New To Marijuana? Instructions And Warnings For Brand-New Users!
A new clientele will be visiting Missouri dispensaries on Feb. 6 in anticipation of trying goods that were previously only legal for medicinal marijuana users. Recreational, adult-use marijuana is anticipated to go on sale as early as that date. You may already be familiar with marijuana because a family member or acquaintance has a medical card or because you buy from dealers, and you’re now curious to try the goods for yourself.
It can be intimidating to enter a dispensary, discover which products are ideal for you, and then relax while consuming marijuana. Thankfully, the budtenders at the local dispensaries are happy to assist in pointing new customers in the proper direction. One of them is Ashley Virden, an assistant store manager for The Farmer’s Wife retail cannabis business network in southern Missouri.
When a customer who has never used marijuana visits The Farmer’s Wife, Virden asks them a number of questions to determine which products would be best for them. These questions include their intentions for using marijuana, preferred methods of consumption (flower, edibles, or concentrate), any dietary restrictions (are they using edibles), and prior knowledge.
First, Familiarize Yourself With The Law
Adults in Missouri who are 21 years of age and older are permitted to possess up to three ounces of dried, unprocessed marijuana or its equivalent in concentrate or edibles under Amendment 3, which legalizes marijuana for recreational use.
According to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, three ounces of dried, unprocessed marijuana flower is equal to 24 grams of marijuana concentrate, which is also known as butane hash oil, budder, crumble, and shatter. A consumer must present a legitimate photo ID when visiting a dispensary in order to buy recreational marijuana items.
Additionally, users should be aware that it is against the law and can have fatal implications for both you and other road users to drive while impaired by any substance, including alcohol, marijuana, or another narcotic. Don’t do anything after using marijuana that you wouldn’t do after using alcohol.
Assess Your Goals
People can now use marijuana for non-medical uses since it is now allowed to use it recreationally. However, using items for this purpose doesn’t preclude you just because you haven’t applied for a medical marijuana certificate. According to the Mayo Clinic, marijuana can be used medicinally to treat symptoms of Alzheimer’s, ALS, HIV/AIDS, Crohn’s disease, epilepsy and seizures, glaucoma, muscle spasms, chronic pain, and extreme nausea or vomiting brought on by cancer therapy.
However, you should become acquainted with two well-known strains: Sativa and Indica, if you intend to consume marijuana recreationally. There are more than 700 different marijuana strains, however, the Sativa and Indica “category” encompass the majority of them. The energetic, daytime strain known as Sativa is frequently used to treat depression, migraines, nausea, and appetite loss.
Given that it has a higher concentration of CBD than THC, Indica is frequently used as a sedative before bed. A flat, tranquil high is the result of this. Most strains available now are hybrids, a cross between Sativa and Indica.
When describing these strains, budtenders may use phrases like “Sativa-dominant” and “Indica-dominant.” Medical and recreational items are the same when purchased from a dispensary. Only your ability to present a valid photo ID or a medical marijuana card at the register makes a difference.
“Start Low and Go Slowly”
“We definitely want to prevent the situation where someone enters and says, “Oh, I want to try cannabis.” I think it’s going to be able to help me with this and that,” and they overindulge and have a negative experience “The Farmer’s Wife’s director of retail, David Brodsky, said. “Start low, go slow” is a good motto for both novice consumers and edibles.
Different concentrations of THC, measured as a THC percentage, can be found in marijuana products, including flowers. THC concentrations are expressed as percentages of product volume. THC content varies from product to product, but according to Bloom, a Los Angeles-based marijuana company, the average THC content in flower is 20%, with 10% being on the low end.
When using any marijuana product for the first time as a new user, starting with lower THC content is a good idea. The THC content and dosage amount in milligrams are listed on the label of edibles (marijuana-infused goods). How much THC is present in a product is revealed by the dosage. Virden advised first-time consumers of edibles (cannabis-infused goods) to start with 2.5 mg doses, wait an hour, and then increase the dose if necessary.
