Cannabis is different to prescription medication: in many instances, a medical marijuana dosage is the responsibility of the patient, rather than the prescribing physician. As an MMJ patient, I was required to ‘titrate’ my cannabis dosage without the supervision of a doctor. This means I gradually increased the dosage of my medication until the optimal dosage was reached. To ‘self-titrate’ means to adjust the dosage of your own medication as needed. This is common with medical marijuana, and the desired outcome is to consume as little as you need to find relief from your symptoms.

Self-titrating cannabis can be intimidating, both heavy recreational cannabis users and those with no cannabis experience at all may find that responsible research a helpful tool before embarking on this journey. As a recreational consumer, my daily cannabis use masked true symptoms that were treatable with LESS cannabis or with strains known to alleviate certain ailments. Reducing my consumption and being selective about the cannabis I use has assisted medical symptoms and improved my overall health and wellness.

My naturopathic physician trusted my experience and made general suggestions about how to best use cannabis for my treatment. Other prescribing authorities may choose instead to provide a step-by-step plan to help find the best strain, dosage and method of ingestion for you, the patient. It is essential to be educated and confident in your knowledge of cannabis.

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