Health Homework
Since childhood, I had an aversion to homework. I would procrastinate well into the evening, ignoring the little nagging voice in my head that whispered I had to face the inevitable chore while I played my ATARI. As bedtime approached, I’d trudge to my room, open my books and blankly stare at the words until I fell asleep. This was a pattern I repeated until I graduated. With my BA in hand, I thanked the universe for putting this arduous task forever in my past. Little did I realize that future events would force me to reevaluate my appreciation for homework.
While I was recovering from a major health event, I leaned into my personal belief of blending eastern and western philosophies of medicine and turned to cannabis as an alternative medicine. I was searching for help in my recovery and was experiencing sporadic success at best. Forgetting what I had tried and what had helped, I realized I was spinning my wheels. It was then that I decided to take notes.
Soon I was able to pinpoint cultivars that helped address my needs but unfortunately caused unwanted effects. By carefully tracking the multiple ways the cultivar affected my body, eventually, I was able to zero in on a cultivar that worked with my endocannabinoid system that provided the relief I sought without causing any undesired side effects.
Maintaining a journal is a great way to start tying some of those floating balloons to the ground as you navigate your way through the world of cannabis. What should you track?
Let’s start with what external information is important to health. In addition to the name of the cultivar, it is important to identify the name of the company from which the product was produced. The plant is fickle, so the cultivator’s methodology and experience heavily influence the quality of the final product and shouldn’t be confused with the benefits the cultivar can offer.
Which methodology did you use? Flower, vape, tincture, topical, suppository, pill, or edible? Your body processes each methodology differently, some with greater efficacy than others, and directly impacts your experience. What size of dose did you take: mg dose for tincture, edible, pills, suppository, and capsule; # of puffs for vape or flower. When monitoring your health it is important to track
The time you administer the dose and the time you feel the effects begin will help you track which form your body processes most efficiently and can reasonably establish timelines for future consumption.
If available, include the major terpenes and percentages listed on the packaging. People underestimate the benefits terpenes have on your health.
Tracking internal information is critical. To understand how a specific cultivar affects your body, you need two charts: a baseline (before dosing) and an after dose takes effect. I use a numeric system of 0 (not present) through 5 (strong presence). I encourage you to choose categories, both positive and negative, that you want addressed or avoided. To get you started, I consistently use: pain, stress, anxious, dizziness, happy, relaxed, euphoric, creative, and two “other” categories for new elements I want to track and finally, overall efficacy.
Since we are dependent upon what the cultivator chooses to grow, your chosen cultivar may not be available. I highly recommend identifying a few options to increase the likelihood of finding it in stock. Look for the profile that is most beneficial to what health issues you may have.
Before heading to the dispensary, think to yourself what you want to address your health or how you want to feel, then check your journal. Armed with the knowledge of what works for you, you’ll have a better chance of achieving the effect you are looking for with the cultivars you know to work OR you can make an educated guess based on terpene content to find a like kind cultivar if your first choice is not available.
Weedology Wil is a certified Medical Cannabis Advisor and has been an ongoing student of the healing properties of the cannabis plant for more than nine years. He is does not consider himself an expert and his viewpoints may change over time as our understanding of the plant evolves. His focus is on cannabis for supportive care to improve quality of life and does not promote cannabis as a cure. Wil is NOT a medical professional, does not dispense medical advice, nor does he know how cannabis interacts with traditional pharmaceuticals. It is strongly recommended that you speak with your medical team for these answers.
Visit and subscribe to his YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@wewicke
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