If you’re reading this, it’s safe to say that you’re probably a big fan of cannabis. And the reasons you love it are likely similar to the reasons it’s handy to keep a cannabis journal. Cannabis is complicated and varied, offering a diverse range of experiences and potential activities. Keeping track of aspects of your use makes it easier to have the kind of experience that you’re after.

Reasons to Keep a Cannabis Journal

There are plenty of reasons to take pen to paper. Here are a few to get you started:

• Keep Track of Great Strains and Products: When you have a canna-experience that you want to repeat, it’s really helpful to note what was involved. While there are several factors at play, the cannabis strain and/or product you used is certainly a big one.
• Remember Strains and Products You Don’t Love: Of course, the other side of the coin is making sure not to repeat experiences that you didn’t enjoy. That way-too-much sativa that left you frazzled – she’s outta there.
• Make Excellent Stoney Plans: Being able to reflect on what you enjoyed doing last time you had a strain or product will help you to make plans accordingly. That time the just-right sativa met a hiking trail – happening again, stat!
• Create Awareness Around Your Cannabis Use: Intentionally creating awareness around your cannabis use is a great wellness move. It’s a powerful plant and documenting its effects for clarity helps take advantage of that fact.
• Make It Special: It’s also a plant that’s been used for millennia in sacred practices around the world. Keeping a journal is a great way to honor your engagement with cannabis.
• Medical Reasons: When you employ cannabis as your medicine, keeping track of factors is crucial to doing so optimally. When you have a flare of symptoms, it’s handy to be able to look back and see what helped (or didn’t) last time.
• Canna-Tourism: Recalling previous cannabis-related purchases can already be…hazy, as it is, but throw in a whole new place and the excitement of traveling, and most of us will be at a loss when trying to give recommendations weeks later.
• Compare Strain Variations: For those of you who are loyal to certain strains, you know that they can vary from brand-to-brand or even batch-to-batch. Remember who’s got buds that are most true to phenotype.

How to Keep a Wildly Helpful Journal

Ready to get started? Consider the following:

• Choose Your Notebook: The big question here is, “digital or analog?” Choose what’s most convenient for you, are you more likely to grab a notebook or use an app? Which is more appealing to you? Does it need to be discreet?
• Write Down Whatever’s Useful to You: Note things that you care about and will want to remember. Some ideas – flavor, how you felt, what you did, best features, worst features, dispensary purchased at, how much you had, how long products took to kick in, and state of mind before/after.
• Don’t Forget Health Aspects: Cannabis is often medically helpful for even recreational users. Noting things like a headache vanishing, or aspects like what you ate/drank before and after are very helpful when tracking issues. Other health factors – sleep, exercise, therapy, hormone cycles, medications, essential oils, etc.
• Use Ratings: Find an indica that’s a 10 on pain relief but a real 0 for motivation? Note it for next time you need a lazy couch recuperation night.
• Make It Personal and Fun: This is just for you, so include random stuff that future you will enjoy. If you’re a real munchie aficionado, note what you noshed. If you enjoy creativity, leave space for a drawing or sum up the experience in one perfect word.
• Be Consistent: Record whatever you like, but it’s handy to do the same thing every time so you can spot patterns and reliably go back and check for information.

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