Microdosing psychedelics has been one of the best kept secrets in silicon valley for many years now. But how has it branched into cannabis?
What exactly is microdosing cannabis? What are the benefits, and how do you do it?
Microdosing allows you to experience all the therapeutic benefits of marijuana without the unwanted side effects associated with heavy use.
Typically, microdosing means taking a sub-perceptual or low dose of a substance. The term used to apply mostly to psychedelic drugs like LSD or psilocybin mushrooms. But many users are now turning to microdosing weed for its medical benefits to enhance things like focus and creativity.
The idea behind microdosing is that you take such a tiny dose that you won’t get high, but will instead, experience a boost in productivity and creativity, along with other benefits. Microdosing allows you to experience all the therapeutic benefits of marijuana without the unwanted side effects associated with heavy use.
Vaping is a great way to microdose as many vaporizers have advanced features that make dosage control easy – features like precise temperature control and adjustable bowl size.
Some high end, disposable vapes like the Dosist vape pen are pre-filled with cannabis oil and designed to dispense metered doses by automatically cutting off your hit after you’ve inhaled about 2mg of THC.
So how do you microdose weed? What’s the best way to get started? Let’s find out!
What is Microdosing?
While microdosing cannabis is a relatively new trend in the cannabis industry, it is quickly gaining popularity. Microdosing is the act of consuming a tiny dose of cannabis to receive therapeutic benefits without any kind of high psychoactive effect.
Microdosing cannabis can be an effective and affordable way to get all the benefits of medical cannabis without feeling stoned. Because you are consuming such low doses, you can avoid building up a weed tolerance. Also, a cannabis concentrate like a vape cartridge with 90%+ THC can last you a long time, making this a very economical medicine.
But how, exactly, can you microdose cannabis? The answer isn’t as straightforward as you might think.
How do You Microdose Cannabis?
One of the most important things about microdosing is that there’s no wrong way to do it.
If you’re using low doses of marijuana to help you get more done during the day, then you’re microdosing correctly.
For the longest time, options for using cannabis were very limited – you either smoke it or eat it. But with the rise of vaporizer technology, there’s now many ways to accurately consume one small dose at a time.
With legal cannabis markets requiring lab testing, there’s now many options to ensure you’re accurately and safely consuming controlled doses.
A simple method for cannabis microdosing involves taking small amounts of cannabis every few hours. This could mean a toke of the vape pen here and there instead of taking massive bong rips or smoking a full joint. Or if you’re into edibles, you can eat a 2-5mg piece of a THC-infused chocolate or gummy.
The goal is to find the minimum effective dose to produce subtle but beneficial physiological changes instead of a large dose that’s typically used recreationally.
Unlike with psychedelics, there’s more ways to microdose cannabis. A few of the most common ways include delivery methods like edibles, vaping, and topicals.
If you’re a beginner, edibles and tinctures make it really easy to dose 5mg at a time, for example. If you’re taking CBD for anxiety, you can start with a 5mg edible and then slowly work your way up in 2-5mg increments until you reach your desired effect. You can simply stop once you begin to notice a high effect. You can also try things like tinctures which you place just a few drops under your tongue and hold for 30-60 seconds for fast-acting relief.
A microdose is typically about 1 to 5 milligrams of THC which could be small puff from a vape or a tiny dab of wax concentrate. Concentrations can vary greatly between cannabis products so be sure to shop only lab-tested products that clearly display cannabinoid contents, usually expressed as percentage or total mg (milligrams) in weight.
Vaping is another great option for allowing control over your dosage. When you’re smoking, you don’t know how much THC you’re getting, but with vaping, you can shop for specific oils at measured potencies and you can more precisely control the size of your hits.
Vaping allows you to control the amount of THC you’re getting with each hit. When you vape, you’re able to control not just the amount of cannabis, but also finer control by adjusting the vape temperature. You can start with a very low temp or bowl size, then slowly increase the temperature until you reach a level that you’re comfortable with.
The DaVinci MIQRO vape is an example of a flower vape that can be controlled to the exact degree. It’s designed for microdosing and has a low capacity oven for packing small bowls.
The G Pen Elite is another great vaporizer with precise temp controlled to the exact degree and displayed on a clear LCD screen.
One of the most important things about microdosing is that there’s no wrong way to do it. If you’re using low doses of marijuana to help you get more done during the day, then you’re microdosing correctly. Taking only 5mg at a time may sound like a small amount, but the results can be incredibly effective.
What are the Benefits of Microdosing Cannabis?
If you’re considering trying cannabis in an effort to improve your quality of life, microdosing by way of vaping is a great way to ease into alternative uses of cannabis.
Just a few convenient puffs of a vape can be enough to provide chronic pain relief, reduce anxiety, and help with common issues like concentration and trouble sleeping. Many people report also report that microdosing increases their creativity and helps them focus.
Here are a few other reasons why you might want to start microdosing:
Medicinal benefits without the high
More and more people are turning to microdosing because they want the positive effects of marijuana without the negative effects associated with getting high. Vaping cannabis is a great way to help manage pain without having to feel doped up. In fact, a study conducted at UC Davis proved that vaporizing cannabis at low doses proved to be an effective option for patients with treatment-resistant neuropathic pain. Low doses are well-tolerated with very minimal psychoactive effects.
Simple way to ease into your optimal dose
It’s always better to start at a low dose with any new substance, then slowly work your way up. Vaping cannabis is an easy way to ensure you don’t overdo it and reach that paranoia-level stoned, which can easily happen from taking too weed much by accident. Take caution, especially when it comes to ingesting weed that contains high levels of THC.
