MarijuanaGreens Basic Guide to Cannabis

MarijuanaGreen's Basic Guide to Cannabis​

<span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-family:'courier new', courier, monospace;">This guide for new/inexperienced cannabis users will attempt to inform you about everything you need to know about this wonderful plant. If you have any questions after reading, I will be glad to answer in the comments! Enjoy.</span></span>​

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Basic Terms:​

<span style="font-size:12px;">THC - Tetrahydrocannabinol is the main chemical found in marijuana that causes the user to feel a psychoactive "high"</span>​

CBD - Cannabidiol is another chemical found on marijuana that is responsible for many of marijuana's medicinal effects such as being anti-inflammatory, anti-tumoral, and anti-depressive.​

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Flower (bud, marijuana, nug)​

Marijuana flowers can be smoked and vaporized using a variety of devices. Let me explain the basics of strains and strain genetics:​

There are many strains of marijuana available to users, each one with varying looks, smell, and effects. These strains (of consumable marijuana) can all be divided into one of three categories, these being Sativa, Indica, or Hybrid. ​

The effects of sativa strains are what some would call a "head high". Sativa's bring creativity, energy, deep thought, and a sense of uplifting/happiness.​

On the opposite end of the spectrum are indica strains, which are more of a "body high" where the user will experience a more sedative and relaxing effect, often called "couch lock". Indica strains are generally better for helping pain.​

Hybrid strains are when a sativa and an indica strain are crossbred. These bring the best of both worlds.​

**There is one more type of marijuana, cannabis ruderalis, A.K.A hemp. Ruderalis plants are grown for use in textiles, plastics, and other such things and are generally not smoked, due to their lack of the chemical compounds found in sativa's and indica's that give marijuana's beneficial effects.**​

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Concentrates (wax, 'dabs', shatter, BHO, hash, tincture, oil, etcetera)​

<span style="font-family:'courier new', courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size:12px;">Concentrates are, as the name suggests, a concentrated form of marijuana made from the flowers and often other parts of the cannabis plant. These concentrates come in many forms and consistencies which can often confuse a new/inexperienced concentrate user. Concentrates often have a very high level of THC and/or CBD, the main chemicals in marijuana that are responsible for its effects while also having very little plant matter, allowing for a 'cleaner' method of consuming marijuana than by smoking. Concentrates are often consumed via a special rig with a metal, glass, or quartz nail that is heated and then used to vaporize the concentrates, known as 'dabbing'.</span></span>​

<span style="font-family:'courier new', courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size:12px;">There are too many types of concentrates for me to describe here, so instead I will provide a link to a page that goes in-depth.</span></span>​

<span style="font-family:'courier new', courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size:12px;">http://weedporndaily.com/pot-primer/hash-and-concentrates/</span></span>​

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Edibles (marijuana-infused foods)​

Edibles are made by infusing food with marijuana flowers or concentrates (usually hash or tincture). For this infusion to take place, the food must have high fat or oil content, as these are what the chemicals in marijuana can bind to -- they are not water-soluble. Popular foods are brownies, cookies, and candies although it is entirely possible to find and/or make healthy options, even full meals infused with cannabis. When making and using edibles, it is important to pay attention to dosage, since edibles generally have a stronger effect than their flower and concentrate counterparts. Too many a time have their been reports of people's "bad trips" with brownies or other foods -- this is because they eat much more than they should have. Start with a small amount, and wait 1 to 2 hours. If you feel nothing, then go ahead and take another small piece of whatever food you have. For more info on edibles, go check out GC's "Incredible, Edible, Herb" section of the forum.​

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<span style="font-size:18px;">Topicals (lotions, creams, salves)</span>​

<span style="font-size:18px;"><span style="font-family:'courier new', courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size:12px;">A topical refers to a medication that is applied to the skin or other body surfaces. These are gaining popularity in the medical cannabis community, but are very rare in the black market due to the fact that they are non-psychoactive and do not give the "high" effect that other ways of consuming marijuana do. Many people use marijuana topicals to treat afflictions like arthritis, eczema, and psoriasis. Cannabis is known for its anti-inflammatory and analgesic (pain relieving) properties, so it is very beneficial as a topical medicine. </span></span></span>​

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How to Tell the Quality of Your Marijuana​

Many new users don't know the difference between good and poor quality marijuana. This shouldn't be a problem if you are a medical patient, since a dispensary will always have good to excellent quality, and the budtenders working there should be able to answer questions and make suggestions. However, on the street one does not always know what quality bud should look like. Good bud is often referred to as dank, fire, sensi(sensimilla, or seedless), and beasters. Low quality bud is called schwag, brown, or mexi-dirt.​

Good marijuana should have lots of visible crystals on its surface and is often sticky and smelly. It should not be too dry or too wet, but at a happy medium. You should look for minimal presence of stems and leaves as this indicates a good trim job. Colors can range from dark/light greens, purples, and red/orange tints (often the color of pistils, or the little hairs that are part of the bud). Color should not be used as a judge of quality all the time however, since bud can have many different colors.​

Lower quality bud will have less crystals and will often be brown, dry, and crumbly and may look like dirt. Much of the time, it will be compressed into brick form for easier transport.​

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If you have any questions or anything you would like me to add to this guide, say so in the comments and I'll do my best to help.​