Learn how to use cannabis like the tool that it is.

BreeAnn

Mar 6·6 min read

For as long as cannabis has been popular, people have used it for different reasons. In recent years, it has been celebrated in recreational spaces, but its uses go well beyond that. With the right approach, cannabis can be a tool for productivity, creativity, and healing.

The era for functional cannabis use has arrived, and this is how we can embrace it.

What You Need to Know About the Two Types of Cannabis

Cannabis is an overarching term that covers two important subsets: hemp and marijuana.

From a scientific perspective, hemp and marijuana are the same plant. They look very similar to one another, and they have the same components internally. The primary difference is in how we have grown them, and this difference is more significant than you might think. In the same way that you might grow flowers to be a certain color, cannabis is grown to have certain attributes, which ultimately determines what you get from it.

While we can’t blame society for failing to see the difference between them after years of misinformation, it really is significant from a user perspective.

By now, everyone knows the shock of seeing products with pot leaves on the front of them in gas stations and grocery stores. Even for those who embrace cannabis, this has been a big change — and it also demonstrates how different marijuana and hemp really are.

The biggest distinction between the two is rooted in the cannabinoids within them. While both hemp and marijuana have THC and CBD in them, the concentrations are drastically different, and this causes very unique experiences.

Marijuana is made for its potent THC levels, and we are only getting better at increasing its potency. For a lot of us, this is a great thing, but THC isn’t for everyone. Not every user wants to risk getting high to experience some of those premium pot perks, and that’s okay.

Hemp is currently being bred for more practical uses. We like to use hemp for its physical materials, and now more than ever, we breed it for high CBD levels. Like THC, CBD is a cannabinoid, but it is one that comes without any intoxication. Basically, you get those traditional cannabis benefits (and a few more!) without getting high.

When it comes to getting the most out of your cannabis experience, it can be beneficial to try out both. Some people use small amounts of marijuana to stay productive while others prefer to keep their marijuana use recreational and opt for CBD products during the day.

How You Can Use Cannabis To Get More Out of Your Day

As a business owner, I have a near-constant need for productivity. I’m always working, which means that I need to be able to sustain my energy levels and keep a clear mind. Every business owner knows that while clients play a significant role in your success, they can also be your primary problem.

For my work, I’m a content creator. Every single day is spent writing content across various industries and working on and recording my podcast. Around that, I still need to find the time to sit on Twitter and interact with mutual or create the occasional Instagram post.

It is a lot, and considering the fact that I work in every industry, my brain does some gymnastics during the day. It isn’t easy to wake up and write about heart health, then switch over to writing the story for a video game. Most of us have some mental variation in our workday, and cannabis can help us to manage it when used in smaller doses.

Here are a few good ways to use cannabis to manage daily needs.

When You Need to Be Social

Work and even hobbies can be draining, which can put a strain on social interactions. I’ve found that a quick hit from my vape pen allows me to really relax and focus more wholly on the individual that I am interacting with, particularly when I’ve just dealt with someone a little more difficult. Cannabis is also great in a personal setting when you need to switch from work mode to home mode.

When You Need to Switch Gears

Moving from one project to the next isn’t always easy, and sometimes we need a manual reset. Cannabis is perfect for helping you to move on from one project to another with a clearer headspace. It can help you to relax and disconnect from the task that you just finished.

After a Long Day

If you reach for a bit of marijuana after a long day, you probably don’t realize that this is more medicinal than you would think. Cannabis can provide relief and relaxation after a hard day and allow you to leave your trials behind so that you can be more present for your family, your significant other, your pet, or your hobbies.

When You Need to be More Creative

The right kind of cannabis can work wonders for boosting your creativity. It allows you to open up your mind and really think outside of the box without judgment.

To learn more about how I use cannabis as a full-time creative, you can read my article here:

When You Need to Calm Down

Real-life is a lot harder than most of us were told it would be as children. Inevitably, we all find ourselves getting worked up. It might be because you had a bad talk with your boss, a confrontation with a coworker, or even just a spat with your partner. While you shouldn’t reach for cannabis every time you find yourself a little upset, it can be useful to help you to preserve the rest of your day, particularly when used in small doses. Sometimes it offers you enough calm to step away and focus on what needs to be done.

When You Are Doing Chores

While most of us have at least one chore that helps us to feel a little zen, a lot of chores are just plain painful. We all know the struggle of turning two hours' worth of chores into four just because we keep getting distracted or taking breaks. Cannabis can provide that clear mindset that allows you to stop being bored and simply get the task done.

When You Are Overwhelmed

Life has a funny way of compounding when we least expect it, sometimes for the worst. There will always be a day when we’re behind on emails, putting out fires, trying to get our usual work done, and need to manage our personal lives at the same time.

Being overwhelmed leads to racing thoughts, discomfort, and a feeling of helplessness. Cannabis is a useful tool when this occurs because it can help you to relax and focus on taking on your day one task at a time. With this, using a low dose is even more important because if you use too much, you will likely lose your day and get less done. Generally, this will just make matters worse.

How To Make Cannabis Work for You

While cannabis is fun for recreational use and that is absolutely a valid use for it, see if you can’t get a little more out of your cannabis use. Smoking a bunch and giggling on the couch can be good, but it doesn’t help you get the most out of your day.

Start working towards using smaller amounts in your daily life and see how it improves things. Shift away from the ‘get high’ mindset, and allow the more subtle benefits of cannabis to help your mind.

For the best results, try using it on smaller tasks outside of work and go from there. When in doubt, CBD is an amazing alternative to marijuana that can help in similar ways without any risk of getting high.

Cannabis is a far more useful tool than we give it credit for. If you are interested in learning more about the future of cannabis culture or how I use cannabis to run my business as a full-time creative, feel free to follow my Twitter or Instagram, or check out some of my other posts on the topic here: