Choosing the right cannabis product for your personal needs depends on several factors – what effects or benefits you seek, how you want to consume it, when you want to consume it, what kind of aroma (if any) you want, and other personal preferences or requirements. At Kush Alley, we are passionate about helping all our customers, both experienced with cannabis and new to cannabis, to understand how to choose the right cannabis to satisfy their needs and expectations.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is not intended to be medical advice. Always consult a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment, especially if you are taking other medications or have existing health conditions.
Ways to Consume Cannabis
Cannabis users today have more choices than ever before in how they consume cannabis, and Kush Alley offers them all. Here are the most common choices for cannabis consumers:
- Flower
- Pre-roll Joints
- Infused Pre-rolls
- Vapes
- Edibles
- Beverages
- Tinctures
- Topicals
- Concentrate / Distillate
What effects and benefits you want to achieve play a large part in which form of cannabis you decide to use. For example, if you are looking to party with friends and want a rapid improvement in your headspace, smoking might top your list. If you want to chill out and relax over time, edibles and beverages are an excellent choice. Or, if you seek localized pain relief, topicals can deliver this benefit.
We understand that there are a lot of choices and have created the following table as a quick summary and reference guide about how to choose the right form of your cannabis:
| Form | Common THC Levels * | How to Use | Onset | Duration | When to Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flower | 10-30% THC (up to 35% for premium strains) | Smoked using a pipe, bong, or rolled into a joint. | 5-15 minutes | 2-4 hours | Social gatherings, immediate relaxation, creative activities |
| Pre-rolls | THC % equal to the flower used (30-50% for infused pre-rolls) | Pre-rolled joints containing cannabis flower, smoked like regular flower. | 5-15 minutes | 2-4 hours | On-the-go convenience, socializing, quick and easy consumption |
| Infused Pre-Rolls | 30-50% THC or higher | Pre-rolls enhanced with concentrates (e.g., hash oil, kief) for higher potency. | 5-15 minutes | 2-4 hours (more intense) | Experienced users, potent relaxation, evening use, intense effects |
| Vapes | 70-90% THC (up to 95% for high potency) | Inhaled vaporized cannabis oil or flower using a vaporizer or vape pen. | 5-15 minutes | 1-3 hours | Discreet use, quick relief, on-the-go, work breaks |
| Edibles | 5-10 mg THC per serving (100 mg per package) | Cannabis- infused food products, ingested and processed through the digestive system. | 30-90 minutes | 4-8 hours, sometimes longer | Long-lasting relief, sleep aid, pain management, evening use |
| Beverages | 5-10 mg THC per serving (up to 100 mg per container) | Drinks infused with cannabinoids, ingested like edibles. | 30-90 minutes | 4-8 hours | Social settings, discreet consumption, hydration with effects |
| Tinctures | 100-1000 mg THC per bottle (varies by dosage) | Liquid cannabis extracts administered under the tongue (sublingual). | 15-45 minutes | 4-6 hours | Precise dosing, medical use, anxiety relief, daytime use |
| Topicals | 1-3 mg THC per application | Cannabis-infused creams, lotions, or balms applied to the skin for localized relief. | 15-30 minutes | 2-4 hours | Pain relief, inflammation, arthritis, localized skin conditions |
| Concentrate / Distillate | 60-90% THC (can exceed 90%) | Highly potent cannabis extracts consumed via dabbing, vaping, or mixing with flower. | 5-15 minutes | 1-3 hours (more intense) | Experienced users, quick and intense effects, potent relaxation |
THC, Terpenes, and Cannabinoids
Most folks who come to our Kush Alley Dispensary focus on the THC level, and that’s quite understandable because that’s how personal-use cannabis has been promoted and sold for decades, before and after legalization. That’s cool, and our Budtenders are ready to help match customers with the THC level they want. But there’s more to consider, and we train our dispensary staff extensively to show customers how to choose the right cannabis. (We promise to keep the biochemistry vibe to a minimum here.)
What are Cannabinoids, and What Do They Do?
The Role of Terpenes
Terpenes play a crucial role in modulating and enhancing the cannabinoid effects, contributing to the overall experience. Because of the complexity of the topic and our promise to keep the biochem lingo to a minimum, we offer the following summary tables.
Common terpenes and what they do:
| Terpene | Common Effects | Therapeutic Benefits | Found In | Aroma/Flavor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Myrcene | Sedative, relaxing | Anti-inflammatory, pain relief | Indica strains | Earthy, musky, herbal |
| Limonene | Uplifting, mood-enhancing | Stress relief, anti-anxiety | Sativa strains | Citrus, lemon |
| Caryophyllene | Calming, anti-inflammatory | Pain relief, anti-inflammatory | Various strains | Spicy, peppery |
| Linalool | Calming, anti-anxiety | Anxiety relief, anti-depressant | Indica strains, lavender | Floral, lavender |
| Pinene | Alertness, focus-enhancing | Bronchodilator, anti-inflammatory | Sativa strains, pine trees | Pine, fresh |
Besides imparting scent and taste, terpenes can impact the effects of your cannabis:
| Impact on Cannabis Consumption | Details |
|---|---|
| Enhancing the Entourage Effect | Terpenes enhance the therapeutic effects of cannabinoids by working synergistically with them. |
| Modulating the High | Different terpenes can influence whether the cannabis experience is more relaxing, uplifting, or energizing. |
| Therapeutic Benefits | Terpenes contribute their own medicinal properties, such as reducing anxiety, inflammation, or pain. |
| Strain-Specific Effects | The unique combination of terpenes in each strain results in different effects even with similar THC levels. |
| Flavor and Aroma | Terpenes are responsible for the distinctive flavors and aromas of cannabis strains. |
So, the combination of cannabinoids and terpenes defines the specific effects of each cannabis product, making both elements important when choosing the right cannabis for your needs. We excel – it’s core to our DNA – at helping our customers navigate these choices to arrive at the perfect cannabis for their needs.
Budtenders Help to Choose the Right Cannabis
We take a unique approach and tailor each customer’s Kush Alley experience to their needs and expectations. When you walk into our dispensary, you’ll be matched with a budtender who is extremely familiar with all our products, and cannabis in general.
For our customers who are new to cannabis or who are looking for different benefits and effects, your budtender will take the time to understand your needs and wants, explain how specific cannabinoids, terpenes, and cannabis form interact, and unerringly lead you to the perfect, premium Kush Alley product.
Regardless of where you fall in the cannabis experience spectrum, we invite you to visit our discrete, convenient dispensary at 16735 Schoenborn St., North Hills, CA 91345. You can also call us at 818.810.9642 or email us at info@kushalleyca.com. However you choose to reach us, we look forward to showing you how to choose the right cannabis.
