Note: Missouri cannabis packaging regulations do not allow the terms“ Indica” or“ Sativa” on labels. This is not due to knowledge and correction; rather, those terms have been identified as potentially attractive to youth.
If you’ re experienced with smoking, you’ ll know how certain varieties will treat your body based on the smell. If you are new, try several varieties and pace yourself!
Get To Know Your Body
It is also important to note that, along with terpenes, THC and CBD, lesser-known natural cannabinoids have their own unique effects on the body. These are often associated with the Indica / Sativa feelings of the plant; some of these include CBG / CBGa, CBC, CBN, THCV, and the list goes on.
Take old-school home-made pot brownies, for example. The first part of the process is to“ activate” or decarb( decarboxylate) the flower. You do this by putting your flower in the oven before making butter with it. This is a replacement for the combustion process when smoking; since you don’ t smoke a brownie, the heat in the oven turns the THCa in the flower into Delta-9-THC for our bodies to utilize via eating.
It is really important to understand the substances you are putting into your body. Hopefully, I have sparked a bit of that interest, so you will take more time to learn about the amazing cannabis plant before shopping.
SMELL, SMELL, SMELL! The nose knows! If you can’ t smell it, don’ t buy it! It’ s not wise to buy off-the-shelf Wonderbags.
What is a Wonderbag, you ask? They are bags of cannabis that you order from a menu, and when you leave the establishment, you wonder what will be in there since you have not seen or smelled the actual cannabis that is going home with you!
THCa is the sought-after Cannabinoid
So we’ ve established that the terpene profile is far more important than THC percentage to determine how a certain variety of cannabis will make you feel, but do you even know what THC percentage they are telling you about? Or anything about THC in general? You will more than likely see the term“ Total THC” on a dispensary label. Now, let’ s break that down: Total THC =( D9-THC + thca *. 877)
Sample label( photo above) shows the THCa at 24.28 % and Delta-9 THC at only 0.37 %. D8 is 0 %.
The big misconception is that you are getting loads of Delta- 9-THC( D9-THC) in your bag of cannabis, when, in reality, in its naturally grown form, the plant is rich in THCa, not D9-THC.
The reason why total THC in reference to a bag of cannabis is in units of D9-THC is because that is the compound that your body uses to get“ high.” When you smoke cannabis, the THCa goes through a heat conversion process, whereby roughly 87 % is converted into Delta9-THC via the combustion of the flower, producing D9-THCrich smoke that you inhale.
Simply put: On the plant and harvested smokeable weed = THCa. Combusted( Smoked) Weed = D9-THC.
Wider Leaf
Hybrid( moderate leaf)
Narrow Leaf
Myth 1:“ Indica or Sativa” is a cut-and-dry concept. Myth 2: D9-THC is the golden cannabinoid on weed plants.( It’ s actually THCa.)
A uniformed consumer will mindlessly waste their money on mislabeled or wrongly labeled products. An educated consumer can find a cannabis regimen that specifically caters to their needs. Do your homework before shopping. Lastly, ask the budtender for help and to answer your questions; they should have the training and knowledge to help you— if not, you may consider shopping elsewhere.
Gerry Donovan( on left), the owner of Emerald Garden Grow Supply, Raytown, MO, says,“ I am not a plant Biologist nor a Chemist. I do not have any formal cannabis plant education, as that was a non-existent thing before today’ s world. I do, however, have a passion for cannabis, which words fail to describe. I’ ve traveled throughout Europe, including Amsterdam, Spain, and Canada, where I not only ventured into the world of seeds and genetics but also continued my quest to learn as much as I could about Growing the Plant, the many ways to utilize the plant, and observed the industry blossom as we know it today. I continue to expand my knowledge via grow seminars and cultivators’ conferences and, most importantly, through simple discussions with other growers. Over the last 22 years, I’ ve developed my own Grow Methodology through trial and error with love and passion. I hope to guide you on the pathway to enjoying the best cannabis you have ever consumed— your own homegrown!” Cannabis – Education – Wellness.
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