Here at Utahmarijuana.org, we strongly encourage Medical Cannabis patients to work closely with their QMP (Qualified Medical Providers) and PMP (Pharmacy Medical Providers) to determine the best possible dosage and delivery method. We also encourage patients to continually consult with their providers throughout the Medical Cannabis journey. This post will explain why.
For starters, the whole point of Utah’s Medical Cannabis program is to give patients access to an alternative medicine. And if cannabis is a medicine, it should be treated like one.
Every other prescription medication a person takes is prescribed by doctors who have a specific goal in mind. It is dispensed by pharmacists who know what effect the drug will have on the patient.
Patients routinely consult with their doctors and pharmacists to make sure they are using their prescription medications the right way. Why would it be different with Medical Cannabis? Things shouldn’t be any different. That leads us to the number one reason patients should work closely with their QMP and PMP: the risk of overconsumption.
To date, there have been no reports of cannabis users overdosing and dying from too much THC. Numerous studies have failed to identify a lethal dose of the cannabinoid for human beings. But all that said, it is possible to use too much THC during a given amount of time. In other words, overconsumption is possible.
When overconsumption occurs, it can result in unpleasant symptoms that can include:
In some cases, people experience confusion, paranoia, and hallucinations. They are the exception to the rule. For most people, overconsumption leads to the more prominent physical symptoms. They are not life-threatening, but they can be awfully scary.
THC overconsumption can make you feel bad enough that you want to run off to the emergency room. You will recover and life will go back to normal. But what about the mental and emotional fallout? One bad experience could give you the wrong impression of THC. A wrong impression could dissuade you from using Medical Cannabis in the future, possibly denying you a treatment option that would have been otherwise helpful.
It is often said that Medical Cannabis is as much a journey as it is a medication. We don’t disagree. Medical Cannabis is somewhat unique in the sense that we don’t yet have enough science to actually come up with defined prescription standards similar to those that apply to things like antibiotics and blood pressure medications.
This ultimately leads to the reality that patient and medical provider need to work together to figure things out. It means that every new patient needs to go through a period of trial and error before homing in on the best delivery methods and dosages. Their PMP and QMP are hopefully there to help guide them through.
Knowing what we know about the Medical Cannabis journey and the potential for over consumption, we urge patients to always track their consumption. Make a record of when you use, how much you use, your delivery method, and how it made you feel. That information is invaluable to your PMP as they help you figure things out.
Although there is no known lethal dose of THC for human beings, over consumption is possible. The risk of consuming too much in too short a time is the number one reason for working closely with your QMP and PMP throughout your Medical Cannabis journey.
