For beginners, cannabis can be overwhelming. This beginner's guide provides terms, procedures, and expert advice for getting started with cannabis.

How do you choose a strain?

There isn't a one-size-fits-all for what strains do what, generally sativa is more energizing and produces head highs, while Indica is more relaxing and produces body highs. When it comes down to it. strains can boast a wide range of effects depending on their genetics, their terpene profile, and how they are grown.

 

Cannabinoids

Delta-9 THC -  Delta-9 Tetrahydrocannabinol is the psychoactive compound in cannabis, it's the compound that is responsible for the high feeling you get when you smoke cannabis or consume edibles. THC has some beneficial effects such as pain relief, improving mood, and alleviating nausea to name a few. In high doses though THC can have some negative effects such as increased anxiety.

Delta-8 THC - Delta 8 Tetrahydrocannabinol is a newer compound that while found in the cannabis plant and hemp plant it's often just synthesized in a lab and infused into products such as flowers, extracts, and vapes. Since Delta-8 is a much newer compound there isn’t much conclusive information on the effects of it although most who have tried it say it's similar to Delta-9 but weaker, which can be nice for those who are looking for a milder high.

CBD - Cannabidiol also known as CBD  is the non-psychoactive compound found in cannabis. CBD has been shown in studies to counteract the effects of THC as well as provide some of its own benefits such as mild stress relief, minor pain relief, and improved sleep to name a few. CBD can be found in many forms such as flowers, vapes, extracts, and oils.

Terpenes 

Terpenes are an essential aspect of the cannabis experience. Terpenes are responsible for the various aromas of cannabis as well as some of the effects that different cannabis strains will cause on your body. There are many different types of terpenes all with different effects, there is pinene which can also be found in pine trees, and limonene which is found in citrus fruits. And plenty more, if you want to learn more about terpenes read our article series here.

Phenotypes

Cannabis can come in a few different phenotypes, these greatly change the impact of the high. The main phenotypes we’ll talk about here are cannabis indica and cannabis sativa.

Indica - Indica cannabis strains are more associated with a full body high experience and are more sedative and relaxing, making them ideal for when you just want to get some rest or sleep.

Sativa - Sativa cannabis strains are more associated with a head-high experience. The high from these strains are often more energizing and uplifting.

Methods of Consumption

Flower - This refers to the part of the marijuana plant that can be consumed. You can smoke flowers, vaporize them, or integrate them into cannabutter or cannaoil. Flower is the most common consumption method but if you are a beginner beware with dosing.

Vapes - Marijuana vaporizers can use a variety of different cannabis, such as oil, concentrates, or flowers. Vapes will heat the compound in a chamber, then you can inhale it as a vapour.

Edibles - Edibles are cannabis-infused food products, which can range from gummies, chocolate, or cookies depending on whether you make them yourself or buy them. Edibles can be great for beginners since dosages are clearly labelled, but they do take time to kick in and the high can last a long time so take them with moderation.

Beverages - Beverages are a more recent development in cannabis and much like edibles these are also great for beginners and they also kick in a lot faster than edibles do.

Pre Rolls - These refer to joints that contain flowers and if you are moving to the higher end sometimes kief, and diamonds. These are great for those who don’t know how to roll or if you just enjoy the convenience.

Topicals - Topicals come in many forms such as creams, lotions, balms, or salves. These are intended for topical use, not consumption, and are meant to be absorbed into the body over time.

Concentrate and Extracts - These are highly concentrated forms of THC and terpenes, they come in a wide range of forms such as:

• Oil
• Live Resin
• Live Rosin
• Shatter
• HTFSE
• HCFSE
• Wax

If you want to learn more about HTFSE and HCFSE, then give our article on them a read here!

Accessories 

Grinder - If you plan on smoking flower, a grinder is an essential pickup, the types of grinders range from 2-piece grinders that are small, compact, and that get the job done, to 3-piece grinders with kief catchers that can come in handy if you are trying to craft the perfect bowl.

RAW Grinder

Blazy Susan

 

Pipe - The classy way of smoking some flowers, while these aren’t the most efficient way, they are small, compact, and require very little setup making them nice if you are travelling light maybe on a hike or a walk.

Bong - Bongs are the classic way to smoke cannabis, these vary greatly in size, some are small enough to fit in a pocket, while others wouldn’t even fit in a closet. There are also some variations of bongs such as the Gravity Bong which is an even more efficient way of smoking, if you haven’t tried one I recommend it.

Recommendations

Here are some strains that we over at Gorilla Greens recommend, these strains cover the whole spectrum from Indica to sativa with some hybrids mixed in for those who don’t necessarily skew one way or the other.

Sleep Aid

If you have trouble catching sleep in the evening or at night, some of these strains may be helpful. A nice Indica strain can help get your mind and body in the right place so that you can drift off comfortably.

Pink Venom

Ice Cream Cake

Boosting Creativity

If you’re someone who works in a creative field, you know that sometimes it can be hard to be creative all the time, it can get exhausting. Some sativa strains can help get the gears turning and put you in the right headspace to get your ideas out whether that's for music, writing, or drawing.

Berner’s Cookies

Goji Berry

Energy Boosts

Sativas can be excellent if you need a pick-me-up at some point throughout the day or if you like to wake up and bake. There are plenty of Sativa strains that will give you a burst of increased energy and an increased focus that’ll help you tackle any task you have planned.

Trainwreck

White Durban

Relaxation

Cannabis is extremely effective if you struggle with stress throughout the day, it can help you switch gears and take your mind off any stressors you may be having throughout the day, whether that is school, work, or just people.

Glitter Bomb

Endgame

Conclusion

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