EssentialFlower
Flower, or bud, is the smokable, trichome-covered part of a female cannabis plant. Flower is the most popular form of cannabis due to its versatility since it can be consumed in a variety of ways, including smoked in a pipe or joint, vaporized in a vaporizer, or incorporated into edibles.
EssentialPre-Rolls
Another way to buy flower is in pre-rolled joints or pre-rolls. It’s a high-convenience product that saves the consumer having to grind, pack, and roll the joint on their own. Pre-rolls are usually sold in single- to three-pack sizes of about 0.75 grams per joint. Product diversification being what it is, expect to find broader options in some locations. Pre-rolls may also be available adorned with wax and other concentrates inside or out, dipped in cannabis oil, rolled in kief, or all of the above.
EssentialPrivate Reserve
Private reserve is a title used to describe the best available cannabis a dispensary offers. It often carries with it the connotation that the dispensary is responsible for its cultivation and harvest. Be aware that private reserve is also a brand of cannabis and a strain so be sure you and the budtender are on the same page when you ask for it.
You can even make rosin at home with parchment paper and a hair straightener, however higher-grade rosin is made with a hydraulic press. The result is a concentrate that is golden, sappy, and oil-like.
Because of the lack-of solvents needed, rosin also contains many of the aromas and terpenes present in the plant itself making it a favorite choice among terpene loving users.
EssentialTop-Shelf
The term top-shelf describes high-quality cannabis that’s not quite as good as private reserve. Interchangeable terms that describe marijuana of this tier include piff, fire, chronic, loud, and artisanal. Growing top-quality cannabis requires attentive care and meticulous harvesting, which is why bud in this category fetches higher prices. Growers focus on quality over quantity when it comes to producing top-shelf cannabis. Buds should be dark to bright green with shoots of purple or orange. If you look closely, top-shelf bud also boasts oodles of intact trichomes. Oftentimes, fire cannabis feels sticky to the touch, like cotton candy. But your nose should be your primary guide so sniff for a rich, pungent aroma.
EssentialBottom Shelf
The term bottom-shelf describes particularly low-quality herb. Bottom-shelf cannabis is also known as brick weed, dirt weed, schwag, popcorn, and ditch weed. Modern-day dispensaries organize their cannabis by quality, saving this term for their cheapest, lowest-quality stuff. Bottom-shelf cannabis is old, contains seeds and stems, and tastes harsh when combusted. Often, bottom-shelf cannabis is brown in color and lacks a robust scent or visible trichomes.
All types of hash are more potent than traditional cannabis flower and are often either smoked alone or are mixed in with regular bud.
Unless you’re in the business of aging bud to up its sedative ante, properly storing flower is an important concern. The solutions are simple: Minimize flower’s exposure to oxygen, heat, moisture, and UV light by storing it in a long-lasting, airtight container such as a Mason jar. For those in search of premium storage options, hermetic containers are excellent options, as they can maintain consistent levels of humidity.
Color: Visually, cannabis flower exhibits telltale signs that it’s been around the block once or twice. Once-exuberant flower shot through with bright greens, purples, and oranges will wilt over time into desiccated lumps of rust-encrusted khaki green. However, if left largely undisturbed, its trichomes will remain intact.
Smell: Cannabis left to its own devices in a jar will, over time, produce a rather unpleasant aroma that can shock even the most veteran consumers. Exposing the cannabis to fresh oxygen should flush the container of its stale, fermented air, which, upon closer inspection, will reveal an underlying amalgam of hay and parchment paper.
Taste: The taste and mouthfeel of old cannabis stand apart from fresh flower. For some, aged and desiccated bud packs an acerbic punch, while for others, the difference is negligible. However, in keeping with the flower’s degradation of THCA into THC into CBN, its taste grows more earthy.
While less common, a blunt is the same basic idea as a joint, only bigger. A blunt is an emptied-out cigar wrapper that’s been filled with flower and resealed. Like a joint, the benefit of rolling a blunt is that all you need is the blunt wrap (or tobacco leaves) and ground flower (again, the grinder is optional). Once you’ve rolled the blunt, light one end and puff from the other end.
