What’s Your Tolerance, Bruh?

Depending on what age range you decided to try cannabis, how often you partook and for how long, you might have stumbled upon a particularly strong session where you just didn’t get ‘that high’. Or, if you start early one day and go all day – it just doesn’t hit as hard. Welcome to Tolerance.

This will be a wild ride in today’s column because we are also talking genetics, folks with red hair and genetic recessiveness. Away we go…

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Have you ever consumed so much that you ‘sobered’ yourself up? The same can happen with both cannabis and alcohol. Also, as many of us know, the longer you partake and imbibe, the higher quantity it takes to feel the same effects. That’s what so many people tend to chase, is that first time foray and often find it unobtainable.

Yet, we as a species persist in our attempts. So, in short, “What is Tolerance?”

“Tolerance is a person’s diminished response to a medication or substance, which occurs when the medication or substance is used repeatedly and the body adapts to the continued presence of the medication or substance. Resistance refers to the ability of microorganisms or cancer cells to withstand the effects of a medication usually effective against them.”

Picture this: your 21^st birthday, I am sure that there were drinks galore if that was your perspective at the time. When you first started consuming alcohol, it probably took less to get you inebriated. Same with cannabis. Or, at times the more you use, the more it takes to achieve the same desired level of inebriation.

“Cannabis is the most commonly used federally illegal drug in the United States; 52.5 million people, or about 19% of Americans, used it at least once in 2021.”

Tolerance is also one of the things that vary from person-to-person. Some people are either blessed or cursed, depending on which side of the token you stand, to having high tolerances to alcohol, cannabis, pain & anesthesia. Try researching and looking up the MC1R gene in red-headed people.

“Research has shown that people with red hair perceive pain differently than others. They may be more sensitive to certain types of pain and can require higher doses of some pain-killing medications. However, studies suggest that their general pain tolerance may be higher. People with red hair also respond more effectively to opioid pain medications, requiring lower doses. 

People with red hair have a variant of the melanocortin-1 receptor (MC1R) gene. This gene controls the production of melanin, the pigment that gives skin, hair, and eyes their color. The cells that make melanin produce two forms—eumelanin and pheomelanin. People with red hair produce mostly pheomelanin, which is also linked to freckles and fair skin that tans poorly.”

“MC1R is a recessive gene. This means that two copies (one inherited from each parent) are required for the trait to be observed. In this case, two copies of the variant are required for the child to be a redhead. In other words, if only one copy of the variant is inherited, the trait will not be seen, i.e., the child will not have red hair, but they will be a carrier and able to pass the variant on to the next generation. Therefore, two carriers (non-redheads) will be able to have a red-haired child. This is called autosomal recessive inheritance and understanding it allows us to predict the chances of having a child with red hair.”

Redheads have two copies of the variant; therefore, if both parents have red hair then their offspring will also have red hair. If one parent has red hair and the other is a carrier, there is a 50% chance that a child will inherit red hair, and two non-redheads carrying the recessive gene have a 25% chance of having a child with red hair.”

If you made it this far – you might be asking what the heck does this have to do with Cannabis & Tolerance? Literally, everything.

Your genetic makeup can make you more susceptible to cannabis consumption or LESS susceptible to cannabis consumption. Which could be why a little goes a long way but your sibling might have to smoke and smoke and smoke and smoke to keep getting the feeling. Also, hydration, did you eat well before, did you sleep well last night? Do you have sleep apnea? All of these things can be partial implicants in you reaching your desired level of indulgence.

Keep all this in mind if you have to go into surgery. Consult with your doctor and the anesthesiologist about cannabis consumption use. You might consider tapering cannabis pre-op so that the general anesthesia works better and goes smoother? We aren’t medical pros – so consult with them first!

So that brings us to our final stop of the tolerance discussion – and that is the T-break, The Tolerance Break is the self-imposed cannabis hiatus for a set amount of time. Is it necessary? It’s not, but we encourage everyone to take a break from time to time. If you can dip out of the consumption for 7 – 14 – 30 days, you will find possible benefits from repurposing your energy and time! Also, when you do reenter the cannabis consumption train, the first few times could peel your eyelids off – so always, take your time, enjoy the ride.

The ins-and-outs of cannabis consumption differ from person to person, can change over time and for the casual consumer, need to be stair-stepped into for the best experience. As always, cannabis use is a person-by-person experience, so not everyone’s experience is the same. Take your time, enjoy the ride. Email me: leo@leoweekly.com

Remember, we’re not telling you to use cannabis, but if you do, be informed.

This article appears in Dec. 1-31, 2025.