Medical marijuana is a blessing for many people. When used effectively, the number of illnesses that marijuana and its extracts can benefit is very impressive.
At the same time, there are so many ways to consume marijuana, so many different strains, and many factors to consider, that finding the right product can be difficult. We’re going to talk a little bit about how to buy medical marijuana in this article, hopefully sending you in the direction of the perfect fit for your situation.
A little experimentation is always going to be in order, but you can narrow your options down a great deal with a critical eye. So, take some notes, keep an open mind, and let’s begin:
How to Buy Medical Marijuana That’s Right for You
We’re going to break the topic up into a few parts, considering that each factor plays a part in your experience and the benefit you receive. There are also some practical benefits when, say, vaping instead of smoking marijuana.
We’ll start with the most important piece: the strain.
Choosing a Strain
You may have heard people say “weed is more powerful than it used to be.” This is entirely true and it makes the process of buying it a little more difficult.
Marijuana affects everyone differently, and understanding your preferences is very important as you try to find your sweet spot. Let’s talk a little about the primary distinctions between strains of marijuana.
Cannabinoids, Indica, and Sativa
Marijuana is comprised of a number of things called “cannabinoids.” While cannabis is host to trace amounts of numerous cannabinoids, the most active in the plant are THC and CBD.
THC is the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis. In other words, it is the element of the plant that gets a person high. There are various textures and nuances to the high that each strain produces, but “highness” can be isolated as a mental experience, and how high a person gets depends on how much THC is in a particular strain.
CBD, on the other hand, is the calming, pain-relieving substance in cannabis. Strains heavy in CBD will generally provide a mild high and a stronger effect on the body than on the mind.
Strains heavy in THC are generally “Sativa” strains. Those heavier in CBD are “Indica” strains. You can remember this distinction by thinking of Indica as “in-da-couch,” because it makes a person relaxed.
We recommend sampling both Indica and Sativa strains to find out which you prefer and to what degree you like to feel high or relaxed.
Treating Your Illness
It’s also important to pick a strain that will treat whatever illness you have. If you’re suffering from mental illness such as anxiety or depression, you must choose a strain that makes you feel at ease. It’s impossible to say that one strain will make you feel good while another will produce a bad experience.
As we stated before, marijuana affects everyone differently, and your mental illness may benefit from one strain and be made temporarily more difficult by another. So, we recommend sampling different strains in small doses in order to get a feel for what will work best for your situation.
If you’re experiencing chronic pain, arthritis, seizures, or other physical illnesses, you should lean in the direction of Indica. CBD has shown to benefit numerous health problems, including chronic pain and arthritis.
You can even purchase synthesized CBD that doesn’t contain any noticeable amount of THC. This way, you receive the health benefits of cannabis without having to get high throughout the day.
Method of Use
Finally, we’ll talk about the different methods of using marijuana and how they might fit into the context of your life.
All methods are generally accepted as effective in treating illnesses. There isn’t too much of a difference in efficacy of use between edibles and smoked marijuana, for example.
On the other hand, different ways of ingesting the product to lead to different effects. Generally, smoking marijuana is the best way to produce specific effects. In other words, if you want to be a little high to ease your anxiety, you can take controlled hits of cannabis without risking getting too high.
Vaping cannabis oil is another way to be fairly specific with your use. Once you grow accustomed to the strain, it’s fairly easy to predict how hard one or two puffs will hit you.
Edibles are generally the most powerful method of ingesting. There are, however, a lot of options available that produce very specific effects.
Topical cannabis is generally used to treat specific areas of the body that are experiencing pain. These are lotions and creams and are high in CBD. Lotions and creams don’t produce a mental high but are effective in treating specific areas.
Speak With Dispensary Employees
Whether you’re ordering cannabis online or walking into a dispensary, you should have someone available that can talk to you about each strain.
Generally, an employee will be able to hear your preferences and select a strain accurately within one or two tries. There is so much variety in terms of the product that you can be fairly specific with what you want and expect a corresponding product.
It’s important to have a foundational understanding of cannabis, methods of ingestion, and what illness you need to treat before you step into the dispensary. At the same time, you should receive a good deal support from people at the shop. If you’re still a little stumped on the specifics of cannabis, you can read more here.
When you’re first starting out, make sure that you use the product in a controlled environment. You don’t have to expect anything too crazy, but cannabis has certainly changed. If you haven’t used cannabis recently, explore your options in the comfort of your own home before you select your strain and incorporate it into your daily life.
Need More Help?
Trying to buy medical marijuana can be difficult at first. This guide was meant to help you select the right strain and method of use.
For more knowledge on the specifics of cannabis and how to get access to it, explore our site to get the information you need.
