It’s been a long time since I studied economics in college and I’m certainly out of practice, however I do think it’s fair to say that the economy is thoroughly ratfucked. It feels like everyday things gets more expensive while the quality gets worse and worse. It’s enough to make you want to spark up and forget it all, oh but your city taxes weed at >20% so even that is getting ridiculous. Today we’re going to discuss top strategies for saving money on weed including; dry herb vaporization, tolerance resets, growing your own, changing your schedule and more.
It's important to note that a lot of the benefits of these suggestions pay off more the more weed you consume. So, if you’re a lightweight we’re not saying to consume more, just that you could be saving a lot more money. Cannabis – the infinite money glitch. The more you buy the more you save.
Dry Herb Vaporization
We completely understand if you’re entering this paragraph with some trepidation. Dry herb devices do not commonly have a great reputation in the U.S. and we have a theory for why. When you go into the majority of smoke shops in this country currently, most do not favor dry herb vaporization because it is a small percentage of their total sales. Because of this, over time they’ve reverted to purchasing lower-quality products as their customers don’t seem to care. This has created a bit of a chicken and egg scenario where customers don’t have demand for poor quality dry herb vapes, and the smoke shops interpret this as customers don’t have any interest in dry herb vapes at all.
Conversely, with our Denver showroom dedicated to cutting edge devices we here at Ritual Colorado are extremely strict about what products hit our shelves. We only carry what we personally use and our dry herb vaporizers are sure to give you a satisfying session. And one of the most satisfying aspects of that session is while you’ll still end up nice and toasty, in the process you will have consumed a fraction of the weed you would have if you were burning it. The extreme temperatures that come off a flame end up destroying a decent percentage of the active ingredients in your material which is why you have to smoke a lot more flower to get to the same place as a smaller ball vape bowl.
For me personally when I switched from 6-8 bong bowls per day to dry herb vaporization it was crazy how far my flower stretched. I did start with a Dynavap which is one of the most efficient devices available, but also had a more powerful desktop to ensure I wasn’t tempted to go back out to the garage for a bowl. The most beautiful part of the conversion process was that I never felt the need to restrict my consumption. Because I could see how much less flower I was going through, I never felt guilt if I smoked an “extra” bowl compared to what I thought should be good. But as my body transitioned, I found less desire to add extra bowls in during the day and that I was getting a longer lasting, cleaner high off of less than half the weed. The exact number is personal, but I do think an estimate of 50% less weed consumed is true for myself and friends who have similarly converted.
Tolerance Resets
We think it’s important to start with the caveat that this one is most applicable to recreational users looking to save some money on their weed use. For medical users we advise caution around a tolerance break / reset and advise discussing with your care team to determine the best path forward. If you’re still considering it, the next paragraphs are just for you!
This isn’t a punishment; this is an economical decision. Repeat x100 on a chalkboard and maybe you’ll start to believe it. But no matter how much rationalizing we do, it’s really hard to view a reduction in consumption of your favorite plant as positive. However, as we consume over time our cannabinoid receptors become accustomed to the presence of cannabinoids, requiring higher doses to achieve the desired effects. Taking a break allows the endocannabinoid receptors to reset and regain sensitivity, leading to a more efficient response to lower doses when you get back to a regular schedule. From an economic standpoint, a tolerance reset can be very effective at getting you nice and high off of much smaller doses, saving substantial funds.
Now why do we keep saying tolerance reset instead of the traditional tolerance break? Well while we believe the process can be beneficial, we also believe it can be done with much less bodily impact compared to a cold-turkey approach. We’re big fans of the Sensitization Program over at healer.com. This involves a 48-hour THC fast, followed by an extremely gradual re-introduction. The slow re-introduction is key as it helps build cannabinoid receptors much quicker than a cold-turkey approach. By the end of day 6 your tolerance will have changed (likely substantially) so be careful with your first regular session and make sure you increase usage slowly.
Changing Your Schedule
One of the most effective ways for me to reduce my weekly cannabis consumption is to just slightly shift my daily schedule. As many vapers and dabbers know, once you pop you don’t stop! It’s very common that once THC consumption begins for the day, that it is generally maintained until the end of the day. This certainly isn’t a hard and fast rule, but we do think it applies to a lot of people. So instead of rolling out of bed and having that wake and bake, maybe resist the devil’s lettuce until after lunch. If you’re accustomed to a first thing in the morning hit, you’ll also find that first bowl after waiting until lunch will knock you back!
It is worth mentioning that this advice is not relevant for all consumers, specifically medical consumers who should stick to the dosage and schedules advised by your care team. But if you’re a recreational user looking to cut back ~20-30% without a big lifestyle change we think pushing your first bowl back to later in the day is an effective method.
Grow Your Own
As long as it’s legal (wink wink) where you live growing your own flower can be a great way to save money. While it does come with some upfront investment, if you’re careful you should be able to pay that off many times over down the road. Additionally, by growing your own weed you have the ability to choose strains and conditions that are your preferences vs. relying on what’s available at the dispensary.
Make Edibles with Your Vaped Bud
One of the biggest benefits of dry herb vaporization is that at the end of the process you still have some use for the material. Instead of being left with a pile of ash, you have browned plant material that has been activated and is ready to start cooking with. The process of dry herb vaporization also serves to decarb your material which basically just means to heat up the THC to the point that it can be absorbed by ingestion. So theoretically you can just slap some of your already vaped bud (“AVB”) on top of a graham cracker with peanut butter and you got yourself an edible. However, we generally prefer to refine the process a bit with a “water cure” where you put your AVB in a French press and refresh the water daily for a week until it runs clear. This removes all of the smell components of your AVB without sacrificing the potency since THC is not water soluble. It’s best to complete this step with a dehydrator to remove all moisture and ensure your AVB is shelf stable.
Another alternative is to take your AVB (can be done before or after water-curing) and gently poach it in a fat which will absorb the active components. Clarified butter or ghee are favorites of the Ritual Colorado team, but it’s also a lot of fun to experiment with different fats and give yourself lots of cooking options. Simply strain it and you have a beautiful infused cooking base.
In Conclusion
Got any other tips for us? We’re all ears. Let us know your favorite way to save some dough on your weed with the fewest compromises possible. Thanks for reading, now go smoke a bowl and forget everything you learned.