Possibly the easiest, most straightforward way to smoke weed is through the use of a pipe. Small, compact, and easy to use, pipes are handheld devices used to smoke flower. To use a pipe, simply break apart your flower, fill the bowl with the flower, touch a flame to the flower while drawing air gently through the mouthpiece, and inhale the smoke. Ideal for traveling or discreet use, pipes are practical and reliable tools for cannabis smokers.
Bongs are smoking devices consisting of a chamber partially filled with water, a downstem, a mouthpiece, and a bowl. Bongs are ideal for those who want to tone down the heat and harshness while inhaling smoke.
To use a bong, fill the chamber with just enough water to cover the end of the downstem. Pack the bowl with ground flower. Position your mouth over the mouthpiece and light the flower in the bowl. Inhale through your mouth to pull the smoke through the water and into your mouth. Once you’re done smoking, empty the flower from the bowl and clean your bong for later use.
Cannabis strains vary widely in potency, cannabinoid content, and terpene content — all of which can affect your cannabis experience. Flower potency is measured by the total concentration of cannabinoids—chemical compounds that act on our endocannabinoid system to stimulate psychoactive and physical effects—and is expressed in a percentage. For example, the label on a jar of OG Kush flower might read 18% THC, which indicates there are 180 milligrams (mg) of THC per gram of flower.
Remember, smoking weed results in a very different high than eating edibles. Smoking a full-gram joint with 180 mg of THC will get the average person high for a few hours, whereas eating a 180-mg edible can result in side effects like paranoia, panic attacks, and an increased heart rate for six hours or more.
Luckily, lab-tested products purchased from licensed, legal dispensaries come with certificates of analysis that make the dosing process accurate and easy. Look for the THC percentage on a package of cannabis flower to determine how much of an effect you can expect to get from one puff of a joint or bong rip.
- 10% THC or less: flower in this range is considered mild
- 10% – 20% THC: strong for beginners and often just right for casual consumers
- 20% THC and above: some of the strongest weed you’ll find
Bottom line: make note of the THC percentage before you consume, take one puff, and wait 15 minutes before consuming more to get a sense of how that potency affects you.
These materials are fine to use in a pinch:
- Emptied cigarettes or cigarette papers
- Corn husks tied with string
- Specially prepared rose petals baked together to form a longer wrap
- Hair curler papers
These may be fine but you’ll be smoking more chemicals, including from ink:
- Receipts
- Phone book pages
Don’t do it:
- Tissue paper: too fragile and coated with chemicals
Smoking in a steamy room, with a towel stuffed under the door, tends to contain the smell within the room better than without the steam or towel. But it doesn’t eliminate the odor while smoking. The weed smell should dissipate about half an hour after smoking stops.
No. Dentists recommend not smoking anything (tobacco or cannabis) for at least a week after extractions. Smoking decreases saliva production and causes the blood vessels in your gums to contract (decreasing oxygen to your wounds) and risks infection, dry socket, and incomplete recovery. Chemicals present in non-organic cannabis could also cause irritation, further risking injury or dry socket. Instead of smoking, try some soft edibles or a tincture.
While pipe screens are typically very inexpensive at head shops or tobacco shops, you may find yourself in need of a homemade option. Try these:
- The small, nickel-sized screen found on sink faucets. Simply unscrew the metal cylinder from under the faucet head and pop out the screen, shaping it to fit inside your pipe.
- Earbud screens. Carefully remove the casing around the in-ear part and shape the screen as needed in your pipe.
- A small, irregularly shaped pebble, as long as there is room around the stone for cannabis smoke to flow into the mouthpiece
Open the windows, turn on fans, and get the air flowing to remove hotboxing odors. Open boxes of baking soda placed around the space and left to absorb the odors help. Air fresheners, candles, and incense can also reduce weed smells. Ultimately, washing any clothes, carpets, and other textiles may be needed to truly get rid of any lingering wafts of weed.
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8320 E 71st St, Tulsa, OK 74133
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info@essentialcannabis.com
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