As consumers navigate the newly emerging world of legal weed in our country, it is important to make sure that we have the knowledge needed to make informed decisions as we make purchases. There is much more than meets the eye about cannabis flower, extracts, edibles and other products that are in dispensaries for purchase. Many people may think that knowing about growing methods or the percentage of THC or CBD in a product is all they need to guide their decisions.
However as, Adam Koh, who serves as Chief Cultivation Officer for Comprehensive Cannabis Consulting (3C), explains in the article below, there are many other topics to be aware of and educated about as you make decisions about product purchases in dispensaries. 3C Consulting officers apply their expertise to help guide clients in improving the efficiency, productivity, and profitability of their cannabis businesses in an environmentally and socially responsible manner.
By Adam Koh
Being a consumer in the brave new world of legal cannabis markets can be an intimidating, confusing experience. Dispensary shelves can contain dozens of varieties of cannabis flower, as well as hundreds (or even thousands) of other assorted products; new products are seemingly released daily; labels can contain hard-to-pronounce, sometimes scary-sounding chemicals; and lab testing results show percentages of compounds that science does not even understand completely. On top of all that, since the industry is so new, most companies have not yet had time to gain a reputation as a trusted grower or product manufacturer that consumers can count on for consistency and quality. In some cases, people even disagree on what constitutes “quality” in a cannabis product.
As the cannabis industry continues to mature, it is often said that consumers will become more discerning. But what does that mean? What should you be concerned about when deciding how to spend your hard-earned money?
There’s a Lot More to Cannabis than THC (and CBD)
The cultivators and dispensaries that I work with consistently tell me that one of the biggest factors in a product or batch of cannabis selling quickly is high THC test results. However, THC — and even the combination of THC and CBD — do not tell the whole story. Many cannabis researchers are supportive of the theory of the Entourage Effect, put forward by Raphael Mechoulam, the scientist who first discovered THC and CBD. In basic terms, it states that the effects of a particular variety of cannabis are the result of synergistic actions by all of the plant’s components: the dozens of cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids, and other compounds produced by cannabis. Terpene testing is available in many legal markets and should be being performed by top organizations that are truly trying to dial in their strains, as they play a big role in the effects caused by the final product. Ask to see terpene profiles in addition to those of cannabinoids.
To read the complete article, visit cannabisnowmagazine.com