Our previous blog post outlines some biological systems behind which cannabis alters the mind. In this post, we want to review how cannabis can become a reliable and accurate tool for self-improvement and high performance in all facets of life. Like many things that are hard to achieve, each of the elements below requires research and practice to get right, but proper guidance can help a lot.
1. The material
The composition of each formulation (in terms of cannabinoids and terpenes) critically influences the effects the mind and body will receive. So much so that CBD and THC, merely components of the cannabis plant, became industry segments on their own because of their divergent and potent effects. CBD and THC have vastly different applications and target demographics.
Other than those two well-known cannabinoids, an overwhelming amount of other sophisticated components exist and, in combination, create the "entourage" effect. As it turns out, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, and each combination of cannabinoids and terpenes will create a different effect more complex than the power of each component combined.
In short, it’s essential to have the right stuff for the goal you have in mind because it determines the effect you’re going to have.
2. Dosage and heat
The next important element is the dosage. Too little might not have the full effect you need; too much might lead to an overpowering effect, or in other words: intoxication. Dosage especially matters when high-value tasks are on the line, which is the point of functional dosing. Functional dosing doesn’t necessarily mean taking a low dose of any particular cannabinoids. It just means taking the right ones.
Furthermore, different levels of vaporization heat will release different compounds from cannabis at different rates, as each compound or acid evaporates at its specific enthalpy. Today, higher-end vapes have temperature control, which allows for more control over the results of your cannabis.
3. Set
“Set” is a term derived from psychedelic explorer jargon; it refers to the total current state of your body and mind. This initial state before using cannabis, which is in itself psychoactive, is crucial for how this cannabis will affect you and whether or not it will help you achieve the goal of your use. It’s essential to be mindful of what you’re feeling physically and emotionally before each session to determine which cannabis can facilitate your current intention.
4. Setting
As with “Set”, "Setting" too comes from psychedelic circles and refers to the total environment the person is in, including the social atmosphere. The general recommendation is to make this environment as positive as possible. The importance of this increases the more potent the substance is.
5. Accumulated Knowledge
Now, once we got these basics down, the space has been created to ask questions like:
Did consuming make me feel good?
Did it help me get where I wanted to get?
Did I experience any unwanted effects?
After asking these and similar questions, and with the scientific method, we can now approach the million-dollar question: How can we accurately compose formulas for the explicit purpose of functional dosing?
The future of functional dosing
As AI moves into many aspects of our day-to-day life, it is bound to appear in the cannabis arena. People who require more from the plant will share their cannabis experiences with a system that measures relevant parameters. This will contribute to a deeper understanding of the relationship between cannabis and human beings (maybe other animals too? ).
This mass of data will be used to make accurate predictions for how cannabis influences different profiles of people, depending on all the above variables.
At Lezel, we are developing that system.