As someone passionate about cannabis, I’ve been exploring ways to establish a routine that brings greater mindfulness to my consumption. My goal is to better control the effects while fully appreciating the flavor, aroma, and overall sensory experience. I’ve noticed that when I smoke or vape daily, my ability to identify and enjoy subtle flavors and smells diminishes. It’s similar to how our tolerance for the effects increases over time—our senses seem to adapt and dull as well.
This got me thinking about parallels in other sensory-driven professions. Chefs, for example, often follow strict routines to maintain their sensitivity to flavors, sometimes avoiding certain foods or drinks to reset their palate. Sommeliers, too, may take breaks from alcohol or stick to specific diets to preserve their ability to discern nuanced aromas and tastes. These practices are intentional, allowing them to perform at their best and maintain a deep connection with their craft.
So why not apply a similar approach to cannabis? What if we adopted routines or rules to enhance our experience, reset our senses, and deepen our appreciation? This could involve planned breaks (a sort of “tolerance reset”), using specific strains only at certain times, or even pairing cannabis consumption with mindful practices like journaling or meditation to heighten awareness of its effects and sensory qualities.
I’d love to open up a conversation around this topic. Do you have routines, rules, or strategies you follow to control the effects of cannabis and savor its flavor and aroma? Have you noticed similar challenges with daily use? Let’s share ideas and explore how mindfulness can elevate the cannabis experience.
Very curious to learn if some of you have actually one and what to share.
For myself I only get to consume every 2-4 days due to work and obligations. This said depending on what my goal is for consuming will dictate the method of consumption. For example, right now I have flower that Ive grown for a couple kind seed breeders here and I make sure I have nothing in my system and a rested mind so I can pick up the recognizable difference and effects. Ill consume at 2 different points of the day with first being light use 3-4 hits and after about 2-4 hrs later I consume double the amount same method so I can dictate what I’ve experienced. I enjoy this step almost the same as the grow as its important for others to learn of effects experienced to help decide it this plant line sounds right for them.
I understand that we all have unique systems that will react differently but enough reviews of personal experience can be used as a guide.
I prefer to consume via Vapor as I dont try to get to high to function. I can also draw better flavor profiles this way.
I develop a strain tolerance very quickly, so I try to not smoke the same strain more than once in 2 or 3 days. I typically have a couple dozen on hand for that.
I also develop a tolerance to particular strains rather quickly. One of my strategies is, like you, to have multiple strains ready for the bong. I, however, try to grind one hit at a time (usually there’s a bit too much), never smoking the same strain twice in a row. The over grind goes into a small jar and gets mixed with other over grind to make the occasional team effort hit.
Additionally, while I haven’t done this since the stroke I had seven years ago, in the past I’ve temporarily stopped smoking entirely for a few weeks, or maybe even a month at a time. It’s the only way I know to get seriously fucked up if I’ve been smoking daily, which is usually the case, and I like to get seriously fucked up.
Interesting, I do pretty much exactly like you right down to the over grind jar. For the past year I started taking 2-4 day breaks every couple weeks to clean out a bit.
this is good stuff y’all. Ive been think about this kind of thing alot lately too. I am mainly a nighttime smoker, but as my consumption increased and started spilling over into my days I feel like ive dulled my weed sense. That overgrind jar is my goto on the regular because alot of times its sitting there with ground up weed in it lol, just so convenient. I was wondering if the no ceiling strains have a resistant to tolerance buildup? are you guy’s saying that the same thing that happens with effect not being felt as strong is also happening with flavor like the chefs and sommeliers needing to refresh their palate ?
For me, I’ve never found a kind of weed that I can smoke exclusively and not have diminished returns over time, so to speak. It may be some take a little longer to build up a tolerance to, but they all do it.
That’s an interesting analogy, chefs/sommeliers. The only person I know here who could comment on that from personal experience is @breadwinner. Perhaps he might comment on this comparison…
My only advice is that variety is indeed the spice of life. If there was a jetson food pill, i dont think we’d get much from it, on paper our nutrient levels might be pefect, but we’d probably die of boredom or see a spike in violent crime or something. Our teeth would soften from nothing to chew on. Theres more inherent greatness in variety than there is in isolated ‘perfection’
Its like a law of nature that nothing lasts forever, thankfully, and its in the fleeting brevity that the flavor truly lies. Lol
Staying hydrated is underrated too, haha
By the time youre thirsty, you missed it
Sorry for the non clinical chef response
Some people carry around a cup of coffee beans incase they need to smell something real good, but fresh air (removing yourself entirely from the set and setting, then returning to it) is the best way. Im stopping just short of saying meditation on a mountaintop would be ideal.
@Rhizome , nice topic. I’m a medical user and been smoking for years. I deal with nerve pain and take my meds daily. I can’t stop without having to deal with pain, at least no pain meds. So, a break isn’t possible otherwise my anxiety rears it’s ugly head and I become an ass.
Sativa during the day and indica at night for sleep. I’ve been smoking Acapulco gold for the past three years daily. Today I opened my jar and can easily smell lemon pledge.
Thank you all for your valuable comments and ideas!
It would be interesting to develop a basic working routine or set of protocols for consumption and dosages. For instance, much like alcohol, someone might adopt a guideline such as “no alcohol during weekdays” and reserve weekends for more flexibility. Similarly, others might prefer a pattern like two days off per week or a reset every 4-6 weeks.
There’s also the question of exploring ways to reduce certain methods of consumption, such as smoking or vaping, in favor of alternatives like oils, tinctures, edibles, or even more concentrated forms such as extracts and concentrates. This shift could offer not only potential health benefits but also allow for greater control over dosages and effects. (? Really?)
On the other hand, I’ve been reflecting on the work of figures like Sasha Shulgin or Rimbaud, as well as other poets, chemists, and artists who have explored and described the effects of substances like hashish or cannabis. They delved into how these substances influence perception, creativity, and consciousness, often tying specific effects to dosage and context.
Of course, everything in this realm is inherently subjective—no two experiences are exactly the same. However, I’m convinced that different routines and approaches to consumption can lead to distinct highs, creating more intense, nuanced, and perhaps even unique experiences. It’s fascinating to consider how intentional adjustments in dosage and usage patterns might unlock deeper insights or more profound states of mind.
Thats a very interesting topic and i suspect the majority of stoners is familiar with that kind of thougts.
For me it’s more about the effects that wear off. Euphoric, blissfull magical moments seem to fade or change to neurotic, paranoid shit with overindulging.
I also tend to avoid unpleasant stuff in my everyday life if i enjoy my weed to often. Thats my major problem.
I’m at the moment at one of those phases again lol, but thats what i do:
-I try to keep my dosage at a low level. The bigger the hits the more tollerance you build up and for me it feels like THC overwrites all other components at higher initialdoses.
-Having a critical look at myself, be honest about how i feel. I better take a break for some days before I have to stop smoking because i have problems. I love cannabis and want it to be part of my life forever.
-Feeling to have a change in my life, its an easy first step to decrease cannabis consumption. Sometimes that step alone has more positive impact than the absence of the drug itself.
-don’t think smoking an classic chilled out indica without headhigh helps against cannabis sideeffects (social anxiety, general anxiety, depression)
It’s a constant readjusting between selfdiscipline and giving a fu*k. Constantly learning through experience sincen beeing a 13 yr old kid.
I hope no one feels offended by this.
Because the team effort is never exactly like any other team effort (different percentage mixes of different varieties), it acts like a different variety itself. It simply goes into the rotation.
