Is Your Marijuana Safe?

The word “safe”, when used to describe marijuana, can mean several things. Safe to consume, safe dosage, and safe storage are just a few. Ideally, your experience with marijuana should be as safe as possible. In this article, we’ll explore your choices and how you might achieve that level of safety that gives you the best experience in your journey to better health.

The Source of Marijuana

Marijuana can be obtained from several sources, including homegrown, recreational, consumable hemp, and medical marijuana.

Homegrown – Marijuana that’s grown by an individual has no guarantee of safety, nor is the grower required to meet any safety standards. This one is pretty much consume at your own risk.

Recreational – Though not legal in Louisiana or Mississippi, some states have legalized recreational marijuana. Safety standards for recreational marijuana vary by state, but generally focus on preventing contamination and ensuring products meet quality standards. This includes testing for contaminants like pesticides, heavy metals, and mold, and verifying the THC content and potency of products. Additionally, regulations often address packaging requirements, labeling, and age restrictions.

Consumable hemp – The burden of quality typically falls on retailers, who must ensure the product is safe for consumption by being free of heavy metals, pesticides, harmful microorganisms, and residual solvents. Additionally, CHPs sold must not contain more than 0.3 percent of Delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Some states have reduced THC levels to zero, including Louisiana.

Medical Marijuana – In states with medical marijuana programs, safety standards typically focus on product quality, testing, and patient access. These standards vary by state, but generally include requirements for licensed growers and processors, third-party testing for potency and contaminants, and patient registration and record-keeping. Louisiana is one of the only states that currently does not require patient registration.

Safety standards for medical marijuana typically include:

1. Product quality and testing for potency and contaminants, including pesticides, heavy metals, and harmful microorganisms.
2. Products are typically tested by licensed third-party independent laboratories to ensure accurate and reliable results.
3. Products are required to have clear labeling with information on potency, ingredients, and warnings.
4. To ensure quality control, many states require growers and processors to obtain licenses and adhere to specific regulations for cultivation, processing, and manufacturing. Louisiana and Mississippi both have these requirements.
5. Some states may adopt Good Manufacturing Policy guidelines to ensure consistent and safe product manufacturing. Louisiana and Mississippi have GMP Guidelines.
6. Patients are required to have a valid prescription or recommendation from a physician licensed in their state to purchase medical marijuana.
7. OSHA workplace safety requirements must be met by the growing facility.

State laws vary as to which of these resources are legal. But, in Louisiana and Mississippi, only medical marijuana and consumable hemp can be legally purchased.

Safest Marijuana to Consume

Since medical marijuana is provided under the supervision of a state-licensed physician and a licensed pharmacist, it would typically be considered safer to consume than marijuana from other sources. However, it’s important to remember that instructions from your medical marijuana physician and pharmacist should be followed and any issues reported back so that they can be corrected.

Here are some tips to keep your consumption safe:

1. Your pharmacist will recommend the products for you to consume that will not interfere with your other medications. Be sure to share all medications you’re currently taking with your medical marijuana doctor.
2. According to Harvard Health, the safest delivery methods are an under-the-tongue tincture, an edible, a topical product, or a dry herb vaporizer. Try to avoid smoking marijuana, as it can inflame your lungs.

Safest Marijuana Dosage

The safest dosage depends completely on the patient, their medical condition, and pharmaceuticals or narcotics they may also be consuming.

1. Keep in mind that if you consumed marijuana in the 1970s or 80s, the strength of today’s cannabis is much stronger.
2. Starting with 1 mg to 2.5 mg of THC is generally considered best practice for cannabis edibles, beverages, and tinctures.
3. A general rule of thumb is “start low and go slow”. Give your body time to adjust to a dose before increasing it.

Safest Marijuana Storage

Most recreational and medical marijuana, as well as consumable hemp, will provide storage instructions on the label. However, if you don’t see those instructions, here’s a handy reference you can use.

CHAD

COOL (keep in a cool place),

HUMIDITY (store in a place with low humidity to avoid mold),

AIRTIGHT (store in an airtight container),

DARK (store in a dark place and not in direct sunlight).

Get Started

Is your marijuana safe? The best way to protect your safety when considering marijuana is to speak with a medical marijuana physician. If you’re ready to get started on your safest, healing journey, the cannabis specialists and physicians are ready to help. Just click the button below to get started.