Cannabis 101!

INDICA VS SATIVA VS HYBRIDS, WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?

·     Effects: These terms can be descriptive words for the effects of a specific strain, but don’t necessarily mean everyone will feel the same! They’re an easy place to start for most new users to get an idea of what they are trying to feel and experience. However, they are not an end all be all when it comes to describing a strain.

·     Genetics: We can also describe how a plant grows using indica and sativa. Different genetics cause a plant to have different shaped leaves, be taller/skinnier, or be different colors. Plants can also show genetic characteristics of one type, but give the effects of the opposite. Because of this, the indica/sativa description can cause confusion for some, and many believe it should be phased out as a description of effects. The graphic below shows some of the physical

CANNABINOIDS!

THC, CBD, CBG, CBN, you might have heard of some of these before. They are the chemicals in cannabis that interact with the body’s endocannabinoid system and give different strains some of their unique properties. There’s a plethora of information out to learn about each specific one, and more cannabinoids are being discovered every day by scientists around the world. Since this is Cannabis 101, we’re going to go over the two most prevalent in recreational cannabis; THC and CBD. 

THC:

THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, is the most widely known of the cannabinoids. What most people call “THC” is actually either Delta-9 THC or THC-A. THC-A is the acidic form of THC that has not been decarboxylated. Decarboxylation is what happens when heat up a chemical and it turns into something else. So smoking, cooking, or vaping flower turns the THC-A into Delta-9 THC, then when consumed the Delta-9 THC interacts with the endocannabinoid system and gives us the sought after effects that we feel when consuming cannabis. 

That was probably a lot of science talk, but it’s important to know the chemicals and how they work to best understand testing contents on packaging.

CBD:

Cannabidiol is another very important compound found in cannabis. Although it’s less prevalent in adult-use recreational cannabis, it is highly sought after for its medical benefits and is very popular among beginners. Although CBD doesn’t have any psychoactive effects, it has the potential to help many people with inflammation and anxiety. 

TYPES OF PRODUCTS:

Flower:

Buds! On cannabis menus flower refers to the loose buds most people think of when referring to cannabis. It is incredibly versatile, since most other forms of consumption start here! Flower is dried and cured before packaging for specific amounts of time depending on strain and growing conditions so it is at its peak and ready for people to enjoy!

CONCENTRATES:

This is a pretty broad term, and can cover everything from vape carts to any dabbable solid. There are an enormous variety of names they go by and extraction methods companies use. The names they use are usually descriptors that can give a lot of insight into the product. For example, anything with the term “Live” in front of it was originally extracted from flash frozen flower, instead of cured. Other names can be textural, like sugar, wax, or shatter.. They describe the consistency of the product; sugar has a crystalline structure that looks, well, like sugar. Specific extraction methods can either be part of the name, or listed somewhere else on the packaging. Popular methods include Rosin, which is solventless and uses a heat press, BHO, which uses butane, and EHO or Ethanol. You’ll see many of these terms used for vape cartridges as well, which are similar but in an easy to use, disposable container used with a battery for heating. 

EDIBLES:

Edibles are pretty easy to explain, they’re anything food related! Dosage and the type of concentrate that companies use can make things a little more complicated to understand, but most people get the basics. The most important thing to stress with those who are new to edibles is LOW AND SLOW. You’ll hear this phrase thrown around a lot, but that’s because it’s true. Everyone’s body processes cannabis differently, so dosage is incredibly personal and can take some trial and error to find what works. We always recommend users start very low because otherwise people can have adverse effects that can turn them off of cannabis altogether!

Topicals:

Topicals are anything that is used externally on the skin. Most popularly they are seen as salves or lotions, but can also be things like lip balm, bath bombs, or other various scrubs and oils. Topicals are popular among people because they can have localised pain relief without any cannabinoids entering their bloodstream. This means THC will not provide a psychoactive effect, and it can be used all day without impairing any cognitive function. 

Sometimes Transdermal products are added into this category, because they are placed on the skin, but they do actually enter 

the bloodstream and will give a psychoactive effect. They work similarly to a nicotine patch, where a sticky patch is applied to the skin and the product is absorbed over a length of time. They work well for guests that can’t ingest or inhale, but still want the therapeutic effects of cannabis.

