Tools
Which form for which goal
The form matters as much as the strain. Fast forms suit symptoms that come and go; slow forms suit symptoms that last all day or all night. Pick your goal to see where Tiffany would start.
First try
Edible or tincture, 1 to 2 hours before bed
The long duration lines up with a night's sleep, and the slow onset gives you time to wind down.
Timing matters. Take it too early and you may wake in the night; too late and you can feel groggy in the morning.
Also consider
Inhaled flower or vape, 20 minutes before bed
The fast onset helps when the problem is falling asleep in the first place.
It wears off sooner, so it may not keep you asleep through the whole night.
Avoid
Usually a poor fit
Strongly stimulating sativa-labelled products in the evening.
Every goal at a glance
The same guidance for all goals, so a printed copy is complete.
| Goal | First try | Also consider | Avoid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trouble falling or staying asleep | Edible or tincture, 1 to 2 hours before bed | Inhaled flower or vape, 20 minutes before bed | Strongly stimulating sativa-labelled products in the evening. |
| Chronic, ongoing pain | Tincture or capsule, on a schedule 2 to 3 times a day | Transdermal patch | Nothing specific |
| Anxiety | Higher-CBD tincture (CBD to THC ratio of 2:1 or more) | Vaped flower, one small puff, as needed | Nothing specific |
| Nausea (chemo, migraine, GI) | Inhaled flower or vape, small dose | Tincture under the tongue | Edibles. They cannot help with what you cannot keep down. |
| Inflammatory pain, arthritis | Topical cream or balm on the affected area | Oral CBD-forward tincture | Nothing specific |
| Appetite loss | Low-dose edible, 60 to 90 minutes before a meal | Vaped flower, 15 minutes before a meal | Nothing specific |
| Muscle spasms (including MS-related) | Tincture under the tongue, 1:1 THC to CBD | Vaped flower when a spasm starts | Nothing specific |
| Nerve pain, neuropathy | Scheduled capsule or tincture, 1:1 or 2:1 CBD to THC | Transdermal patch | Nothing specific |
These are starting points from the counter, hedged the way the evidence is hedged. Timing for each form is on the onset timeline, and starting amounts are in the dose planner.