Virginia’s medical marijuana program barely got off the ground before everyone got excited about adult-use legalization going into effect for Summer 2021. This may actually be a bit discouraging for anyone who is trying to navigate their way into better health through medicinal cannabis, but we are here to help!
There is often a significant amount of overlap between people who qualify for a marijuana card using cannabis for their health, and those who just enjoy cannabis for fun.
However, there are a couple of categories of cannabis users who are getting overlooked in the hoopla over recreational legalization: Beginners and people with a low tolerance for THC.
Everyone deserves to have the opportunity to take control of their treatment plan, and education is the key to empowerment. At Virginia Marijuana Card, we are here to help both the novice and the aficionado get relief with understanding and confidence.
Our customer support staff is here six days a week to answer your questions when you call us at (888) 633-5808, and our compassionate doctors offer unlimited follow-up appointments to ensure the best care for the time that you have a valid card through us.
Lightweights, novices, and people who just feel hesitant, this post is for you! We’re going to help you understand getting started using medical marijuana in Virginia, and make some suggestions for the best products you can find in Virginia dispensaries when you’re a beginner.
Let’s Make it Clear: Medical Marijuana is the Only Kind of Marijuana That Will be Legal to Purchase Virginia Until 2024
Starting on July 1, 2021, you can possess marijuana in Virginia, and you can grow marijuana plants in Virginia, but no one can sell it. This means that there is nowhere to legally purchase it outside of medical dispensaries in the state.
That being said, most people who live in Virginia live within the delivery zone of at least one of the four operating dispensaries. You can have a full range of cannabis products including vape pens, topicals, edibles, and soon flower, delivered right to your door!
You Probably Qualify for Medical Marijuana in Virginia
Medical marijuana is recognized in Virginia and all across the US as a legitimate treatment for a long list of conditions. If you haven’t been diagnosed with anything on Virginia’s list of qualifying conditions, you may still be eligible. Doctors have the discretion to recommend medical marijuana for anything they think would benefit from treatment with cannabis.
If you are unsure if you might qualify, give us a call at (888) 633-5808, and we can help you figure out if it would be beneficial for you to have an appointment with one of our doctors.
Virginia Dispensaries Offer a Wide Variety of Products
Virginia’s dispensaries have a large selection of products that are perfect for beginners, and we can help you figure out the best way to get started no matter what your tolerance level is. When you have a Virginia marijuana card, you can order products with low THC for a gentle experience, or you can get products that have a high concentration of THC to treat more severe symptoms.
For People With a Low Tolerance: Start Low, Go Slow
Knowing which products work for you and how much to take can require a bit of experimentation. While we think that this is part of the fun, we don’t want to see you give up on cannabis to treat your condition because of a bad experience.
We tell everyone who is new to cannabis (or has taken a long hiatus from it) to start low and go slow. We want you to start feeling better as quickly as possible, but it generally takes a bit of time to understand how your body will respond to your new treatment.
Don’t Mix and Match New Cannabis Products
Mixing and matching can be a lot of fun once you know which products produce which effects. And we encourage you to try everything on the shelves at Virginia dispensaries if you want. Just try them one at a time if you are concerned about your level of tolerance. When you start using a new cannabis product, we suggest waiting a month before adding anything else to be completely sure of the results.
Increase Your Dose Gradually
Edibles
Edibles are a favorite among people who use medical marijuana for pain. They are discreet and they can last up to eight hours. They can be challenging to master, however, because they may take up to two hours to kick in.
Great Gummies for Beginners at Virginia Dispensaries
GLeaf Cola II edible chews - 8.68MG THC/5.85mg CBD per chew
Dharma Pharmaceuticals Fruit Punch - 8.6mg THC/6.9mg CBD
How to Get Started With Edibles
The effects of edibles can sneak up on you, so we suggest clearing your calendar when trying them for the first time. Make sure you eat something light, and drink plenty of water to stay hydrated.
Start with half a gummy.
If you feel like the first dose wasn’t enough after two hours, take the other half of the gummy.
Take note of how you feel after each dose, but don’t take more than two doses in a given day.
If you end up feeling like you took too much, don’t panic. Know that the effects will subside within a couple of hours. Eat something, drink some water, and watch something good on TV.
Once you’re comfortable with the effects, you can work your way into taking a larger dose at once instead of breaking it into two. Pick another day when you don’t have much to do and take the full gummy at once.
Repeat the process until you’ve found your sweet spot!
Sublingual Tinctures
With sublingual tinctures, you have a couple of different options for dosing. You can either take them sublingually, or you can add them to food and beverages or swallow them like an edible. If you take a tincture sublingually, then it will take effect within 20 to 60 minutes. If you take it like an edible, it will work like an edible and take up to two hours to kick in.
Taking a tincture like an edible means that you can follow the guidelines for getting started with an edible. Simply replace “gummy” with “dropperful.” If you’re going to take it sublingually, then you can still follow the guidelines for edibles. Just cut your wait time between the first dose and the second dose down to one hour instead of two.
Great Tinctures for Beginners at Virginia Dispensaries
GLeaf 22:1 Green Apple tincture 33.7mg CBD/1.5mg THC per dropperful
Dharma Pharmaceuticals Blue Raspberry tincture - 8.7mg THC/5.4mg CBD per dropperful
Vaping
Vaping cannabis will produce the fastest results out of any of the product formats available in Virginia. As of June 2021, you can only find vape products at Virginia dispensaries, but flower should be available by the end of summer!
When you take cannabis products through inhalation, they generally start taking effect within five to ten minutes. This makes it much easier to gauge and control what’s going to happen next. Vaped products also start to wear off within one to three hours, which makes it easier to plan your day if you are going to use enough to get impaired.
Lower THC Vape Cartridges at Virginia Dispensaries
GLeaf Martian Monkey II (12.87% THC/45.1% CBD)
GLeaf Orangutan Haze (27.4% THC/17.6% CBD)
How to Get Started With Vaping Cannabis
Take one, three-second puff, then and wait for at least ten minutes before taking any more. Keep going until you’ve hit your sweet spot, make note of how much it took to get you there, and enjoy your next session with confidence!
Virginia Marijuana Card is Here to Answer Your Questions!
At Virginia Marijuana Card, our goal is to help you get all the information you need in order to make the best choices for your health. If you are still feeling hesitant to try medical marijuana for your symptoms, give our dedicated patient support team a call at (888) 633-5808.
We can help you understand the available products and how to use them, and we offer unlimited follow-up appointments for the entire time your card is valid with us if you use our physician referral service.
What are you waiting for? Make an appointment today, to start getting the relief you deserve!
Doctors Who Care. Relief You Can Trust.
At Virginia Marijuana Card, our mission is helping everyone achieve wellness safely and conveniently through increased access to MMJ. Our focus on education, inclusion, and acceptance will reduce stigma for our patients by providing equal access to timely information and compassionate care.
Call us at (888) 633-5808, or simply book a medical marijuana evaluation to start getting relief you can trust today!
Check out Virginia Marijuana Card’s Blog to keep up to date on the latest medical marijuana news, tips, and information. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to join the medical marijuana conversation in Virginia!