When I first started shopping at the cannabis dispensary, I was completely clueless.
I wasn’t expecting there to be so many options.
I wasn’t prepared for all the terminology or decisions I needed to make. I was worried about making a mistake and buying something that would lead to a bad experience. I went home and started reading about cannabis. I hadn’t realized that cannabis was used in religious ceremonies and for medical purposes in ancient Greece and ancient China. The terms sativa, indica and hybrid are more about the origin of the plant than the effects it provides. Because of wide-spread cross breeding there aren’t really any pure indicas or sativas. The plants have been cross bred to target specific medicinal properties or to achieve high THC potency. However, the general belief is that indicas are relaxing and more of a body high while sativas are energizing and create a cerebral high. The cannabinoids and terpenes are what determine the potency, flavor, aromas and overall experience of the product. The percentage of THC influences the intensity of the high. The cannabis products are divided into three categories: inhalation, oral and topical. Inhalation methods include dried flower rolled into joints, blunts and packed into bowls. There’s also vapes that heat up cannabis oil and dabs that heat up cannabis concentrate. The oral methods are edibles, tinctures and beverages. Topicals are applied to the skin rather than ingested. Once I was prepared with some information, I headed back to the dispensary. I’ve gradually tried the different methods to determine what works best for me.