Everything You Wanted To Know About Cannabis

Willie Nelson called Marijuana an herb and a flower. Others would call it a science, with experts running the business including data analysts, dispensary owners, growers, cannabis infusion specialists, and more. While cannabis is not yet legal in every state, according to a recent Gallop poll, 68% of Americans believe it should be legalized.

What kind of ailments can cannabis help?  

Consumers, advocates, and devotees of natural therapies offer symptoms and medical conditions from autoimmune diseases to seizure disorders. Healthcare professionals and clinical researchers are more conservative, but often cite nausea and vomiting, anorexia, symptoms of, anxiety, sleep disorders, chronic pain and other disorders which can be helped by cannabis. 

CBD, the primary active ingredient in hemp, has been approved by the FDA to treat seizure disorders. Clinical trials have demonstrated efficacy in treating conditions including anxiety, PTSD, and others.

How does a customer know what kind of product they’re getting?  

For hemp-derived CBD products consumers should only purchase products from companies that offer a Certificate of Analysis (i.e., CoA) to ensure that the product is not contaminated with heavy metals, microbes, Delta-8 THC or other compounds that could lead to harm.  

With so many different products, how does a customer know how much to take?  

For cannabis products, consumers are often at the mercy of salespeople at state licensed dispensaries. Most of these individuals may be qualified to guide consumers to an amount of THC that will likely not overwhelm them (i.e., make them feel overtly impaired), but they aren’t qualified to recommend dosing for medical conditions, nor are they licensed to practice medicine. For medical use, consumers should seek out licensed, trained healthcare professionals.  

For CBD, this is a little easier. Hemp-derived CBD products are generally safe, assuming hundreds of milligrams are not being consumed per occasion. Also, CBD won’t lead to impairment, so the consequences of taking too much aren’t as severe as with THC.  

What does it do for sleep?  

THC is sedating, even at low doses, while CBD may be sedating at high doses. At this point, most of the evidence is anecdotal or observational. There are a few randomized controlled trials – the gold standard for demonstrating cause and effect – but more are needed. 

Khalid Al-Naser is Head of Product at Raw Garden, a company whose products are produced from sustainably grown flowers in Santa Barbara County. He says, “I am excited to say cannabis legalization both medicinally and recreationally has gained broader national approval giving more Americans access to this amazing plant.” Khalid Al-Naser answered some questions:

Is there anything NEW about cannabis?

We know the cannabis plant has an amazing ability to produce both psychoactive and aromatic compounds but we are only beginning to scratch the surface in regards to the number of aromas the plant has the ability to produce,” says  Khalid Al-Naser. “This is a continued area of interest at Raw Garden.”

How does a customer know what kind of product they’re getting? 

Buying cannabis products from a reputable and licensed retailer is the best place to start. Look for products made by companies that make analytical testing of their products easy to access and review. Additionally, know how those companies source the material they use when making a purchasing decision. Ask your budtender. If you’re buying from the illicit market it is very hard to know what you are getting. 

How does a customer know how much to take? 

Using your nose can be a great place to start, aromas may be able to give you an indication of the effect a strain will have. If the aroma is something that appeals to you then you may likely enjoy the effect. Think about how that aroma has effected you in other situations. Was it stimulating? Was it relaxing? It may have a similar effect, it may not. Cannabis is such an individualized experience that a strain that may relax one person may actually energize another. It’s different for everyone, if you have no experience with cannabis then just follow the old adage, “less is more”. You can always consume more later.  For more experienced users it is a combination of knowing what has worked for you in the past and being aware of how you are feeling in that moment.

So go ahead, feel free to try cannabis, but remember, do it safely.