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Weed, marijuana, dank, dope, ganja, sticky slimy, broccoli, chronic…
These are only a few of the names given to the plant, which is officially recognised as cannabis. It is one of the most contentious plants in the world, and it has been lauded as much as it has been demonised, depending on who you ask.
But how can a single plant be so many different things to so many different people?
Your mileage may vary, as with many things in life, so make sure you know what you’re getting into so you can make the best decision for your requirements and interests.
In this post, we’ll go over the fundamentals of cannabis, including the many forms of cannabis, cannabis products, medical advantages, and much more.
Contents
The Various Cannabis Species
Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, and Cannabis ruderalis are the three primary species of cannabis plant, while there is some controversy about whether the latter two qualify as different species from Cannabis sativa.
In terms of consumption, the two most popular classifications of cannabis are indica and sativa, and they each have various effects.
In general, sativa strains are connected with sensations of alertness and energy, as well as a more cerebral high in the head, making sativas more popular during and throughout the day—a day-time smoke, if you will. Lemon Haze, Green Crack God, Sour Diesel, and Jack Herer are all popular sativa strains.
Indicas, on the other hand, provide more of a ‘body high,’ making them a popular method to unwind and rest after a long day’s work—a there’s reason why some users refer to indicas as “in-da-couch.” Blueberry, Grape Ape, Northern Lights, and Bubba Kush are all popular indica strains.
Terpenes, THC, and CBD
While THC and CBD are the most well-known cannabinoids (chemical substances contained in cannabis), over 100 have been identified.
THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, is the most well-known cannabinoid because it is the principal psychoactive ingredient present in cannabis, which means it makes you high.
CBD, on the other hand, is not psychoactive and will not make you high. However, it has numerous medical benefits, making it highly sought after, and it is frequently the first step toward cannabis legalisation. CBD is used to treat severe epilepsy and may have anti-anxiety and anti-psychotic properties. CBD can also aid with pain relief and has showed promise in treating cancer-related side effects such as nausea and vomiting.
Terpenes are aromatic molecules present in the essential oils of many plants and trees, and cannabis is abundant in terpenes, which are responsible for the vast differences in fragrance and odours amongst cannabis strains. Terpenes are responsible for the variety of flavours seen in cannabis strains, ranging from sweet and citrusy to dank and earthy.
Cannabis can be consumed in a variety of ways.
There are so many ways to consume cannabis that it’s almost certain that with a little experimentation, you’ll find what works best for you.
The three main ways to utilise cannabis are as follows:
Flower
Edibles
Concentrates
Flower
Flower is one of the most well-known and widely used forms of cannabis. The flower comes from the female cannabis plant, and we’re only interested in the buds, not the leaves, stems, or seeds (for more information, please see CLN news or crop king seeds). After the buds have been dried, trimmed, and cured, they are ready to smoke, and you have several alternatives.
Here are some of the most common and popular methods to consume cannabis flower:
Joint
The joint (also known as a doobie and jay, among other things) is a cannabis scene icon and is often many people’s first exposure with cannabis. Simply said, a joint is a rolled cannabis cigarette. There are varieties, such as a spliff, which contains a combination of cannabis and tobacco, and a blunt, which is a hollowed-out cigar packed with cannabis.
Pipe
Pipes are also popular for cannabis, and they are easier to set up than a joint because there is no rolling involved- all you have to do is break up (or “grind”) the cannabis buds, pack them in your bowl, and ignite it.
When smoking cannabis, glass pipes are the most commonly utilised type of pipe.
Bong
While bongs are technically another type of pipe, their water chamber distinguishes them enough to earn their own entry, which is why bongs are also referred to as “water pipes.” The uninformed may mistake a bong for a flower vase, and they are popular because they provide a smoother smoke than other techniques since the water filters the smoke as it bubbles through the water before being swallowed.
There are also several types of bongs, such as bubblers and gravity bongs.
