The Cannabis Corner: Professional Insight Into Colorado’s Marijuana Industry

By: Dr. RMJ (I’m not a Dr. but I play one in this column)
 
Hey Dr. R:  I’m interested in purchasing some marijuana but I’m not sure where to begin.  I know that there are a lot of options and I don’t understand why there are so many different names for one plant.  What does it mean when someone refers to an Indica or a Sativa?
 
Dear Cannabis Consumer:  Essentially there are two main subspecies of marijuana; cannabis indica and cannabis sativa.  The two subspecies differ in flowering times, physical appearance, size, and; most important to the consumer, effect.  When most people describe the effects of sativas they refer to it as a cerebral high, meaning that it affects the mind more.  That is why most people like to consume sativas during the day or when they are more prone to being active.  The high from sativas is often characterized as energetic, creative, giggly and even psychedelic.  The benefits of sativas have shown to increase focus and creativity, fight depression and create uplifting mental thoughts.  Indicas on the other hand are known to have more of a sedative effect on the body which is why most people prefer them for nighttime use.  The Indica effect is noted for being physically and mentally relaxing and may cause drowsiness in large doses.  Indica dominant strains tend to have a strong sweet to sour odor to them and can be helpful in treating general stress and anxiety, body pain and sleeping disorders.  Indica’s also have a higher ratio of CBD to THC than sativas which makes them of particular interest in the medical field.  The two subspecies can be bred together to create many different variations which leads to what are referred to as hybrids.  Hybrids open up a world of possibilities when combining the benefits of indicas and sativas.  When choosing what marijuana is best for you the best bet is to stay informed and conduct your own experiments about how each strain affects you differently.  Who knows, maybe some day you will become a cannabis connoisseur.
 
What’s Up Dr. R:  I’m interested in consuming marijuana but the idea of smoking it is not something I feel comfortable doing.  Are there any other options when it comes to ingesting marijuana?
 
Dear Thank You for Not Smoking:  There are many options other than smoking marijuana.  If you come into Organic Alternatives, conveniently located in Old Town, you can choose between edibles, beverages, tinctures, capsules and topicals.  We carry many different forms of edibles including hard candies, chewy candy, baked goods, granola and nuts and chocolate bars.  Its always best to consult with your local budtender and have a good understanding of what the different serving size and milligram contents are.  We also carry many different beverages from Dixie Elixirs and Canna Punch.  The tinctures and capsules that we carry include oral sprays, and Dr. J’s health capsules.  We also carry many different topicals from Apothecanna, Dixie, Mary’s Medicinal and Tincture Belle.  Topical creme’s are generally high in CBD and can be very effective in the treatment of pain.  We carry spray’s, lip balm and lotions.  All of these options would be a good substitute for smoking marijuana.