TINCTURES:

Tinctures are extracted cannabis oils that are suspended in either oil or alcohol and packaged in a bottle with a dropper. MCT oil, otherwise known as Multi-chain triglyceride or fractionated coconut oil, is most popular as it has virtually no taste and is easy to ingest. Alcohol is sometimes used, but most people prefer MCT tinctures. Alcohol can be a good option if someone would like to disguise their tincture in another drink, but otherwise it can sometimes create a burning sensation in the mouth or throat if taken alone. It is recommended that guests hold the tincture in their mouth for 60-90 seconds for the best/fastest effects. This is because it can be absorbed sublingually (under the tongue) or through the other mucus membranes in the mouth. If the taste is too much for someone to handle, they can swallow it normally but the effects will take longer since it is being digested instead of absorbed. Tinctures are also popular because being able to dose by drop can create a more specific dose than in a traditional edibles.

(INHALATION) CONSUMPTION METHODS

SMOKING:

Pretty easy to understand, you light it on fire and inhale the smoke. Smoking is definitely the most popular form of consumption, but it may not be the best for everyone. It’s one of the fastest ways to feel effects, since the cannabinoids are absorbed through the lungs and go straight into the bloodstream. Bongs, pipes, and bubblers are some devices people can use to smoke and each has pros and cons. Bongs and bubblers have water filtration that some believe give a smoother hit, but are larger and more cumbersome than a simple pipe. Joints (and blunts), whether hand-rolled or pre-rolled, are also extremely popular. They’re faster as far as prep time goes and allow for a larger portion to be smoked at once, where a pipe or bong may have to be filled multiple times to get desired effects. Some people feel that joints are harsher on their throat and lungs because of the paper used, especially when rolled into a blunt using tobacco leaf. Of course there are more natural alternatives, like rice papers or hemp leaf wraps. But as with everything, it’s a personal preference.

ELECTRIC VAPORIZERS:

Vaporizing has similar benefits to smoking, but the process eliminates some of the harmful carcinogens from using a flame to heat up the flower. Vaping essentially bakes the flower at a specific temperature to release cannabinoids, but not to burn as much plant matter. There are hundreds of different devices on the market, some as low as $50 and as high as $500. Obviously quality and performance are a factor, but for most it's personal preference and customizability. The effects of vaporizing can also be different from flower; some feel it is not as intense and has a different flavor profile. You can also purchase electric vaporizers for loose concentrate (dabs). These offer users a way to consume concentrates with less mess and less chance of burning yourself with a torch or hot nail.

VAPOR CARTRIDGES:

Cartridges can be a very controversial subject, especially as of late. In general, vape cartridges are super convenient and easy to use for almost everyone. They provide discretion from low-odor vapor and are easy to dose for low-tolerance users. They also come in a multitude of strains, flavors, and strengths which makes them a good option for many different types of user. Vapor Cartridges do need a secondary device, referred to as a battery, to heat the oil in the cartridge and create the vapor. Cartridge hardware has a built in atomizer, which is the heating element and the battery powers that atomizer. There are tons of different types of batteries and cartridges, and not all are compatible, so it is important to be familiar with the type of cartridges we carry and what batteries are needed to power each one. 

DAB/OIL RIGS

Dab Rigs are basically bongs that have a special attachment for vaporizing loose concentrates. A special bowl is used that can withstand super high heats to properly vaporize the concentrate. There are a few different styles of this bowl; A banger (sometimes called a honeypot) is a bucket shaped piece that is usually made of quartz glass. Regular borosilicate or similar glass cannot withstand the heats used and will shatter or crack on use. You can also get ceramic or titanium attachments as well, usually in a nail style. Nails have flat tops or a small round reservoir with a hollow middle. Quartz is usually preferable, but all three can withstand the heats needed. To acquire the required temperature, a torch or electric attachment is needed. A butane or propane torch is cheapest, but the timing and flame level can be hard for some guests to master. An electric nail can be a good way to eliminate the guesswork, but will run much more expensive. Once the nail/banger is at the desired temperature, a small bit of concentrate is placed on the surface while inhaling simultaneously. You can also “cold start” with a carb cap (a small cap that fits on top of a banger) and a banger by dropping the concentrate in first, placing the cap on top, and heating from below until vapor starts to form. This method does not work for all concentrate and rig types, and usually takes some practice before mastering, so it’s not for beginners.

Terpenes

What is a Terpene?

Terpenes are the chemicals in plants that give taste and smell. They are what makes different strains of cannabis smell and taste so different from each other. You’ll recognize most flavors as being present in other herbs and fruits we use on a regular basis. They can also have some influence on effect, and many believe that the combination of terpenes with cannabinoids in cannabis (sometimes called the entourage effect) is what makes it so therapeutic. Below is a graphic that goes over the taste/smell profiles of the most prevalent terpenes as well as the effects they can create.