe ingested raw, smoked or employed with cooking. Variety names reflect differences in the proportion of plant material to trichomes and how the mixture reacts to heat:

• Bubble; initially bubbles when presented to heat.
• Full bubble; continues to bubble completely by the heating process. 
• Melt; melts or turns into gooey oil when presented to heat.
• Full melt;  almost pure trichomes fully melt when exposed to a heat producing little or no residue.

Wax

Extraction using a solvent, most commonly butane, Carbon Dioxide or Oxygen.

Removal of the solvent may be through cold or heat evaporation. Waxes is normally burned or vaporized but may be applied in cooking and in topical salves. Variety of names usually refer to consistency. 

Examples:

• Honeycomb/Crumble is the dry, crumbly texture, often has small holes like a honeycomb.
• Budder is more viscous, consistency like butter. 
• Shatter or Glass is even more consistent similar to hard candy. 
• Sap a sticky texture similar to honey.
• Taffy a wax firmer than sap but not brittle like shatter.

Cannabis Heated Extractions Processing

Concentrates convert the cannabinoid acids into their neutral forms and usually removes most of terpenoids. Various products are:

• Tea: extraction into hot water and then drunk.
• Tincture: heated cannabis extracted in alcohol. Usually administered directly under the tongue.
• Edible: extraction into butter or oil and then used in cooking food.
• Oil: gradual heating of cannabis in coconut or olive oil. Usually used in food or topically on the skin.
• Salve, cream and lotion: low heating of cannabis oil with beeswax. Used topically on the skin.
• Suppository: low heating of cannabis oil with cocoa butter. Inserted into the rectum.

Administering and Dosing Cannabis

Knowing how to dose medical cannabis is complex. We are not discussing a particular active ingredient, but rather a complex of chemical compounds that accentuate each other. Nowadays, most observation in dose determination has centered on the psychoactive effect of THC. Other (non psychoactive) cannabinoids may be of prominent therapeutic value, depending on the disease to be treated. Perversely, scientific research in dosing of these cannabinoids is still in its outset.

The psychoactive effects of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) remain the foremost determinant of normal or modified daily functioning for most people. It is sensible to continue to refer to the THC content of a strain when considering the dose of medicine. Some patients will need and demand a high percentage of THC effect. Others will need and require a low percentage of THC effect. 

Determining the therapeutic dose of medical cannabis continues to be a very personal perception. The patient has the concluding thoughts as to how much is enough. In addition, one person may respond differently than another person to the same strain. Also, keep in mind that THC in volumes in excess of 25 mg may sporadically cause THC toxicity.

In this regard, the route of administration will also be a significant factor in determining the dose. For example, due to liver metabolism, cooked edibles may be 3 to 5 times more psychoactive than inhaled sleestack cannabis.

A few significant rules-of-thumb on dosing cannabis

The normal adult dosage of THC

• Beginners: 2.5 to 5 milligrams
• Experienced patients: 10 to 20 milligrams
• Heavy users: 25 milligrams or more.

To convert percentage to milligrams

Move one decimal place over the last digit to the right. For instance, 21.23 percent of THC = 212.3 milligrams of THC per gram of cannabis consequently.

The same conversion goes for other cannabinoids and terpenoids, example 0.39 percent 13-caryophyllene = 3.9 milligram per gram of cannabis.

Dosing Cannabis Under Ideal Conditions

Cannabis when smoked, 63% of the cannabinoids will be absorbed . Multiplying the milligrams of THC by 0.63 will result in a more precise calculation of dose. This condition gives vital factors in processing, administering and dosing cannabis.

Administering And Dosing Cannabis Side Notes

Cannabis can be processed for a wide diversity of ailments. Definite studies on proper administration and dosing are still limited due to the lack of awareness on medical cannabis. Around the globe, however, controlled trials are taking place and more scientific discoveries and information on the therapeutic effects of cannabis is being established.