Photo Credit: AllWeedNews

The best way to enjoy any weed shop experience is to have an open mind, ask questions, and bring cash. People are not all created equal when it comes to the effects of this stuff. Even the most experienced cannabis user should heed the advice of the budtender who is helping them. It is like those old heads say, this stuff is way stronger than it used to be. Listen to the recommendations of your friendly budtender, they are there to help. Speaking with a budtender can save you hours of research on the internet and can be valuable for someone who is new to cannabis. You probably know the feeling of walking into a liquor store for a bottle of wine and being overwhelmed with options from Europe, California, or Australia. Well it is the same in a weed shop, and there is no shortage of choices. Keep in mind that in addition to weed there are tons of new options on the shelves these days and we are doing much more than just smoking this stuff. In addition to traditional products, cannabis shops should have options for pre-filled oil pens, transdermal patches, lotions, THC suppositories, infused salts you can throw into a warm bath, protein shakes, and there is even a coconut-based sexual enhancement spray that works nicely, just try not to eat it.

Smoking weed is still my favorite option for consumption. Smoking allows you to enjoy the full aroma-therapeutic benefits of the plant, it can result in the giggles, and can also wear off quicker than an edible. When you are looking at the weed options go with what you think looks good, let your budtender know if you want to smoke during social activities or for medicinal purposes, and pay special attention to how things smell, your nose will take you to the right option. If you like the way a strain smells you will enjoy how it tastes. If you do not dig on smoking though, maybe think about checking out a vaporizer. They are expensive but will be comparable to smoking and will absolutely enhance your experience. Vaporizers with pre-filled oil cartridges are also an option but usually just lead to a weak high and a headache. Davinci and Pax have great options for bud vaporizers, both offering app capabilities for controlling the temperature and locking capabilities for kids or roommates. Have you ever tried Tangerine Haze out of a vaporizer? It actually tastes like tangerines.

If you are not into any type of inhalation, edibles and tinctures are a smart way to go. Edibles are a great choice for a low-key extended experience and they travel well, but shhhh. I would recommend small doses of pills that do not contain sugar or chocolate. The biggest problem with edibles is that they are loaded with cheap and unhealthy ingredients, so if you decide to eat an edible check out what is in it. The desired result should come from the cannabis and not the sugar. Edibles also have a time-release effect and they can take at least an hour to process, it is best to wait for the effects of the first piece you ate before eating the whole thing. Edible drinks are another nice option, if you have never tried a cannabis coffee I recommend you treat yourself today.

Tinctures are next on the shelf, usually best reserved for when you are not feeling well or are having trouble keeping food down. Tinctures are an edible oil, they can be taken sublingually (meaning dropped under your tongue) or can be eaten like an edible. When you use the sublingual method, THC can enter your bloodstream quicker rather than having to go through your stomach to digest. However, tinctures tend to taste like weed, so dropping it into a cup of hot tea can be a good option for consumption if you dislike the cannabis oil flavor.

Finally, we get to concentrates, the most potent delivery option. Do you dab? This is the new one everyone is asking about, I mean it started a dance craze after all. Dabs, or concentrates, are a shelf-stable oil product that can be up to three times more potent than the strongest flower available. There are different types of concentrates available to dab, but they should all be what is called full-melt. Shatter, wax, live resin, rosin, and distillate are examples of full-melt concentrates. Old school hash like pressed keef and bubble hash are not, they still contain small amounts of plant matter. Dabbing involves dropping a piece of concentrate onto a hot nail while inhaling it through a bong. Dabbing concentrates will make you feel like you have gotten high for the first time again. You will be right back in that stoner friend’s car in high school, wondering if everyone is as high as you are.

So, how do you plan on enjoying your next dispensary experience? Are you going to get some weed, are you going to buy edibles, do you dab? If you are smoking or vaporizing this week I would recommend Strawberry Cough for sativa and OG Kush for indica. Strawberry Cough is a strong high that hits your head with a motivational, almost energetic effect. The psychedelic buzz offered will have you riding a beam of light, greatly enhancing meditation or a hike through the woods. OG Kush will offer a mellower high with stoned, sedated effects. You will feel your eyelids get heavy and your body will relax, while stress and worry will no longer clog up your mind. Medicinally, they may both be beneficial if you are suffering from depression or fatigue. With the number of edibles on the market these days it is tough to recommend just one, plus nobody is paying me, but I would suggest a pill or a drink, just peak at the ingredients though. For tinctures go with the smallest bottle and the largest potency, the smaller the amount of oil that you can ingest overall the better. When it comes to dabs, look into trying distillate. This is a new process for making concentrate that does not involve any processing agents. The method for manufacturing distillate is similar to how moonshine is made, but instead of potatoes we use pot plants. I would not concern yourself with worrying about what strain to purchase for dabs, since it is so strong, any dab’ll do ya. Oh yeah, and don’t forget a t-shirt!

Cannabis products are designed for adults 21 and older.  Please consume responsibly

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