How to Reset Your Cannabis Tolerance

Tolerance Bridge

We get used to good things quite quickly, and so do our bodies.

If one or two puffs would do in the past, now it seems like the whole joint isn’t enough to experience the same effects. So when cannabis suddenly isn’t working the same way it used to, and now you need higher doses to experience the desired results, it indicates you are dealing with a high tolerance, which leads to weaker effects of cannabis.

High tolerance means that you need to consume more to drive the same results you once did with a lower amount. It can become an issue, especially when using cannabis for specific benefits.

Luckily, high tolerance isn’t permanent, and you can use a few methods to reset your tolerance, so you will need to consume less to achieve your goals.

How Does Cannabis Tolerance Develop?

Cannabis tolerance develops due to long-term regular use. The reason behind that is the endocannabinoid system (ECS) in the human body. The ECS is how marijuana delivers its psychoactive effects in the body, in particular, by activating ECS receptors in the brain. There are two types of ECS receptors – CB1 and CB2. They transmit information in the body once activated, and the key to them is cannabinoids in marijuana.

The reason behind marijuana’s psychoactive effects is its psychoactive cannabinoid – tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). THC works by binding to the CB1 ECS receptor in the brain. It’s almost like a key that unlocks the receptor to activate it and produce marijuana’s intoxicating effects.

When the interaction happens too often, CB1 receptor activity decreases, lowering THC’s impact on the body. That’s when you suddenly need to consume more to experience the same effects as before.

Tolerance develops differently for every consumer depending on numerous factors, including:

  • Your body chemistry
  • Frequency of cannabis use
  • The potency of cannabis you consume (THC content)

Even when you develop tolerance to THC, the condition isn’t temporary, and there are ways to bring CB1 activity back to its normal levels.

A few methods below can help if you’ve developed cannabis tolerance and are searching for ways to reset it.

 

Take a ‘T break’ if You Can

One of the most common methods to reset cannabis tolerance is to take a break from using it. It will allow your CB1 receptors to restore to their normal activity levels so that you can experience the same outcomes from lower THC amounts. These cannabis breaks are called T breaks, short for tolerance breaks.

The length of each break is up to you, and the time it takes to recover CB1 receptor activity ranges across consumers depending on their history of cannabis use and how far they’ve gone into its tolerance. It may take only 1-2 weeks for some, but commonly you’ll need at least 21 days to reset your tolerance. If you still don’t feel the desired effects from cannabis after your T break, consider lengthening it.

Although effective, T breaks aren’t feasible for some consumers when using cannabis for specific benefits, so they’re looking for other strategies to help. Some of the methods besides T breaks include:

Cannabinoid Cycling

Luckily, as science keeps unraveling the cannabis plants, now we are more aware of the cannabis products we consume, including their cannabinoid levels. Regular cannabis consumers and millions of wellness enthusiasts have already heard about CBD, and it’s another famous cannabinoid in the cannabis plant. But, unlike THC, it doesn’t bind to CB1 receptors, cause psychoactive effects or result in cannabis tolerance.

Commonly, marijuana strains are high in THC and low in CBD content. One of the effective ways to reset your cannabis tolerance is to switch between high THC and low CBD strains to high CBD and low THC strains, also known as cycling.

Switching between high CBD and high THC strains will allow you to reset your tolerance without taking a T break but opting for a lesser psychoactive cannabis experience. Plus, while consuming CBD-rich strains, you’ll be less likely to experience withdrawal symptoms.

CBD won’t cause psychoactive side effects, but if you don’t want to give up THC altogether, many dispensaries and retailers offer products ranging from 1-to-1 CBD to THC ratio to as high as 16-to-1.

At The Hemp Doctor, we offer gummies with blends of Delta 9 THC with Delta 8 THC, CBD, and CBN to provide you with a full spectrum hemp-derived product.

 

Control Your THC Intake

Although you might want to experience a more potent high and ingest higher THC doses, the more often you do so, the less potent effects you will experience from THC in the long run. In contrast, the less THC you ingest, the less likely you will develop cannabis tolerance, so use the lower doses, just enough to experience desired effects.

Reduce the Frequency

Although you might feel the urge to use cannabis frequently, heavy regular use is the primary reason for developing tolerance to cannabis. One of the most effective ways to prevent cannabis tolerance is to reduce the frequency of consumption. Small gaps like a few days between consumption can help reset your tolerance and bring your CB1 receptor activity back to normal levels. Preventative strategies like this will also allow you to avoid unwanted consequences in the future, like experiencing withdrawal symptoms during T breaks.

Expect Potential Withdrawal Symptoms

Unfortunately, resetting your cannabis tolerance comes with obstacles, sometimes with withdrawal symptoms during T breaks or when using less cannabis than usual.

Although it might not be as intense as withdrawal from alcohol pr tobacco, Cannabis withdrawal can still get quite irritating.

According to studies, cannabis withdrawal symptoms commonly include:

  • Mood Swings
  • Anxiety
  • Decreased appetite/weight loss,
  • Restlessness
  • Sleep difficulty/strange dreams

Depressed mood, stomach pain/nausea, shakiness, and sweating are less frequent but possible in rare cases. Most symptoms begin within 24 hours of abstaining, peak within 2-3 days, and linger for approximately 1-2 weeks.

Some ways to ease the symptoms are getting enough rest, staying hydrated, and exercising.

Prevention

Some say an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure, so once you’ve reset your tolerance, you might not want to go through the process again. Rather, find ways to prevent building it in the first place.

Some of the techniques to prevent it from happening include:

  • Using less potent THC products. The higher are THC amounts in the product, the more likely you are to develop tolerance after regular use.
  • Reduce the frequency of cannabis consumption, as the more frequently you use, the higher are the chances of developing tolerance.
  • Lower the doses and try consuming less cannabis in one sitting
  • Try hemp-derived products like CBD. Unlike THC, it doesn’t cause psychoactive effects or cause tolerance. CBD strains might fill the gap when taking T breaks and avoiding consuming too much cannabis.

Shop for Premium Hemp-Derived Products at The Hemp Doctor

Even if you decide to switch for low-THC products to reset your cannabis tolerance, some hemp-derived products on the market might contain high THC amounts – more than what is indicated on their labels. Besides, they may also have harmful ingredients like heavy metals and pesticides, so it’s always crucial to shop for high-quality, pure solutions.

At The Hemp Doctor, we provide numerous kinds of hemp-derived products, including delta 8 THC and CBD smokables, tinctures, softgels, edibles, and other supplements you can try. All our products are made using the highest-quality U.S. grown hemp and guaranteed quality through third-party lab testing, ensuring only legal trace amounts of THC are in our products. So get started today and order premium hemp products online!