Gummies, sodas, candy bars, pastries, and tinctures are a few of the more popular foods (concentrated herbal extracts). One marijuana-infused gummy typically carries 10 mg; therefore, for first-time users, one gummy could be divided into four or five pieces.
Virden claimed that she also asks about a customer’s dietary constraints while talking about edibles. She might suggest tincture or tablet edibles rather than more sugary treats, for instance, if a client is on a sugar-free diet.
Create a Comfortable Space and Keep Track of Time
Consider arranging your day to include marijuana use if it’s your first time. According to The Farmer’s Wife marketing manager Cody Shackleton, certain edibles can survive up to 12 hours or more. Make sure you have enough time to pleasantly consume marijuana if you are new to it or are trying a new product.
If you want to be near someone, think about where you want to be and who you want to be with as you organize your day. Given the durability of some products, Shackleton advised brand-new customers to keep track of the time. Users can then accurately determine where they are in their “high timeline” as a result. For marijuana use, this timeline appears differently.
According to Healthline, the high from smoking or vaping peaks 10 minutes after ingestion and lasts somewhere between one and three hours. The peak high from edibles begins about two hours after consumption. The effects of dabbing, or smoking THC concentrate, often last between one and three hours.
The Farmer’s Wife gives complimentary patient journals to all patrons as part of a partnership with Dr. Lisa Roark, the creator, and CEO of The Dispensary in Cassville. Users can record information about different strains, usage amounts, and other aspects of their experience in the take-home workbook. The Farmer’s Wife in Springfield, situated at 2935 E. Chestnut Expressway, sells journals.
Drink Water Like an Athlete
It’s crucial to stay hydrated when using any cannabis product, but smoking marijuana in particular. Don’t worry if you have intense thirst after smoking a joint, blunt, or bong; cottonmouth is a frequent side effect of marijuana use. The parasympathetic nervous system, which causes the salivary glands to produce saliva, is inhibited when THC binds to those receptors.
Although this restricts salivation, it does not completely stop it. Online marijuana services like Leafly advise first-time users to “hydrate like an athlete” as a precaution. There are a few things you can do if the high isn’t enjoyable for you.
Brodsky advised users to be calm if they start to experience unpleasant psychotropic side effects and to drink water, have a meal, and take some CBD to balance the THC in their system. Healthline also suggests eating the lemon peel, black pepper, and pine nuts if you’re eager to try something new.
Caryophyllene, a component of black pepper, enhances THC’s sleepy effects. Another relaxing substance found in pine nuts called pinene has been shown to increase mental clarity. The relaxing substance found in lemon peels may also be able to offset the euphoric effects of THC. Not everyone may be successful with these efforts.
‘hydrate Like an Athlete’
Shackleton concluded by advising people to be open to smoking marijuana for the first time. It’s possible that the first product you test won’t immediately fit you perfectly. In addition to cannabis, Virden said, “I believe it kind of applies to a lot of things.” “You don’t really know what you’re going to like the best when you go to a coffee shop or even if you order a cocktail. rely on the suggestions of reputable budtenders as your resources.”
Be Open to Experimentation
The News-Leader utilized Leafly to examine the prices of various brands, including Hippos, Greenlight, The Farmer’s Wife, Old Route 66 Wellness, Flora Farms, and Good Day Farm (medical marijuana dispensaries in Springfield).
A 25 mg pack of gummies often costs approximately $12, a 50 mg pack of gummies typically costs between $10 and $30, and a 100 mg pack of gummies typically costs between $20 and $30. The dosage quantities are for the whole box, not for every single gummy. A 100 mg box of gummies, for instance, is likely to contain 10 gummies, each of which has 10 mg of THC.
One gram and one-eighth of an ounce are the smallest amounts of flowers you can purchase from a dispensary (3.5 grams). One-eighth of an ounce of flower with a 20% THC potency or less typically costs between $20 and $45 and one gram of flower with a 20% THC potency or less typically costs between $12 and $20.
