What’s the difference between marijuana products?

As legal and medical dispensaries open throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey, the number of products to navigate grow, too. From traditional “flower” or marijuana buds for smoking, to concentrates, edibles and tinctures, here’s a guide to what’s legally available in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Cannabis is a plant that can produce physical and psychoactive effects when consumed.

The plant contains hundreds of naturally-occurring compounds called “cannabinoids.” The most commonly known cannabinoid is tetrahydrocannabinol, or “THC,” which is the intoxicating compound that gives consumers a “high.” The other popular cannabinoid is cannabidiol, “CBD” which is a non-intoxicating, medicinal compound that can bring feelings of mellowness, pain relief, and comfort.

CBD is federally legal in all 50 states, and can be bought in any store that carries CBD products, from gas stations to full-blown CBD stores. THC products, however, can only be bought in medical or legal adult-use dispensaries — anywhere else and it’s illegal. Dispensaries sell CBD products too, and will most likely offer better quality than the gas station CBD.

Remember: THC gets you high, while CBD does not.

Cannabis products all come from two (technically three) subspecies of cannabis plants — cannabis sativa, cannabis indica or a hybrid of the two. Each one tends to elicit different effects in a consumer. Dispensaries will label whether a product is a Sativa, Indica or Hybrid accordingly:

Keep in mind, cannabis products don’t always follow these rules — some indica products can be energizing, while some sativa products can have a mellowing effect.

While all cannabis products either come from sativa, indica or hybrid subspecies, there are hundreds of genetic variations of each. This is what cannabis growers call “strains.”

The strain name is included in a product’s name, such as: Sour Diesel (sativa), Blue Dream (sativa-dominant hybrid), Northern Lights (indica), and Wedding Cake (indica-dominant hybrid). There are more than 700 cannabis strains. Each strain has different effects, some subtle, and some more dramatic.

Cannabis products vary in strength or “potency.” You can see how potent the cannabis product is by looking at its THC and CBD percentages. High-THC products will have powerful mind-altering affects. Low-THC and high-CBD products will give you less of a head high and more of a physical sensation in the body.

AKA: marijuana, weed, grass, bud, herb, and tree

THC: 0-30%

What it is: The most commonly known cannabis product is the flower of the plant itself. This is what people are usually referring to when they say “marijuana” or “weed.” Cannabis flower looks like leafy and compact buds.

How it’s used: smoked in pipes, cigarette paper, cigar wraps and vaporizers.

Keep in mind: Flower comes in different type; the more potent, the more expensive. Premium, which is made of large buds, offers high potency. Smalls refers to smaller buds with average potency. Shake, Fine Grind or Ground Flower refers to broken-down or ground-up pieces of cannabis, low to average potency.

AKA: dabs, oil, wax, resin, shatter, badder, sauce

THC: 40-80%, but some are higher.

What it is: A more potent form of cannabis product that is created by extracting the cannabinoids from marijuana plants to create a more processed and highly-potent product — usually in a solid or liquid form.

How it’s used: You need additional gear like a dab rig, torch, and dabber tool, so it can be the most expensive way to consume cannabis. However, there are also vaporizers that use extract, which are more affordable. Vape products that contain extract will either be disposable cartridges, pods, or all-in-one disposable vapes. Some vape products have their own corresponding vaporizer you have to buy beforehand. Talk with staff at the local dispensary to see what they offer or for product suggestions. (You can also cook extract into foods to create edibles.)

Keep in mind: Extract isn’t for newbies. If you compare cannabis products to alcohol — consuming cannabis extract is like taking shot of liquor, whereas consuming cannabis flower can be comparable to drinking a beer.

AKA: sublinguals, sprays, drops

THC: 1mg to 60mg per dose, but can be higher. Sometimes dispensaries will indicate THC levels using a percentage, in which case tinctures usually have less than 5% THC per dose.

What it is: An oil-infused oral cannabis product that you drop, spray, or place under the tongue to be absorbed into the blood stream, which allows for medicinal and recreational effects. It’s very potent and is often used for relaxation, pain and stress relief.

How it’s used: Taken orally

AKA: lozenges, candies, gels, tablets

THC: 1mg to 30mg per dose, but can go higher

What it is: A cannabis extract-infused product that can be ingested. Traditionally these products come in the form of brownies, cakes or chocolate infused with cannabis. However, in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, cannabis edibles can’t resemble real food. So, instead, cannabis edibles resemble medicinal products you can take orally, like lozenges and tablets.

How it’s used: Taken orally

Keep in mind: Edibles are some of the most potent forms of cannabis. The effects of edible cannabis tend to last longer than other forms of cannabis, too. Start small (less than 10mg).