We’ve all been there – smoking marijuana for the first time, maybe with some friends, or just alone trying to figure out how this heavenly plant works. All over the world, people are turning to cannabis. Whether you ’re looking to alleviate pain without resorting to pharmaceutical drugs, enhance your experience of your favorite pastime, relieve stress, or find creative inspiration, the world is gradually entering an exciting new era of cannabis acceptance, curiosity, and research. 

So you wanna know more about marijuana? You wanna be familiar with all the different types, gadgets, and even terminology that goes with it? 

This guide is designed to help absolute beginners get started with cannabis and to make sense of how things work.

Understand that cannabis is no longer a taboo

Currently a large number of countries around the world have begun legalizing the consumption of cannabis, be it for recreational or medicinal purposes. This number is incrementally increasing as more and more countries are adopting the legalization of cannabis and its consumption. Years and years of propaganda and misinformation have led many of us to believe that cannabis can be harmful and is considered a shady substance. As you experiment with weed, try to approach new cannabis products as you would any other industry: with curiosity, enthusiasm, and responsible use.

Pace yourself

We advise all newcomers to the cannabis industry to start slow, and incrementally increase their dosage based on the relevant experience gained from their previous consumptions. We wouldn’t want you feeling overwhelmed because of misjudging how much you should dose the first couple of times trying out marijuana.
Make sure that you are situated in a place where you feel completely comfortable and safe in case you don’t like the effects or felt like you took too much. This also applies to trying new products as well; even if you’ve grown accustomed to weed, new cannabis products can affect your body differently.

Learn the Vocabulary 

In the cannabis world, the vocabulary is quite important as some of these names and categories can be completely confusing for first-timers. Let’s give you a small round-up on the most important ones: 

– Flower: Is the actual physical cannabis bud.

– Hash: is a cannabis concentrate composed of millions of trichomes, usually associated with a more mellow vibe. 

– Budtender: Is the cannabis salesperson behind the desk at your local dispensary. So just like a bartender, but for your buds! 

–Cannabidiol (CBD): One of the primary cannabinoids found in cannabis and hemp is Cannabidiol, usually referred to as CBD. CBD has non psychoactive effects.

–Concentrates: Concentrates are extracted forms of cannabis that contain high concentrations of cannabinoids. Concentrates can include shatter, wax, rosin and live resin.

–Dry Sift: Commonly referred to as kief, dry sift is a concentrate created by sieving and sifting the flowers over screens, so resin glands fall through. They are then made into a concentrate. 

–Edibles: Edibles are food and drink items that are infused with cannabis. 

–Terpene: A terpene is the part of the cannabis plant that produces aromas and flavours.

Choose the right variety or strain

In today’s cannabis world, we are provided with so many different options and alternatives that it can get a bit tough to particularly understand which strain fits you exactly. Mainly, cannabis is split into 3 types, Sativa, Indica, and Hybrid (a combination of both Sativas and Indicas). 

Sativa: Also known as Narrow Leaf Varieties, are often described as more activating, cerebral, active, and creative than their counterparts. Sativas generally provide an upbeat, experience that inspires and stimulates.

Indica: Sometimes referred to as Broad Leaf Varieties, are known to be more physically sedating, promoting relaxation and feelings of well-being. Indicas are great for calming down, de-stressing, and promoting beneficial sleep.

Hybrids: Hybrids are the result of genetic breeding that involves combining Sativas and Indicas during the cultivation process. A hybrid may combine the uplifting and euphoric effects of a Sativa with the calming and relaxing traits of an indica. Hybrids are great options for sampling both effects, and finding a comfortable middle ground on the cannabis  spectrum.

Know what cannabis products to get

– Flower or Bud: It is the result of the harvest. After the harvest, these flowers are trimmed and packaged to keep their freshness. This is the preferred choice for smokers and those who seek getting the effects the quickest. 

–Edibles: As mentioned earlier, edibles are food and drink items that are infused with cannabis. Edibles are usually the go-to method for those not looking for the cannabis taste or smell, or simply put, bot looking to smoke their pot. But beware, weed edibles take a bit longer to kick in and can give quite the strong high! 

–Vapes: A method widely used for people who love the smoking aspect but are avoiding the combustion part of the process. Both weed buds and concentrates can be vaporized to enjoy the experience. 

–Topicals: Topicals are cannabis-infused lotions, balms, and oils that are applied directly to your skin to target specific issues and pains.Topicals have a limited or non-existent effect on your mind, and generally will not get you high in the same way that the other cannabis products do. 

–Tinctures: Cannabis tinctures are liquid based forms of cannabis that are applied in minute quantities to achieve the desired effects, It is usually applied sublingually. 

What effects should I expect? 

Cannabis is known to induce several effects that range from euphoric to relaxation, So depending on the preferred route and type of consumption, the effects may vary. Some common effects from cannabis are 

Alertness

Appetite increase

Anxiety increase/decrease

Body euphoria

Red eyes

Euphoria

Increased creativity

Laughter

Nausea relief

Pain relief

Sensory enhancement

Sleepiness

Photo taken from http://weed.review

Does Cannabis have any medicinal benefits? 

Cannabis has proven to offer a variety of medicinal benefits for various treatments of conditions of several conditions. In fact, many countries worldwide are in the process of legalizing cannabis at least for its medicinal purposes. Check with a medical marijuana doctor and see for yourself if you are a candidate for receiving medical marijuana. 

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