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The What, Why, And How Of Tolerance Breaks

About THC / All Strains / Cannabis / How to Choose / April 29, 2021

While there is a variety of reasons people use cannabis, one thing they all share in common is the THC tolerance they build during use.

What Is A Tolerance Break

Just as with many other chemical substances we consume, the body can build a resistance to the effects. This leads to having to ingest more of that substance to achieve the same effect. This physical change is referred to as tolerance. Although, you can probably learn to tolerate a lot of things from a mental standpoint, too.

With cannabis, tolerance can build rather quickly. As a result, users may take it upon themselves to step away from cannabis for a prescribed period. This is commonly referred to as a tolerance break or T-break.

Why People Take T-Breaks

While the physical resistance to the effects of THC can drive one to take a tolerance break, there are plenty of other benefits associated with taking a week or two off weed.

It’s probably of your best benefit to take a T-break intermittently for several reasons, if not just to get your tolerance down to a suitable level. Beyond a general tolerance, many people can develop a dependence on a feeling or ritual associated with their cannabis use. The dependencies are another compelling reason for people to consider a T-break.

One of the benefits beyond the tolerance reduction of a T-break is the fact that you’ll save a fair amount of money. After your break has ended, you can use that money to do something kind for someone you know or a total stranger. Treat yourself, if you like.

You have to smoke or eat or prepare cannabis through some other means more often with a higher tolerance. Taking a T-break is a way to free up that time and balance out the time you have to pursue other things beyond preparing for your next session.

After a T-break, the effects of cannabis can be felt more powerfully and through a clearer lens, if you can see what I’m trying to say. Feel like a lightweight all over again, revisit old experiences, and enjoy new ones.

Ultimately, some people find that they like their perspective through sobriety. If that’s the way you feel, then you can just keep that T-break going as long as you like. Without the break, you might overlook that bit of clarity and perspective about your unique situation.

These are just a few of the reasons why someone would take a T-break. If you’re considering one yourself or just want to know what it involves, keep reading.

How to take an effective T-break

So, you’ve made it this far and want to know how to take a T-break.

How about a little biology to set the mood. THC is stored in fat. The kind of fat that you and I have all over our bodies. In some places more densely than others. We keep fat around for a long time. It’s sort of our bodies’ stash for energy when they are hard-up on fuel. Why not keep some THC around for later too, right? I like my body. It’s always looking out for me.

So, why is that important? We’ll, it informs the process of taking a T-break.

That process is simple, but it can take a bit more time. If you’re a higher than average user or if you have a higher amount of fat in your body, this means you’ll likely have a lengthy T-break to take. If you’re a daily smoker or even multiple times a week, you’re probably going to have to dedicate at least three weeks away from weed. I know, it seems like an eternity. You just have to ask yourself, is it really worth it? You’ll remember those benefits of T-breaks you read above and have all the reasons you need to go ahead with it.

Plenty of people don’t keep their break going beyond the first week of the first attempt. Don’t get discouraged if this happens to you. Breaking your break can happen for any number of reasons. You may still have some stash lying around that you find later. Maybe, you met some friends at dinner and shared a session for dessert. We all slip up. Keep it a point to focus on your priority of getting that tolerance down. Don’t be afraid to sit the next few smoke outs out.

The timeframe may be something that turns you off of the whole process and that’s not uncommon. Just keep in mind, at some point you’ll know you need to take a T-break. You’ll even want to take one. It’s just a matter of how high your tolerance will become before you get to that point. And when you want to take that next step, you’ll know just what to do.

Some people have different approaches to how they tackle a T-break, I like chores and projects. However, that’s not everyone’s favorite combination, nor favorite distraction. Video games can be a great distraction, books, new hobbies, and crafts can all serve as support during your T-break.

However you choose to fill the time, keep in mind that you should strive to include a few reflections each day of your T-break. These reflections are about the balance and perspective I mentioned earlier.

Keeping a journal may be the easiest way to collect and catalog these reflections. You can keep track of the days in it, musings, cravings, creative thoughts, and any other observation you think is worthy to scribble while on your journey.

Setting yourself up for success will also take some planning, like a long weekend, or a period you will have a lot of activities around to make cravings easier to overlook. Or you could throw yourself into scenarios where it simply isn’t appropriate to toke up. Additionally, you’ll want to stow away any of your paraphernalia to cut down on temptation. Out of sight, out of mind. Lastly, let people know you’re taking a T-break. Otherwise, they might be offering continually because that’s how friends do. Save the explaining and awkward apologies, or peer pressure, but just stating the goal out loud.

Make yourself comfortable. By ensuring you have other comforts close by will help you enjoy the space you are in, rather than pining for an imagined ideal where pot is in the picture. Grab some of your favorite snacks, some select beverages, and maybe even splurge on a new pillow. Ah, sleep. This is one area that can be tough for some. Lots of people smoke before bedtime. By interrupting this routine before a critical process for all of us, achieving quality z’s can be difficult. Fortunately, that subsides soon enough and you’ll get good rest.

As you proceed through the break, you’ll experience highs of a different kind, and lows as a result of those other highs being absent. That’s part of the experience. Acknowledge your involvement and use your T-break to explore your experience in an alternative state of mind.

With any luck, you’ll be sailing from one end of your tolerance break to the other. Don’t be afraid of the few dips and bumps you catch on the way.

Just remember, when you reach the end of your break, you can choose to start using cannabis again or not. If you choose the former, ease back into your routine. While your last memories with cannabis may have been of you big chiefing, your lungs with thank you to take tolerable tokes. If you choose to abstain for a longer duration or for good, know some groups exist to support you in that choice. Ideally, your friends and family first. After them, NA, Reddit communities like r/leaves, and others are standing by.

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