It's All About Dosage

How dosage effects the medicine and the desired outcome.

The other day I was on BART, not intentionally overhearing two adults talk loudly about life. They first discussed the trucks they have owned, then Disneyland, and shortly before getting off the train, their personal experiences with using cannabis.

They had really mixed reviews, describing they had tried different products, from different dispensaries and different types of extracts from edibles to smokables. They seemed a bit confused, comparing brands, their feelings conflicted as they retold the stories of their experiences.

I quietly minded my own business, and I couldn't stop thinking:

"It's all about the dosage."

This misunderstanding is all too common. Our dominant culture tends to over-look how important the right dosage really is.

Imagine this: if a person enjoys a lemonade on a hot day, it can be satisfying and even hydrating. Yet, 17 lemonades in a row might leave the same person with puckered lips, heartburn and a raw feeling in their mouth.

Another example, if a person with a dairy intolerance and a person without a dairy intolerance split an ice cream Sunday, the person with the dairy intolerance will inevitably eat much less of the dessert than the person who can digest dairy just fine! Why?

Because the medicine is in the dosage.

The dominant American culture loves to party hard, and as an herbalist, I often see people dose herbs, food, or lifestyle choices higher than is needed for the intended outcome. While this can result in a very negative outcome like the opioid epidemic, which frankly is a different story from what I'm getting at, but worth mentioning considering the times we live in.

What happens more often with herbs, is much less extreme, yet still undesirable. A few examples of dosing too-high with herbs that I've seen include:

Valerian: repetitive dreams, a "hang-over" feeling in the morning
Lobelia: nausea and vomiting
Cannabis: paranoia, anxiety, stress

Furthermore, many people who are trying herbal medicine on their own might take an ineffective dose, or too little of a substance to have the intended effect. Some examples I've seen of this are:

Brewing tea with not enough plant material, or for too short of a duration.
Using supplements that are old or of poor quality (may supplements contain fillers or start with low herb quality).
Taking an herb only once, like Echinacea when trying to fight a cold can be ineffective.

The take away here is that each person has a unique chemistry and biology that will react differently to the potency and dosage of each plant differently. An herb that might work great for me, might not "work" at all for you, dear reader.

I often recommend folks start with herbs that are gentle and common. If a person is dealing with stress or insomnia, sure they could try cannabis. Or, they could start with herbs that are much more gentle like mint, lavender, chamomile or rose. A gentle shift can go a long way.

Keep in mind, starting with the lowest effective dose, and working up the amount, frequency or potency is wise. Each person will need to find the dosage that works best for them for their intended outcome.

If you're up for modulating a dosage at home through trial and error, go for it! It's also helpful to look for guiding resources like community classes, checking out herbal books at the library or seeking advice from an herbalist.

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