Improve your mood and creativity
Different strains each have their own unique terpene and cannabinoid profiles that induce different effects. Consuming just a tiny bit of THC balanced with other ratios of CBD and specific terpenes may be just the right amount you need to keep mellow out and stay focused. Vaping at controlled temperatures allows you to fine-tune your experience for a given strain or concentrate. This allows you to find your optimal dosage and do it consistently.
Those seeking cannabis’ therapeutic benefits may enjoy strains that are high in CBD and low in THC. Strains with a THC to CBD ratio of 1:1 or close to it are some of the best strains for microdosing.
Research at the University of Chicago indicates that low levels of THC can improve mood by helping to reduce stress. A microdose as little as 7.5mg THC was enough to positively effect mood. However, it is important to note that desirable effects are highly dose-dependent.
According to, Emma Childs, associate professor of psychiatry in the UIC College of Medicine, she states:
“We found that THC at low doses reduced stress, while higher doses had the opposite effect, underscoring the importance of dose when it comes to THC and its effects.”
Emma Childs, associate professor of psychiatry in the UIC College of Medicine
Best Strains for Microdosing
Some great choices of strains for microdosing are Northern Lights, Blue Dream, and Afghan Kush. They’re all really mellow strains and have a nice balance of Indica and Sativa effects.
Those seeking cannabis’ therapeutic benefits may enjoy strains that are high in CBD and low in THC. Strains with a THC to CBD ratio of 1:1 or close to it are some of the best strains for microdosing.
Some Sativa-dominant strains can be great, but might also give you too much energy, making it hard to relax. A popular CBD strain choice is the ACDC strain, which is high in CBD and low in THC.
However, if you’re seeking that uplifting energetic buzz, then you’ll find benefits from microdosing Sativa-dominant strains, like Durban Poison, Super Lemon Haze, Blue Dream and Sour Diesel.
Best Vaporizers for Microdosing
While there’s countless vape options for microdosing, one of the easiest and cheapest ways to get started is with cannabis oil vape cartridges and vape pens.
It’s common to find vape cartridges in the 70-80%+ THC range which is a good, high potency level. These carts can be used with any standard vape pen, or you can find a disposable vape pen that you can throw out when you’re done. Pod vaporizers that you can fill with your own CBD liquids and cannabis oils make some of the best microdosing vapes.
Dosist vape pens, for example, are pre-filled with cannabis oil designed for specific effects. They also offered metered hits that automatically cut-off after you inhale about 2mg of THC with each hit.
The LIIL STIIIZY disposable vape that we recently reviewed is pre-filled with their Juicy Melon strain have a balanced 1:1 ratio of THC:CBD.
These vapes are available through many California dispensaries and Los Angeles delivery services like Emjay.
Emjay Delivery
Some other cost-effective microdose vape options include pod vapes from industry leading brands like PAX Era and Maxcore PodPal vape. If you have a bigger budget, I’d recommend shopping high performance vapes like the hybrid vaporizers that work with both flower and concentrates.
The PAX Era uses pods that are sold by different brands and pre-filled with different cannabis oils and CBD blends. Pax Era pods are offered by several brands and available in legal cannabis states. The Era is one of the most advanced pod vapes that features precise temperature control using a mobile app which connects to the vaporizer via Bluetooth. You can also keep track of your hit counts to regulate dosage in the app. Cool right? I know.
Two other, but more expensive options, are hybrid vaporizers like the AirVape Legacy and the Dr.Dabber SWITCH. These vapes offer precisely controlled temps and are able to vape both cannabis concentrates like wax or ground up dry herb.
The Legacy vape includes a micro-basket that’s inserted into the heating chamber for packing small bowls. The Dr. Dabber SWITCH vape is great for easily switching between taking small dose wax dabs or packing a small bowl of flower. The latest PAX3 vaporizer also includes small-pack lids that reduce the oven size for packing smaller bowls.
List of microdosing vape
Ispire Honey daab e-rig
DaVinci IQ2 Carbon Fiber Best seller
DaVinci MIQRO Vape
Maxcore PodPal Pod Vape
AirVape Legacy
Dr. Dabber SWITCH e-rig Best seller
PAX Era PRO Best seller
G Pen Elite II
Other useful microdosing accessories
Other tools that are great for microdosing include the DigitTUL dab tool that doubles as a scale. This gadget allows you to weigh out your dabs for more precise dosage.
Many reputable dry herb vape brands are now starting to come out with their versions of pre-filled dosage pods.
Two notable brands, AirVape and DaVinci, both have their own dosage pods designed to work with their respective dry her vaporizers.
Each of these holds a finite amount of herb for a consistent experience every time. You can preload with your ground up flower then easily load them up on-demand.
When you get a dry herb vape with precise temperature control in combination with a dosage pods, you can get your cannabis microdosing perfectly dialed in.
Alternative Microdosing Methods
Just as there’s multiple ways to consume cannabis, there’s also many ways to microdose it as well. If you want an alternative to smoking or vaping, using edibles can be a great option.
CBDmd offers Delta-9 THC gel caps specifically formulated for microdosing. By the way, Delta-9 is also a legal form of THC as it’s derived from hemp but has similar effects. More on these legal THC cannabinoid alternatives coming soon!
Have you tried microdosing cannabis? How has it worked out for you?
Leave a comment below.
