Using Cannabis: Where to Start?
There is a wealth of benefits to cannabis, with more and more being researched and revealed every day. It’s hard to turn down the idea if someone were to tell you that there is a drug out there that can aid mental health, has a bunch of positive effects medically, aiding everything from pain to cancer, and even a bunch of beauty benefits.
But its reputation precedes it, and it’s hard to get any facts on the matter. If social osmosis has only informed you on the music of choice being reggae, then you’re in luck. Read on for our guide of the A-Z of using cannabis: everything from uses to methods.
Is it legal?
Make sure to check your state laws before you go any further. In a lot of states, cannabis is still illegal, outright. In others, CBD is legal, without the THC that gives you a high, and in others still everything is on the table.
Getting that high isn’t worth the incarceration time, so make sure what you’re taking is in fact legal.
What do you want out of cannabis?
Cannabis can aid your health in lots of different ways. Sure, there’s the buzz given by the THC, but CBD is such a beneficial element that it is quickly getting introduced to medications, mental health treatments and even beauty products.
Some people take different strains of cannabis to aid in elevating stress, relieving anxiety, or lifting depression. There are a lot of uses for cannabis in medication, such as relieving pain, aiding symptoms of cancer, improving lung capacity, losing weight, controlling seizures, and even fighting Alzheimer’s disease.
Using CBD oil in a beauty product can produce stronger hair and nails, clear acne and help reduce wrinkles.
If you’re worried about the effects of cannabis, talk it through with your doctor. No article on a website can override a medical expert who knows your medical history.
How do you want to consume it?
There are pros and cons to the many ways you can consume cannabis. The traditional means would be to smoke it, but smoking cannabis comes with risks to the lungs that most don’t want to go near. You can also make hash and smoke. Take a look at our guide on how to make hash to get all the details.
The new way of smoking is to vape, but it’s recent introduction to the market allows for a lot of skepticism. You can infuse a CBD oil into the vape like you would nicotine oil, and the heat of the vape creates a vapor that you can inhale.
There are a lot of other options you can pursue. There are a lot of CBD and THC-infused edibles on the market. You can even make them yourself if you have a lot of patience.
Medical cannabis pills are also available. They come with the perks of precise dosing without the risks to smoking or the calories of brownies. You can also get a transdermal patch from your doctor, which allow cannabinoids to enter the bloodstream, the same way modern diabetes patches deploy insulin. They are good for extended periods and can be offered by your doctor.
How to choose your strain
With all that in mind, you now need to know the chemical makeup of cannabis. The two main active compounds of cannabis are CBD (cannabidiol) and THC (tetrahydrocannabinol). CBD concentrates on getting your health benefits to you, while THC likes to give you a buzz.
If you are just looking for a high, look for an oil with a heavy THC ratio. It’s good for a fun time, and to elevate whatever you’re feeling.
However, this can backfire if you’re looking for something to ease anxiety or depression. The THC can instead heighten your feelings of paranoia, so it’s best to aim for either a balance in the two, or a CBD-dominant strain.
After that, choosing your strain comes down to terpenes. These are the chemical elements of the strain that will make some of its effects more potent. This is why you can get a variety of effects from cannabis.
The combination of terpenes like linalool, pinene, limonene, beta-caryophyllene (BCP), and more can offer different experiences and feelings. You can find a strain to feel content, to help you sleep, to focus, to feel euphoric and many more. Terpenes will also inform what strains are best to complement your mood in the moment. If you are dealing with depression or anxiety, the terpenes you use can help to elevate your mood
Last Updated on January 22, 2022 by Bud
