In a very basic sense, not that much has changed about using Cannabis (‘weed’) since it first took over the scene more than half a century ago. Get the good stuff, jam it into a pipe or roll it up and light it, inhale the smoke and prepare to experience its various effects.
Here in Alaska, we have a proud tradition of supplying our own Cannabis, and protecting our right to personally use it. Having said that, if you haven’t been to one of our 21st-Century retail Cannabis shops yet, it’s past High Time (4:20pm) to check out what’s on offer these days!
First off, you get to choose what kind of Cannabis consumer you are. Will you be smoking your herbs/flowers, “dabbing” them in concentrated form, or consuming your Cannabis in an alternative manner, such as vaporizing, ingesting, or applying it topically? Smoking is simple and effective, but vaporizing the active ingredients in Cannabis lets you avoid the toxic by-products of combusting them. This can be a benefit for medical as well as other reasons.
Are you looking to unwind after a long day, or do you prefer something that will stimulate your creative side? Perhaps you’re interested in an alternative to chemical-based pain management, or have some other specific medical need. Maybe your needs aren’t medical at all, and you just want to alter your reality “recreationally”. Alaska’s new Cannabis laws can accommodate that! Or maybe you want to limit the psychoactive effects, more concentrating on just the medical ones while keeping your head clear.
All of this is possible with Cannabis. For effects, remember that Cannabis will be available in one of two varieties: Indica, Sativa, or a hybrid of these. Indicas are used for body relaxation or for treating anxiety. Saitivas offer the opposite effect that Indicas do, in that they are more for stimulating one’s focus and channeling energy, than they are for relaxing into the couch. There’s a lot of variety between strains of Cannabis, and although almost all are some kind of hybrid of the two main types, the term Hybrid is usually reserved for those more in the middle.
The component, or cannabinoid, in Cannabis that offers psychoactive effects is THC. No THC, no high. Cannabis has other cannabinoids however, with various other medical properties. While THC has medical properties as well, the most widely-known of the other medical cannabinoids is CBD. In fact, CBD mitigates the psychoactive effects of THC. This is a good tidbit to keep on file, in case you’re tempted to test the limits of how much THC you can comfortably consume. You would also want to have a pure CBD tincture or vape pen handy in this case.
Trichomes, the sap-containing crystals on the outside of the Cannabis flower, as well as terpenes, the essential oils of the Cannabis plant, are what give each strain its unique flavor and aroma profile. They also have a profound influence on the Cannabis plant’s effects.
The third kind of Cannabis, besides Indica and Sativa, is known as Ruderalis, or common Hemp. Cannabis Ruderalis is not psychoactive, because it doesn’t contain any significant amounts of THC. Cannabis Ruderalis/Hemp does contain CBD though, giving it significant medical promise to go along with its already well-known industrial potential.
One good thing to know before shopping is your personal tolerance. Just like with caffeine in coffee, it will take more THC to reach the effect you want with repeated use than it does the first time around, and just like with coffee taking a break resets this tolerance. In practical terms, if it’s been over a month or so since you’ve consumed any Cannabis, you should have a low tolerance. This is also known as being a ‘cheap date’, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
If you have a low tolerance, when you go into a retail Cannabis shop you can get away with spending a little less, because they tend to charge according to potency numbers. So you can afford to be more concerned about things like bud quality and flavor, as well as effect type. That 25% THC indica may be great, but if your first toke is going to knock you out for the evening, then perhaps that 13% for half the price will do the trick even better this time around.
Before heading into the Cannabis shop, it’s helpful to have a plan. If you’ve decided that, like most folks, smoking is the way you want to consume your cannabis, you still need to think about how. Will you be using a pipe, or joints? Perhaps a nice glass waterpipe? All of these techniques and devices have their time and place, as well as their advantages and disadvantages.
Maybe you have a high tolerance, and you want to try concentrates. Like with smoking flower, you need to decide how you want to vape your concentrates. You could go with a no-muss, no fuss oil cartridge kit, or get access to waxes with a pen vape. You could even get a nice flame or electric-powered dabbing rig for that waterpipe at home, if you were so inclined.
Pre-rolled joints are available at virtually all of Alaska’s Cannabis shops, and are by consensus the easiest and most self-contained method of smoking Cannabis. These ‘pre-rolls’ can be found in various sizes, and work especially well in groups. Much like using a cartridge for concentrates, there is nothing to maintain or clean up afterwards.
As flower quantity goes, a gram is basically today’s ‘dime bag’ and usually goes for $10-20. Next up is an ‘eighth’ of an ounce, which is 3.5 grams. Quantities go up to an ounce, which is the daily legal limit for flower. Concentrates are measured by the half or whole gram.
There are different types of concentrates: old school ones like kief, which is basically granulated trichome crystals from the surface of the cannabis flowers, and hashish, to modern ones like wax, budder, sugar, cookie dough, cake batter, shatter, rosin and of course, oils.
Remember to take it slowly, especially at first! No matter what your Cannabis usage level is, PROCEED WITH CAUTION especially if you’re new to concentrates, or edibles. As I mentioned earlier, a dose of CBD will straighten you right out if you’ve consumed too much THC.
A couple of other things to remember before you go shopping: Bring cash, or be prepared to use the ATM at the Cannabis shop, because cash is all they take. And bring your driver’s license or other suitable photo identification card, in order to prove that you’re 21 years old.
Above all bring your Irie attitude!
Until Cannabis is regulated like carrots, Max’s dreams will remain sleeping.
Credit: anchoragepress.com
