Certainly hitting the bong like you’re Cheech and Chong can be a lot of fun; cannabis is a fantastic substance with a large variety of uses, from recreational to medicinal and even industrial. That said many enthusiasts go for the joint without giving much thought to how it can directly impact their psyche. As Cannabis has just become legalized for recreational use in Canada, we wanted to address how a person can take advantage of Cannabis to improve their mental state and get the most from their marijuana.

The real scientific verdict on cannabis as a medicinal solution for depression is up in the air. Depression is complicated and has a variety of causes from genetic to substance abuse. This article is not intended to claim that cannabis is a solution for depression or advocate drug usage as a solution to life’s problems and should not be taken as medical advice. Instead, it is intended, to offer suggestions on how it can be used as a tool to help reduce stress and improve one’s frame of mind.

Begin with the end in mind

We live in a world where we are always under the weight of stress. Stress over our work, payments, our families, stress from grief or loss, student loans and so on. This perpetual bombardment leaves lasting imprints on our psyches and behaviors, sometimes obviously and sometimes in more subtle and even subconscious ways. Similarly, it’s important to understand where the root of the stress is coming from. Are you feeling stress as a byproduct of your body being overextended? Do you stare at a computer screen for 14 hours a day and have difficulty focusing or sleeping? Do you have a social gathering or speech coming up that you just know is going to give you anxiety?

By determining the heart of your stress, you can then determine the where and how of what cannabis products to enjoy and what tools to deploy them with. If sleep deprivation is your crux maybe a bong or bubbler is your best bet. If it’s physical stress, perhaps message oils or edibles are the way to go! Anxiety? Try CBD! There are a variety of ways to ingest cannabis and cannabinoids and knowing what your body needs is a vital part of the process.

There’s a time and place for Everything

Another subjective but essential part of enjoying the experience of cannabis is the where and when. For some, marijuana is a social experience, for others, it’s very reclusive. If you know that you’re prone to anxiety when high, maybe don’t decide to rip a bong right before you go socializing. Or if you’re looking to unwind and decompress maybe take a hiatus from highly stimulating activities like cellphones and dancefloors. It seems obvious but the number of times we’ve seen people do something they’ll immediately regret is borderline uncountable, so for the safe measure, we’ll say it one last time — make sure your surroundings reflect the experience you want to achieve.

Know your dosage

Not everything needs to go ‘balls-to-the-walls’ crazy. We’d argue that nine out 10 ten times, life really doesn’t warrant being excessive. Not only that but knowing how much to take given what you’re doing will save you from a night of full-body paralysis (green-out). Cannabis is often treated as a “low-key,” substance, but it’s not to be underestimated, especially if you don’t smoke often. There’s also nothing wrong with micro-dosing, which we actually recommend if you’re trying to achieve a more subtle goal like being more social. So weigh it out, do your research and be smart.

Pick your poison

We already covered this a little earlier but dude, pick the right tool for the job. Nothing wrong with a classic joint but that doesn’t mean that it’s always the right way to go. CBD, for example, can be ingested as an oil, which I guarantee is going to go a lot better for you than strolling into work smelling like you walked out of a Humboldt County grow-op.

Similarly, picking the right strain is another crucial part of the experience. While with something like wine comes down to what tastes you prefer, selecting the right strain of cannabis is the difference between being calm, cool, and collected and falling out of your head and into the universe (don’t ask, it was weird). If you need to do some research on what works best for you we always recommend hopping over to Leafly which is an excellent resource for getting to know your weed.

Enjoy the ride

This one really speaks for itself. Sit back, relax, and take in the moment. Even if you feel like maybe you took to much, just remember that it’s temporary and just allow yourself to enjoy the journey. When we dwell too much on something like “I want to feel less stressed,” we become hyper-aware of the fact we don’t presently feel relaxed. Often, by allowing our minds to drift we tap into the full potential of the moment and without realizing it, we achieve our goals. so chill out!

That’s all there is to it, by acting on these simple steps you’ll begin to dial in your ideal marijuana experience. Oh yeah, and stay hydrated.