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How Michigan-Made Potdots Helped Me Finally Learn to Enjoy Edibles

By Karel Vega

June 12, 2023

Editor’s note: As of April 2024, Potdots are now sold as Potpots.

After years of getting too high any time I tried cannabis, a Michigan manufactured edible product is helping me reach the right level every time. And it gave me back my confidence as a stoner.

I love getting high, but I’m a huge lightweight. I have a terrible habit of missing my mark, so to speak, and overdoing it.

Gone are my college days when I could smoke herb all day and be spry the following morning. (Seriously—today’s weed is on another level!) These days even the slightest puff of a joint carries the risk of turning me into an anxious mess. I’m not proud of how many times I’ve become afraid of the police busting down my door for taking a toke in my own home … in weed-legal Michigan.

I’ve tried for years now to better gauge my high through edibles. The market is expanding at an impressive pace, and new products are rolling out all the time. The gold standard edible still remains to be the 10-milligram gummy. But breaking up a gummy can deliver inconsistent results—it’s also prone to making your hands all sticky.

But that all changed recently. If you, like me, have avoided smoking and edibles because you don’t like that “too high” feeling, there is now a product available that I highly recommend. Fellow lightweights, rejoice!

The Product

I heard about Potdots, manufactured by Lion Labs in Lansing, Michigan, in late 2022 when I started looking into the “microdose” edible market.

A microdose is just what it sounds like: products that come in a smaller dose of THC—the psychoactive compound in cannabis—than the typical 10-milligram serving to help you better achieve that “just right” high.

What excited me about Potdots is that one package option comes with 100 pieces, each containing 1 milligram of THC. Such small doses provide a lot of room for experimenting to find your perfect level. There is also a smaller tube option that includes 10 pieces.

As the package states, “Potdots … allow you to confidently and accurately achieve the perfect edible experience, every time.”

How Michigan-Made Potdots Helped Me Finally Learn to Enjoy Edibles
(Photo via Karel Vega)

Presentation

After excitedly hurrying home from my local dispensary one weekend afternoon, I was ready to put Potdots to the test.

The presentation of the 100-piece Potdots packaging is attractive, with a bright blue dotted design that gives you an idea of what’s in store inside the bag. The package also has a resealable zipper to keep your Potdots nice and fresh.

One important note of warning: These are nearly indistinguishable from M&M’s, aside from the omission of the signature “m” printed on the candies and a slight variance in the colors. Exercise extreme caution with this product around kids.

First Experiences

I opened the bag and inhaled a pleasant mix of chocolate and sweet but subtle notes of that distinct aroma of marijuana.

The back of the package gives you some basic guidance for your first go-round: “To find your perfect number, try 5 pieces (1/2 serving) and wait 45 min. Repeat process with 2-3 pieces until desired effects are achieved.”

I went with their suggested dosage. I eagerly took five Potdots out of the bag, and down the hatch they went. I settled into the couch to watch a movie and chill.

Forty-five minutes in, everything was going smoothly. I felt that familiar fuzz envelop me as I steadily felt my eyes get crispier. It was fantastic. But half an hour later,  my positivity shifted slightly. I felt anxious, not overwhelmingly so, but the feeling stifled my enjoyment of the next few hours. 

The takeaway from that first try? I was close to getting the high I wanted; I just needed to ramp up more gradually.

The next afternoon, I was ready for another try. This time, I went  with two Potdots to start . Forty-five minutes in, and, honestly, I didn’t feel much of anything yet. It was time for a third dose.

Here’s where things got interesting. Three Potdots in, and about an hour and a half after I first ate them, I was in the zone. 

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I immediately noticed how great the music I had on sounded (Getz/Gilberto, in case you’re curious). The vocals and instrumentation felt like a massage in my ears. There’s a word for when a stimulus is so pleasant it sends tingles through your face and down your back; it’s called frisson (pronounced “FREE-sahn”). I was in the midst of it.

I also noted how safe I felt. I wasn’t anxious about getting too high nor did I feel bothered about the troubles of my day. I was living stress-free and in the now. My sleep that night was so peaceful.

Three Potdots has become my baseline. And oh, the fun times I’ve had.

For newbies or people (like me) who don’t need a high amount of THC to feel impacted, one thing I noticed is that the jump from one dose to two and then to three feels fairly soft. Whereas, the jump from five to six and onward felt like much bigger steps. Everybody is different though, so you very well might find the suggested five Potdots to be a light starting dose. To me, that’s the beauty of this product.

Other important factors to consider when dabbling with anything psychoactive are mindset and setting. How you’re feeling—stressed? angry? nonchalant?—before partaking and where you are when the high kicks in really makes a difference in your experience.. My take? Make sure you’re in a comfortable space both mentally and physically when you give these a try.

As the cannabis industry expands, I can’t wait to see what other products are released that cater to people like me who benefit from ultra-light doses.

I’m still a lightweight, but this product has helped me confidently re-engage with cannabis at a comfortable pace. And if I ever get the urge to ramp it up, I can do so in baby steps

Check WeedMaps for provisioning centers that carry Potdots near you.

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Author

  • Karel Vega

    Coming from a long background in public radio, Karel Vega strives to find stories that inform and inspire local communities. Before joining The ‘Gander, Karel served as managing editor at WKAR, the NPR affiliate in East Lansing, Michigan.

CATEGORIES: CANNABIS
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