Types of Cannabis | Pros and Cons
One of the best things about buying cannabis in Colorado is that you have so many different options. There are countless different strains, and the best growers in the state are always cultivating new ones. All of the different kinds of flower are only the tip of the iceberg, too. With new cannabis products hitting dispensary menus every day, there’s no shortage of exciting ways to enjoy this plant.
What Ways Can You Consume Cannabis?
Cannabis enthusiasts are often creative people, so it makes sense that they’d be able to come up with new cannabis products. There are a lot of bright minds studying the plant and its cannabinoids to see how humans can deepen their relationship with cannabis. There’s no telling what the future holds, but right now there are four main categories of cannabis products:
Each form of cannabis has its own unique characteristics that will ultimately shape your experience. Some people like to buy different products for different situations, while others are only interested in one specific type of product. To decide which appeals to you most, learn more about the pros and cons of each different type of cannabis product.
1 – Flower
This is the most traditional way of enjoying cannabis. When you buy premium cannabis flower, there are multiple different ways to enjoy it:
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- Roll a joint or a blunt
- Smoke it out of a bong or other glass pipe
- Vaporize it in a dry herb vaporizer
- Cook with it
We’ll touch more on edibles later, so let’s focus on the pros and cons of smoking cannabis flower for the moment. There are a lot of things to love about the classic form of cannabis. Some people say enjoying cannabis in its plant form makes them feel closer to nature. For most, though, it’s a matter of convenience. It’s easy to pack a bowl in a glass pipe or even buy a pre-rolled joint.
It’s also relatively easy to tell when you’ve reached your limit when you smoke cannabis. It kicks in almost immediately, so there’s not a lot of guessing about when it’s going to hit you. The duration is also fairly short, which makes for a predictable experience. To round out the pros, flower is relatively inexpensive.
There are also a few downsides to smoking cannabis:
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- There’s a stigma about smoking, largely due to health concerns.
- Some people find the sensation unpleasant, though others enjoy it.
- This is probably the least discreet way to consume cannabis. Everyone near you will probably smell it.
2 – Concentrates
Concentrates kick in about as quickly as flower, and maybe even faster. The experience also lasts about the same amount of time. The biggest reason people buy concentrates is that they contain so many more cannabinoids than normal flower. This is ideal for people who want to consume higher levels of THC without having to smoke a lot. Also, most people find that vapor doesn’t bother them as much as smoke does (and it doesn’t smell as noticeable).
Concentrates are expensive compared to flower, but a little bit goes a long way. The accessories can also be expensive, though, especially if you invest in a good dab rig or cannabis concentrate vape. Some people say concentrates aren’t appealing because they don’t seem natural, while others love that it’s a refined product.
3 – Edibles
The best thing about edibles is that they’re so easy, discreet, and delicious. Unless you’re tearing into the package right in front of someone, no one is likely to notice. Edibles won’t produce a smell that lingers in your clothes and hair. You don’t need any accessories to eat an edible, either, which makes them convenient in just about any situation. The flavor speaks for itself.
Edibles may be slightly more expensive than flower, largely depending on the type you buy and how many you eat. The cost doesn’t start to add up until you’re eating a lot of them, though, and by far the biggest drawbacks of cannabis edibles have to do with timing:
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- They take a long time to kick in. For one thing, some people don’t want to wait an hour to start enjoying the effects of their cannabis. Perhaps more importantly, the delayed onset of the experience can make it hard to know when you’ve had an appropriate serving size for you. There’s a learning curve involved, and we advise people to take things slowly. The sudden realization that you’ve eaten way too many edibles can put a damper on your day.
- Edibles can also last significantly longer than some other forms of cannabis. Some people might consider that a good thing in some situations, but sometimes a long period of feeling intoxicated can be inconvenient. This is especially true if the effects are more overwhelming or longer-lasting than you were planning for.
4 – Topicals
Most people who visit our Federal Heights dispensary aren’t torn between topicals and some other item because topicals are significantly different. Other forms of cannabis seem to affect the whole body more evenly, while topicals can be applied to one specific area. The major exception to this might be transdermal THC patches, which are designed to release a steady flow of cannabinoids into the bloodstream.
Most other topicals are intended to provide a localized experience. That is, you can apply it to your joints, muscles, back, or wherever you want. That’s what makes topicals so appealing to some people. This isn’t the most budget-friendly way to get a heady buzz by any means, but people who won’t cannabis topicals often find that nothing else will do. The experience does change depending on how much of your topical cannabis product you apply and where you put it, though, so do be mindful of that.
How to Choose a Cannabis Product that’s Right for You
Every type of cannabis product has its pros and cons, but we find that we appreciate this plant in all of its forms. To put it simply, we wouldn’t add anything to our dispensary menu if we didn’t think it was awesome. Each of these types of cannabis products offers something unique, and we like to carry them all so that our customers have plenty of options. After all, cannabis is a personal experience, so only you can decide which item from the dispensary menu is the most appealing to you.
You Be the Judge! Stop by Green Sativa for Quality Cannabis in All Forms Today!
If you’re still weighing the pros and cons of different cannabis products, we can help. We have a massive selection here at Green Sativa to introduce you to all of the options, and our friendly budtenders know plenty about everything we sell. We’re able to answer your questions as we guide you toward the exact cannabis product that will be a fit for your lifestyle. You can learn more by visiting our dispensary in Federal Heights. If you already know what you want, you can start your order online now.
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