You're ready to visit a shop and buy cannabis but how do you buy it? Similar to wine you don't just buy a bottle at the store, you need to choose which type of wine: red, white sparkling etc. This guide will help you know what to buy and dosage.

Dried flower comes in three varieties:

Sativa

Sativa *terpenes tend to taste more fruity like lemon and blueberry.

Indica

Indica terpenes generally taste more earthy.

Hybrid

Hybrids are a balance between the two. Can be indica dominant, sativa dominant or a 50/50 split. Most cultivars you buy are hybrids

*Terpenes play a key role in the entourage effect and how the cultivar will taste and feel. Visit our terpene guide to learn more

Choosing the strength

When buying cannabis flowers you will get a % of the cannabinoids. THC is the mind altering cannabinoid, the higher % of THC the more lifted you'll feel.

THC up to 10% mild
THC 10 - 16% medium strength
THC over 18% strong

*Note: other factors come into play when it comes to the strength of THC, terpenes and other cannabinoids will change how it will feels. Also the amount you do, the more you inhale the stronger it will feel.

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Raw cannabis is non-psychoactive and can be eaten in smoothies & salads


  • Edibles

    When it comes to THC always start low. Ingesting THC (this includes tinctures and sprays that you swallow) start at 5mg or less and wait 2 hours before taking more. Smaller people should take lower doses than bigger people to start

  • Concentrates

    Concentrates are extracts from the cannabis plant that are quite potent. You can buy CBD only extracts however most are high THC. When buying concentrates in the form of vape pens, look for a 1:1 or higher CBD to THC ratio like 5:1 or 10:1 as this will feel lighter.

  • CBD

    In cannabis flowers high CBD is around 5% however you can get strains that are mostly CBD at around 20%. In edibles 20 mg is a good place to start. CBD is non-intoxicating and is great combined with THC as it reduces some of the side effects THC can cause such as anxiety

How much do you need to buy?

Flowers: When faced with so many choices in cultivars to buy, how much should you get? Sometimes you might want to buy more than one kind, finding the right cultivar for you might mean having to try several before getting the right fit. You can buy cannabis in prepackaged amounts of-1 gram, 3.5 grams or 7 grams. One gram is a good sample size, it fits in the palm of your hand. A joint can take 1/2 a gram to a full gram. Dry herb vaporizing uses about 1/8 of a gram.

Edibles (both long and fast-acting): The most you can buy in a single package is 10mg. It's recommended you start with 2 to 5mg. Buying a package that has 5- 2mg pieces is a good way to get a precise dose. Edibles by law can't exceed 10mg per package. Visit the edibles guide page to learn more.

CBD edibles: you want a higher dose CBD product, at least 10mg as 10-20mg is a recommended starting dose. CBD will not get you high and is safe to use at higher doses. 

Concentrates: when buying vape pens, buy the battery separate from the cartridge *check before buying a refill cartridge to see if it's proprietary or if it can fit any device. Avoid disposable pens as they have a high failure rate.

Other forms of concentrates such as shatter are quite strong however they can come in CBD options as well (not yet available in Canada). Mostly these types of concentrates are added to flower or vaporizers to make it stronger. Hash and kief are flavourable and lovely additions to a dry herb vaporizer, especially at lower temperatures when you can get more of the flavour of the terpenes.

Topicals: Topicals will not get you high and come in a variety of products. When buying infused topicals the higher the dose, the better. Don't bother buying CBD topicals that are less than 50mg in the whole bottle, you want a high dose of CBD in topicals.

Buyer beware

Check the package date on cannabis flowers before you buy them, the fresher the better. 


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