Answers to some questions on cannabis

Hey I’m hella new to this pot stuff. It seems so fancy these days. Can you give me a quick lesson on some of the terms?

Hey yourself. No problem. Here is a quick and dirty ganja glossary:

THC: Short for tetrahydrocannabinol, the chemical that gets you high. Strains with a higher percentage of THC will get you higher faster. Think of it like “proof” for liquor or “ABV” for wines. Most strains are around 15-18% and they top out around 30%. Too much THC will give you anxiety though, so be careful.

CBD: Short for Cannabidiol, known for its anti-anxiety and anti-inflammatory properties. It has been shown to help with a variety of ailments, and has no intoxicating effects.

Terpenes: Sometimes called “terps,” these are the chemicals that give cannabis its aroma and ancillary effects. Leafly.com has great info on terps.

Concentrates: Concentrated cannabis. There are many ways to do it, but the basic idea is to collect the glands from the cannabis buds. These glands contain most of the THC and terpenes found in the cannabis plant. Concentrates (also known as hash, hashish, dabs, wax, or shatter) usually contain between 50-80% THC.

Cannabinoids: Chemicals found in the cannabis plant. There are more than 100 different ones, with the most common being THC, CBD, CBG and CBN. Scientists are just now starting to understand all the chemicals in cannabis plants and their uses.

Pre-roll: A marijuana cigarette. From the medical marijuana days, because saying selling someone a “joint” made it sound like a drug deal, but allowing a cannabis patient to purchase a pre-rolled cannabis cigarette is classy.

High Ngaio, I have been smoking weed on the daily for a long time. I just don’t get as high as I used to get. What should I do?

You have two choices: Start smoking a bunch of hash, or just quit smoking weed for a while. Hash (or dabsmds or shatter or concentrates) will get you hella high, but eventually you will also develop a tolerance to it as well, and hash gets expensive. Just stop smoking for a while, like a week or two. You may feel weird at first, but you will have vivid dreams and a little extra money. After two weeks, smoke a bowl and see if you don’t get higher than you’ve been in a while.

I am a grown man, and I still can’t roll a joint to save my life. Any tips?

Yeah. Practice. That’s really the best way to be better at it. Get a pile of cannabis and a pack of rolling papers (I recommend the 11/4 size), and get to work. Roll until your fingers hurt. After you have rolled about 50 joints or so, you should have an idea of what it takes to make a serviceable doobie. Don’t worry too much about a perfect cylinder, just get it so it burns evenly. Of course the internet is also full of tips. Have fun!