For New Users of Cannabis: The Reynolds Protocol:

"The dose should be given in minimum quantity, repeated in not less than four or six hours, and gradually increased by one drop every third or fourth day, until either relief is obtained, or the drug is proved, in such case, to be useless."

Wrote Sir J. Russell Reynolds, M.D., F.R.S. in 1890. This patient, prudent, and cautious regimen by this physician to Queen Victoria's court summarized his thirty years of clinical experience with the drug. The Reynolds Protocol should be used whenever possible when initiating oral cannabis treatment.

Patience is of prime importance as it compensates for idiosyncratic sensitivity, lengthy onset time when eaten, and variability in potency of the preparation.

Tod H. Mikuriya, M.D.

April 1994