According to the National Institute of Health, about 20 million Americans have smoked marijuana in the past year.
But not all smokes are created equal.
On a recent visit to Oregon, a state that legalized recreational adult use last summer, we stopped by the progressive marijuana dispensary Farma in Portland.
We spent an hour chatting with Jeremy Plumb, who was recently voted Portland's number one "budtender," or an expert marijuana curator.
He gave us three tips for someone starting with recreational marijuana:
• Know your quality. "As a result of poor regulations and bad production, a huge quantity of cannabis has pesticides in it, which can do great harm," Plumb says. "So interview the shop, the producers, and find out what their philosophy is related to pesticides and contaminates."
• Get control of your experience. "A single hit off of a pipe, maybe you're inhaling something equivalent to 20 milligrams of THC," Plumb says."If you were to take that same dose and take this lower temperature, and smaller volume, you’re going to be able to take that and divide it into ten increments." With microdosing, you can be ultra-precise about the amount of marijuana you inhale, ensuring that you get the effect you're looking for — instead of the increased anxiety that can come from taking too much. Plumb recommends using a miniature vaporizer like the Pax2 for optimal precision.
• Experiment. Plumb says to try using marijuana at different times of the day and in different situations, like when you're doing creative work or spending time with people you care about. "Try a microdose in the evening with your partner instead of a glass of wine," Plumb says.
Head to Farma's catalog to see the varieties the shop has to offer.
