Dr. Caplan,
I have been working on a personal dose calculator for smoking Recreational THCa, CBDa & CBGa dominant flower, and I feel I’ve come very close to a usable tool! However, I am noticing “measurable” differences between joint, bong, and dry herb vaporizer sessions. It’s not simply a difference in the level of effects…it’s each overall experience is different. For example, I have crafted a blend of flowers to achieve a THCa:CBDa:CBGa parts ratio of 1:1:1 for a 1 gram session:
Total THCa ~15.66mg
Total CBDa ~15.66mg
Total CBGa ~15.66mg
Joint – Baseline Session length approximately 20 minutes; experience consistent with my established minimum effective dose and achieves desired results.
Bong – Session length approximately 40 minutes; experience elevated…~10% to 20%…overall experience achieves desired results, however slightly different (elevated) and than Joint.
DHV – Session length approximately 75 minutes; experience elevated…~10% to 30%…overall experience achieves desired results and is a more full-body and rounded experience.
Are my observations of “elevated” more likely to be a difference in inhalation methodology, the time-span of the session, both, or something different?
Thank you,
Bill T
Good Morning Dr. Caplan,
In response to my question “Calculating Dosages for Smoking/Vaping Flower”, you expressed interest in noticed patterns as well as better context for “elevated.” I couldn’t find a way to reply to your comment, so I used this contact form. Apologies if this isn’t an appropriate way to contact you.
First, I had to establish my Minimum Effective Dose. To do so, I created a 1:1:1 blend to mimic a gummy containing the same ratios. After some time, I believe I have determined my MED to be around 3mg to 5mg…which I then used to develop a variable factor to “fine-tune” bioavailability to 10% to 27%…
Starting with what we know: We can determine potency of a product using information from the product’s COA. Factor in decarboxylation. I wanted to be able to determine how much I needed to smoke to achieve desired effects. I came across some research indicating bioavailability of inhaled cannabis to be in the neighborhood of 10% to 27%. I have my personal inhaled bioavailability at or near 23%. This is where I’m at today as far as the status of my calculator.
Elevated…I used this term to describe an overall feeling of a little more of everything. Using a 1 gram joint, crafted to contain a 1:1:1 parts ratio of THCa:CBDa:CBGa, as a baseline, the raw content is 87mg each (~72mg when decarboxylated). Factoring in bioavailability of inhalation introduces an estimated 73% to 77%, roughly the same conversion of oxygen to CO2, and for me, I’m at 23% to 24%…bringing the expected potency to be ~18mg each. This has consistently tracked across different strains and blends…I feel I have been able to “fine-tune” a joint session for desired outcomes. In essence, smoking 1 gram of this blend is very comparable to ~18mg of the gummy. The overall experience is very pleasurable and it achieves the desired effects.
Going from Joint to Bong — I believe what I felt was literally a little more of everything. I felt a little more euphoric, a little more relaxed, and a little more pain relief. At first, I was thinking what I was feeling was obviously due to the fact that there’s a lot less waste (idle burning of the joint versus individual hits)…less waste, more intake…right? Well, there’s a little more to it. And the best way to explain it is in hopes you’ll be able to draw on similar experiences…but I’ve come to realize there’s so much more going on, chemically. Think about a joint session…there’s the initial toke, that fresh hit (plus a little paper product)…but it’s noticeable. Then, each subsequent toke delivers something just a little different than the one before…until we get to that little gem at the end…the “roach.” With the Bong, there is just hit after hit, each clean and crisp and nearly identical to the previous…but there’s no roach. So, “elevated” going from joint to bong feels like when you split a gummy…you know if you got a half that was either a little bigger or smaller than the other half…it feels like a smidge more of each compound. However, the “entourage” effect is what’s slightly different and the experience is perhaps a little more energetic, more focused. Maybe the best way to explain it is there’s no “dessert” at the end of a bong session…there’s something special going on toward that final ⅓ to ¼ of a joint session that’s missing from a bong. Here’s an analogy that may resonate, think of a funny joke that’s told like a story. The setup is a little more drawn out as you’re reeled into the story, context is established, then the punchline. You laugh, and reflect and enjoy the humor you just experienced. A Bong is like a series of funny zingers, one after the other…you barely finish laughing at the last joke when the next one starts over again. At the end of both sessions, you feel wonderful, you had a great time…the comedy (compound) had the effect you wanted…but the style, content, and delivery of the jokes (entourage effect) were significantly different. In essence, smoking 1 gram of this blend from a bong is very comparable to ~21mg of the gummy. However, the Entourage effect is slightly different…party guests aren’t staggering in late or leaving early…it’s like here’s the guests that are coming…they come together, they party together, and they leave together…
Dry Herb Vaping — I have just started using a DHV…and my experiences thus far have been very positive and enlightening. So, elevated in this context is very similar in comparison to the joint vs bong as far as effectiveness…less waste equals more product…however, the experience in this instance is on a whole other level! Having incorporated the data you presented on boiling points, each 0.10g vaporizer bowl is akin to a micro-joint…which can include, on some level, something similar to “the roach.” In essence, vaping 1 gram of this blend is very comparable to ~21mg of the gummy. Best overall experience for taste, feeling, and effects. Your guests arrive to the party in small groups, each interacting and enlivening the group that proceeded…and as the session migrates to terpenes to cannabinoids…”the roach” is there, kind of, different, but, in my mind, more of a rounding off of the session much like a joint.
So, as far as determining “expected potency,” I believe my calculator gets me real close. And, as far as “experiencing” each session? I like the nuances of each methodology and can find instances where each has its own benefits and/ or requirements.
Where I believe I have found the most profound experiences is with the blends themselves! You ever get a message from the Universe? Well, ever since I was running a little low on my recreational stash, I decided to mix some with my CBD/CBG blend. What I experienced was a high that was better than with the THCa flower alone…and pain relief session that was effective as the gummy but with an overall better “feeling.” The message that seemed to hit me from the Universe was saying “this is how the plant was originally intended.”
I found very limited research as to the ratios of cannabinoids throughout the lifecycle of the plant…but something is saying “this is the key”…understand the ratios. Your most recent post, referencing how today’s weed has been bred for certain characteristics…while others are being bred out. It is my opinion that the plant has indeed been used for centuries and in differing stages of growth. There’s also something I can’t shake about CBG(a)…I believe it should be included in every blend. Here are some of the parts ratios I have found to be particularly useful (all are THCa:CBDa:CBGa) – each nuanced by their cultivar (indica, sativa, hybrid):
0:1:1 – Pain management/relief
1:1:1 – Pain management/relief/relax/unwin
2:1:1 – Chill/unwind/pain management/relief
3:2:1 – Chill/unwind/pain management/relief/relax
2:1:2 – Chill/unwind/relax/relief/pai
1:1:0 – More mellow, less intense buzz
1:0:1 – Less mellow, more intense buzz
3:1:2 – Recreational – similar to what I remember weed to be like in the 80’s
Dr. Caplan, I could go on and on, but I feel I have used enough of your valuable time on my miscellaneous ramblings. I hope this gives better context. I’d like to either send you a link to my calculator or send you a PDF that shows how I use it…if you’re interested…I’d love your feedback.
Thank you for your time.
V/r
Bill T
