Welcome to Ask The Leaf, where the Palm Springs Area’s foremost Cannabis Expert, Chansce Pittard, answers your questions. This post is sponsored by The Leaf, Palm Desert’s newest dispensary – coming soon to El Paseo. Let The Leaf’s cannabis consultants curate the perfect cannabis experience for your lifestyle! Have a question for a future Ask the Leaf article? Send it to The Leaf.
I have always been an anxious person and would love to have something I could take at work that would make dealing with people and going to meetings a little more bearable. The thing is, I am terrified to smoke weed before going into the office out of fear everyone is going to know that I am super high and I am getting anxious now just thinking about it. Is there something I can take for my anxiety that won’t get me too high to work?
– Amanda, La Quinta
This is a great question, Amanda – we encounter a ton of people that would like to enjoy the relaxing benefits of cannabis, but simply don’t have the ability or time to be slowed down during the day. Fortunately, you can count on CBD (Cannabidiol) to help solve this issue! But, you have to find the right product and dosage that fits your lifestyle, so learning how CBD works is a vital step to relieving your own anxiety.
Cannabis and close relatives to cannabis, like hemp, produce a fascinating array of molecules known as cannabinoids. Cannabinoids like THC and CBD interact with different receptors in our body, and provide a variety of effects with this interaction. Recent medical studies (such as Cannabidiol as a Potential Treatment for Anxiety Disorders, published in the Neurotherapeutics medical journal) has found that although CBD closely resembles THC on a molecular level, it does not provide euphoric or “high” effect, which makes CBD a perfect anti-anxiety option during your busy day.
Using CBD daily and getting a daily dose of the cannabinoid is the best way to see relief, it has not seemed to be as effective if it is only used in anxious moments.
Now that we have gained a little understanding for how CBD works, let’s dive into finding the right product for you! There are a plethora of CBD products, ranging from tinctures that are applied under the tongue, to tasty edible treats, and even pain relieving creams. As mentioned above, it is best to find a product that you can use each day – so product cost can sometimes play a factor. Just always be sure to find a reputable brand that has put in the effort to create a consistent product. We, at The Leaf, recommend finding a CBD tincture to introduce you to effects. We recommend a tincture, because it is a cost effective option that provides a consistent dose.
When starting out with cannabis products, it is always important to find the right dose (measured in milligrams or ‘mgs’ of CBD) for you as well. There are many theories as to where to start, but we have found that a good starting CBD dose is equal to ¼ of your body weight. So, a 200lb person can start with 50mg of CBD per day and adjust up or down from there, in 10mg increments. We also recommend using a consistent dose for 7-10 days to see if that is the right spot for you. Luckily, using too much CBD at a time can only provide a little sleepiness, so you are able to test out these products knowing that you won’t feel stoned and will be able to be effective during the work day.
If you would like to learn more about how cannabis works in our body, please come by The Leaf to have your questions answered by our professional and highly trained Cannabis Consultants.
We are ready to help you get more out of your day and kick anxiety on your own terms!
I read your first post about edibles and I was pretty impressed with your knowledge of the cannabis industry. What’s your story, man? How do you know so much about the marijuana industry?
– Cesar, Indio
Absolutely, I originally am a New Mexico native and have been a cannabis enthusiast for the last 12 years. Cannabis culture was always prevalent in my home town of Santa Fe; even before I had chosen to partake in cannabis myself, many people in my area spoke of its medical efficacy.
At the age of 15, my older sister Kate was diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer, which quickly sparked my interest in what cannabis could do for people dealing with severe medical issues. Not only did I start to learn about the benefits of cannabis for cancer patients, but I also found that certain strains of cannabis seemed to really help with my own anxiety relief and focus when I began going to college.
I graduated from an engineering university in New Mexico known as NM Tech with a background in Mechanical Engineering and Management. Behind closed doors, cannabis was incredibly useful for myself in the highly competitive and fast paced environment of NM Tech. After graduation, I had trouble keeping the passion I had once had for engineering, and began to think about where my future was headed. All the while, joining the cannabis industry sat in the back of my mind.
In my journey to find some passion in life, I had a short stint as an apprentice chocolatier. Toward the end of that time I saw a small Facebook ad that was promoting a new cannabis dispensary opening up in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I quickly sent out my resume and cover letter to this company and, less than 24 hours later, I was hired as one of PurLife’s first budtending staff.
One year later I was recognized as New Mexico’s Top Budtender and worked my way into a dispensary management role. At this point I was very proud to be a professional in the booming cannabis industry, but decided to explore the recreational cannabis markets so I could further expand my knowledge. Less than a year ago, I decided to move to California, and explore this amazing state.
In a serendipitous turn, I found The Leaf in Palm Desert. After being welcomed to the team, I quickly saw that The Leaf is the perfect workplace for me to grow in the industry. The Leaf has gone to great lengths to put the consumer first and raise the standard for cannabis retail in the United States. I am excited to manage such a professional business and we are all ecstatic to show you what the new era in cannabis will be.
I look forward to meeting all of you when we open on El Paseo next week.
Have a question for a future Ask the Leaf article? Send it to The Leaf.
