Cannabis 101: A Beginners Guide To Weed
At this point, over 30 states in the U.S.A. have legalized the use of cannabis for medical use, and some of those for recreational use also. If you are in one of those states and want to start using it, you might be brand new to the practice. So, are there any questions you have about the hows, whys, and wheres of weed?
We have put together this beginner’s guide to weed for people like you. It contains most of the things you would want to know before visiting your first dispensary or trying your first doses. If there is anything else you need to know by the end, we have also included a link for you to learn more.
The Beginner’s Guide to Weed
There are a few important tips we should get started with. These include where you can legally get cannabis products and a few safety tips. These will help you on your journey and get you over the first few hurdles.
Finding a Dispensary
There are many ways to find a dispensary, one of the fastest is to complete a simple Google search. You could try using such terms as:
- “weed dispensary near me”
- “dispensaries near me”
- “dispensary near me”
Each of the above is likely to give you a long list of locations in your local area that can offer you weed. They may also offer you advice on your first time buying it.
You could also look into dedicated dispensary maps. Such locations include WeedMaps, Potlocater, or THC list. These help out weed users by showing where the nearest stores are which can provide cannabis products.
If these dispensaries are not close to you, they may have a delivery service. So, check out what they offer before you search elsewhere.
Make sure to check out the location’s reviews and ensure they are on the right side of the law. You do not want to get in trouble for using an illegal dispensary.
Safety
The first time you use cannabis, you want to do so in safe and comfortable surroundings. Having an experience that alters your perception of the world can have an effect on your state of mind, so having others around you can be essential. Many dispensaries have locations in which you can do this, but if not try to find friends with experience if possible.
Also, a common mistake with cannabis products is to take too much, too fast, leading to anxiety or other issues. For your first experience, ease into the experience with something light. After all, you can always take more but remember you cannot take less once you have started.
Allow your body time to slowly process what it feels before taking any more. Also, if you take edibles, understand it can take quite some time before they kick in. As such, wait a few hours between each dose.
When it comes to storing these products, treat them the same way you would any medication. Ensure to keep them out of the reach of children and ensure any pets cannot access them. If you can, place them inside sealed containers to prevent pets from smelling their contents and trying to break them open.
Avoid having responsibilities or obligations while you partake of these products. There is a high likelihood that in your altered state you will either perform tasks to a lower ability or be unable to complete them at all. It is especially important you do not use cannabis products while you are responsible for the safety of others, such as children or the elderly.
Cannabis Strains
Cannabis strains are the different varieties of products available on the market. Cannabis has the same broad effect regardless of the strain. Although, different varieties might give you more of a mellow feeling, an excitable mood, or energize you.
Some of the most popular energizing strains include:
- Acapulco Gold
- Sour Diesel
- Golden Goat
- White Widow
- Super Silver Haze
Some of the most relaxing and soothing strains include:
- Blue Dream
- Granddaddy Purple
- Maui Wowie
- Pineapple Express
- Fruity Pebbles (“FPOG”)
Some of the most blissful, sleep-inducing strains include:
- Purple Kush
- Sour Diesel
- Afghan Kush
- LA Confidential
- Northern Lights
Of course, even among each of these categories, the different products will have more subtle differences. You would be well-placed to discuss the exact nature of each strain with a dispensary to get more information.
Be aware, though, that it is not only the pleasant effects that are different between strains. On top of this, you may find the other effects of the plant change between strains. For example, you may find that some make you dizzy or give you a drier mouth, while others do not.
Cannabis Products
There are many different kinds of cannabis products on the market. They all have different methods of dosing and will affect you in different ways.
The following summarizes this information. Though, you would be well-served by investigating each in more detail yourself before taking the plunge.
Edibles
Edibles are items of food or drink that have cannabis used in their preparation. This may only be in a part of the food or suffused throughout the whole edibles.
Some of the benefits of edibles include a slow, steady uptake, as the cannabis has to pass through the body’s digestive system. Also, as edibles can be made of almost any food, you can make it taste the perfect way to suit your own food preferences.
Though, as mentioned above, you need to be careful with dosing on edibles. It is easy for new users to believe they have not taken enough and then to overdo it as they try to overcompensate. Remember to check the serving size and to also have a lot of patience as the effects can start to kick in up to two hours after taking them.
Flower or Smoked Cannabis
This is the classic image people think of when they think about cannabis consumption. It is the piece of the cannabis plant that people have smoked for centuries and is often ground up before smoking.
You will find a wide range of different cannabis strains in flower form in your local dispensary. These might all have a different flavor or potency, so either ask your dispensary for their advice or prepare to shop around.
You can smoke these with a joint, a bong, a pipe, or any other method. After smoking, you will often feel its effects a few seconds afterward and this hit will last for a long period of time before disappearing. If you experiment, you can also turn this flower into many other products yourself, such as homemade edibles.
Oils
Another option for imbibing cannabis, or more specifically some of the chemicals contained in it, is via an application medium. Some of the most popular of these are oils and tinctures.
People make cannabis oils by infusing an edible oil with CBD (cannabidiol) or THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol). People often take cannabidiol to try to reduce the symptoms of various illnesses, but there is not much evidence of its efficacy. THC oils, though, can often have a major effect on a person as THC is the component of cannabis that causes the “high”.
Tinctures
A tincture is an infusion, like the above-detailed oils. Although, instead of infusing the active ingredient in oil, with a tincture you perform this process with alcohol instead. This can protect the THC or CBD from oxidation or other reactions, though it can take a lot of work to produce and often tastes much more bitter.
As such, you will find tinctures come in a variety of different flavors. This helps to mask some of the bitterness you might otherwise find in the tincture. Many of the products you find in shops also contain added nutrients, such as vitamins or other supplements.
Vapes
Vaping is when you use an electronic device with a heated section that creates mist-like vapors you can breathe in. This helps someone inhale THC without needing to produce and inhale smoke. This helps people who would prefer not to perform an action like smoking but still want a fast hit.
Weed pens or THC vape pen devices are available from many dispensaries. You can use vape cartridges such as those made by EUREKA Vapor to refill a vape, meaning you do not need to throw out the vape pen when it runs out. These devices also need a small battery, though many of them are rechargeable.
Learn More About Weed
This beginner’s guide to weed should have gotten you started with learning how to get involved in the world of cannabis and cannabinoids. There might still be questions you have, though, about what would be best for you. This is where we come in.
We are more than happy to help you with your first few experiences in the world of cannabis. So if you want to get in contact, we would be more than happy to help. All you need to do is give us a call and we will start you on your journey to a higher tomorrow.
