The Most Common Mistakes New Consumers Make When Starting Their Cannabis Journeys

By Dina Rollman

It was almost 8 years ago that Maureen Dowd, a well-known and well-regarded columnist for The New York Times, published her account of eating a cannabis edible while alone in a hotel room in Denver. In “Don’t Harsh Our Mellow, Dude” Dowd recounts her long, scary night of paranoid hallucinations where she was curled in a ball on the floor touching her green corduroys and worrying that she had died. It was a negative experience for her, to say the least.

We legalization advocates had to shake our heads when we read her account. Dowd was honest that she did not ask any questions at the dispensary about appropriate dosing size, and did not disclose that she was a novice user, before selecting and consuming an entire infused chocolate bar. It was surprising and disappointing that a reporter for The New York Times went in blind instead of doing what reporters normally do - research. Dowd had built a loyal following of readers in their 50s and 60s, a demographic that sorely needs educating about how cannabis has changed since they tried a puff of a joint in the 1960s or 70s.  Dowd’s article did not focus on education, and she took little responsibility for her freak out  – instead she painted cannabis edibles as a scary substance, worthy of paranoia, to avoid. It was clear she would be returning to her chosen vice of chardonnay.

There were many articles written in reaction to Ms. Dowd’s, stressing the need for consumers to educate themselves prior to trying new cannabis products.  But it appears that none of my family or friends read them. Over the years I have had many friends and family members make the exact same mistake as Ms. Dowd. I wince as these novice users tell me that someone somewhere handed them some gummies and they ate them and it turned out that they had consumed 50 mg of cannabis (as opposed to an appropriate beginner dose of 2 mg or 5 mg) and they wound up in the hospital because they had a panic attack, or spent 18 hours in bed waiting for the effects to wear off. They usually laugh after the fact at their experience, but at the time they are not laughing – they are physically and emotionally uncomfortable and it is a negative experience that leads these novice users to decide cannabis is not for them.

Even in 2022, the regulated cannabis industry is well aware that every single day, novice users are visiting a dispensary for the first time and making their first legal purchase. Dispensaries are stocked with pamphlets, signage, product inserts, and warnings on package labels that new users should “Start Low and Go Slow” when it comes to edibles. Dispensary staff are also trained to give that message to all customers. But it seems that many first-time visitors to a dispensary are not always comfortable admitting that they do not know how to select an appropriate product.

So here are some easy tips to help you increase the odds that your first cannabis experience is a good one. And these tips assume that you are going to purchase cannabis legally from a licensed dispensary. A great advantage of buying legal cannabis is that the products are manufactured in a facility subject to regular inspections, the products are subjected to mandatory testing to detect pesticides, molds, heavy metals and other unsafe components, and the product labels must disclose any additives as well as the amount of THC (the psychoactive component of cannabis) in the product, and contain tracking information so the product can be recalled if it is determined to be unsafe. It’s also likely that if you find a product you like, it will be available for purchase the next time you visit the store. Your local drug dealer may offer cheaper prices but those products carry the risk of undisclosed additives, unsafe levels of pesticides or mold, and no ability to be recalled if unsafe.

When you are at a licensed dispensary engage with a staff member and:

• Describe the effect you are looking for: Do you want to feel social and energetic at a party, do you want help easing into dreamland, are you trying to stimulate your appetite or do you want to avoid the munchies, etc. Today cannabis products are formulated to produce these different types of effects, and dispensary staff receive training to match customers to appropriate products. This is your best path to getting a suitable product.

• Discuss what an appropriate first dose would be: Talk about your level of experience with cannabis products (or be honest that you have no experience) and what your past experiences have been (good or bad) and share how strong of an effect you want:  do you want to feel a slight buzz similar to having consumed one alcoholic beverage, or are you seeking a more altered state where you won’t be driving or doing other things where impairment would be a safety risk. Do you want the effects to last an hour or less (more likely from consuming a vape pen or some flower) or are you comfortable with an effect that will last 4-6 hours (more likely from an edible product). Remember that all day long these dispensary staff engage with first time users – they will never judge you for seeking information – they’ll respect you for it! And they likely have a list of products that they recommend for new users because they are so reliable – get that list!

• “Start Low and Go Slow”: This mantra began in Denver in 2014 when Colorado launched adult use sales, and the saying is still sound.  “Start Low” generally means that you should look at a product label and follow the directions so that you eat an amount of the product that contains 5 milligrams or less of THC, the psychoactive component of cannabis. “Go Slow” means you want to give that first dose time to take effect before deciding to consume more cannabis. Activation time for an edible can vary widely, from as little as 10 minutes for a cannabis beverage, to an hour for a chocolate or gummy or other edible, depending on the type of product, ingredients, consumption method, whether or not you have a full or empty stomach, your weight, and other factors.

• Plan ahead: When you consume your new cannabis product you should be somewhere that you feel safe and comfortable, not a high stress setting that could amplify any anxiety. This may mean making sure you are not alone, or that you are not in a crowded setting, and that if the effect makes you less social or more tired, you can comfortably call it a night. Planning ahead also means making sure you have safe transportation at the end of the experience so that you do not drive thinking that you’re not impaired.

• Take notes: Friends and family often tell me that there was this one product that was great but now they can’t remember what it was or where they got it. Keep a notebook or a list on your phone that records the name of the product, how much you consumed, what the effect was, and how your experience was. This is incredibly valuable information to share with dispensary staff who can then guide you toward or away from products based on your past experience.

Remember that the point of cannabis to promote wellness. No cannabis advocate wants you to miss out on that experience. It may take a little bit of trial and error to find the product and dose that works for you but with a little bit of education and planning even the errors will be enjoyable, or at least not leave you writhing on the floor like Ms. Dowd.