Have you ever purchased something from a dispensary that you absolutely loved, but had a hard time remembering what it was on your next visit? With so many varieties of cannabis to choose from, it can be a challenge to navigate the assortment and keep track of what works. If you want to maximize the effectiveness of cannabis as a medical treatment, you should be keeping a cannabis journal.
Why Keep a Medical Cannabis Journal?
Individual strains and products impact everyone a little differently. Whether you’re a new patient or a seasoned cannabis user, testing out different cannabis options is a great way to determine what works or to make adjustments to your treatment plan. And the simplest way to keep it all straight is to start a cannabis journal.
A medical cannabis journal can help you discover, document, and remember your cannabis preferences and experiences. It can help you dial in the right strains, dosage, and usage so you know what you need for the daytime, nighttime, pain, etc. It can also help you stay away from things that don’t agree with you – like certain strains or consumption methods.
Your journal can help you see patterns that lead to an improvement of your symptoms, or things that end up being ineffective. It can also act as a portable record that you can take with you. Share it with your budtender or your doctor, and they can help make recommendations based on the experience you tracked.
Essential Things to Track as a Medical Cannabis Patient
If you are using cannabis to help manage symptoms, there are a few things you’ll want to make sure you track. Having this information handy when your symptoms come on can make all the difference in the world.
Baseline
Whether you medicate in the morning or when you get home from work, it’s important to note how you feel before dosing. What is your level of pain? Do you feel well-rested from the previous night? Did you have an unusually long or hard day at the office or feeling extra stressed? Tracking how you feel before taking cannabis can help you pinpoint what works for different circumstances.
Intake
Always note everything about the products you take. The brand name, the strain, cannabinoid amounts, THC:CBD ratios, and dosage. Don’t forget to note what time you dose and the consumption method. How and when you take cannabis can have as much impact on the outcome as the strain itself. The more information you track, the better you can dial in on what’s most effective for you.
Effects
How do you feel? When did you start to feel the effects and when did they begin to taper? What’s your level of pain? Do you feel drowsy, euphoric, or alert? Note how you feel mentally as well as physically. What is your mood? What is your level of intoxication? Don’t forget to track any side effects like dry mouth or increased appetite, and if you are treating insomnia, make sure to take a minute in the morning to track how you slept.
Diet and Exercise
Food, water intake, and physical activity can all play a role in how you feel at any given moment. Make sure to write down whether you ate, drank enough water, had too much coffee, or anything out of the ordinary. It could be that big greasy lunch that made your sleepy in the afternoon, rather than the new strain you’re trying.
Final Thoughts
Journaling can be a dynamic tool for wellness, and studies show that it can help with everything from improving communication skills to boosting self-confidence. But it can make a huge difference in your journey with medical cannabis.
With a massive variety of goods at your fingertips, keeping track of your experiences can help you make sense of it all without getting overwhelmed. Make the trial and error of finding the right products a whole lot simpler by starting a medical cannabis journal.
Need help finding the right medical cannabis products? We’d love to help! We’re always happy to schedule a consultation with you and help guide you towards the products best suited to your personal needs and goals.