Vaporizer
Vaporizers have a distinct benefit over other methods of smoking cannabis because when you inhale from one, you are not breathing smoke but rather vapour, which is far better for your lungs.
Vaporizers operate by heating the cannabis to the point where the cannabinoids (such as THC) and terpenes (which give cannabis strains their distinct aroma) turn into vapour, rather than burning the weed like you would in a bong, pipe, or joint.
If you peek in the chamber after you’ve finished vaporising, you’ll notice a difference because vaporizers don’t produce the black, charred ash that the other smoking methods stated above do. Instead, the flower in the vaporizer chamber will have gone brownish, resembling dried tobacco.
While there are vaporizers that work with cannabis concentrates, this article focused on vaporizers intended particularly for dried flower.
Start Low and Slow with Edibles
Cannabis edibles are any cannabis-infused food or drink, which is a broad category because almost anything may be transformed into an edible with a few drops of a cannabis tincture or oil.
There are hundreds of edibles makers that create everything from cannabis-infused candies like gummies and lollipops to baked goods like brownies and cookies, making edibles a terrific way to discreetly enjoy your cannabis. However, there are some things to keep in mind when it comes to edibles.
Edibles, as opposed to smoking flower, take much longer to take effect. Unlike smoking, where you can usually feel the affects after a few minutes, edibles can take up to an hour before you feel anything. Many first-time users may overeat because they were impatiently waiting for the high to kick in, only to have it all hit the fan at once, leaving them uncomfortably high.
This is due to the fact that edibles can contain anything from 5 mg of THC to over 400 mg of THC.
Pay strict attention to the THC dosage, which should be clearly labelled on the box, to avoid any unpleasant edibles encounters. For first-timers, a low dose of 5-10 mg of THC is recommended, and you should wait more than an hour to see whether you feel anything before eating another piece.
The most important thing to remember when it comes to edibles is to “start low and go slow.”
Concentrates
There are so many different varieties of cannabis concentrates that a separate article might be written only on this topic. This category, as the name suggests, has a more potent strain of cannabis.
Consider concentrates as the cannabis counterpart of beer and wine. Concentrates are the cannabis equivalent of spirits and hard liquor.
Since the 12th century, when individuals rubbed cannabis blossoms between their palms to generate hash, we’ve been manufacturing concentrates. Nowadays, we use cutting-edge, lab-grade extraction methods to create concentrates like as shatter, wax, and budder.
Concentrates can be made in two ways: solvent-based extraction and solvent-less extraction.
Solvent-based extraction: Solvents are liquids that are used to extract THC, terpenes, and other cannabinoids from cannabis plants. There are four solvents that are widely utilised: CO2, Butane, Propane, and Alcohol.
CO2 oil, Wax, Budder, Live Resin, Shatter, Distillate, Pie Crust, Jelly Hash and Caviar, and Rick Simpson Oil are all solvent-based items.
Solvent-free extraction: To produce concentrates, this method of extraction often employs pressure, water, temperature, and/or agitation.
Among the solvent-free goods are kief, bubble hash, dry sift, and rosin.
Is Marijuana Legal?
It depends on where you are and whether you’re talking about recreational or medical cannabis, which may seem strange given that the only difference between the two is why you’re using them. But that is the how it is, even if many countries have adopted decriminalisation policies rather than total legalisation, with cannabis possession resulting in a fine rather than jail time.
Over 15 nations across the world have legalised medical cannabis, however cannabis remains illegal at the federal level in the United States for any purpose, despite the fact that 33 states and the District of Columbia have approved medicinal cannabis.
When it comes to recreational cannabis, Canada and Uruguay are the only countries in the world that have allowed its use and sale, while 10 states and the District of Columbia have approved it as well.
What’s fascinating is that legalising medical cannabis is frequently the first step toward fully legalising cannabis… a legalisation “gateway,” if you will. While it may be disheartening to realise that only two nations have legalised recreational cannabis, 15 countries have medical cannabis and have already taken the first step.