With cannabis dispensaries coming to CT, here's what to expect
A Costumer from Connecticut buys marijuana supplies at the Weed World store on March 31, 2021, in New York. Experts say Connecticut could see a big surge in demand when it launches its recreational marijuana program this year.
Kena Betancur / Getty ImagesEditor’s note: This is part three of a seven-part series on what readers should know about adult-use, or recreational, cannabis in Connecticut.
The best way to describe a dispensary is a cross between a pharmacy and a liquor store. You might see security personnel or other measures, and you typically can’t just grab pot off the shelves — you have to ask for what you want.
Your go-to person at the dispensary is a budtender, but remember what we learned in day 2: Because of environmental and genetic factors, budtenders can only speak in generalities. They can’t tell you for sure how you’ll feel when you try something, and they can’t guarantee that the genetic makeup of their Purple Kush is the same as that of the one you found at a store up the road.
Still, they can explain the different forms of cannabis and the different products they offer. But how will you know what to ask if you don’t know what’s available?
That’s where we come in.
The two main cannabinoids
THC
Cannabinoids are a group of substances found in cannabis plants. While at least 80 of them have been identified, THC is considered the main psychoactive compound in cannabis — and the most famous.
It enters your bloodstream and travels to your brain, where it attaches to endocannabinoid receptors in the parts of your brain that control thinking, memory, pleasure, coordination and movement. It’s what gets you “stoned.”
At dispensaries (and elsewhere), labels often include the percentage of THC. If you were used to smoking in the ‘70s, cannabis today is often way, way stronger, at least by THC percentages. A study of DEA-confiscated illegal pot showed THC concentrations at about 4 percent in 1995, rising to about 15 percent in 2014. Connecticut’s law caps THC percentages in flower at 30 percent — a limit routinely exceeded by medical-grade cannabis.
But unlike alcohol, a higher percentage of THC doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll experience stronger effects.
Consider this: Other cannabinoids such as THCP might also be in the package. THCP is thought to be at least 30 times as strong as THC, according to Anna Schwabe, a researcher and adjunct faculty member at the University of Northern Colorado.
If you pick up a strain with a lower-than-average THC percentage, but a higher-than-average THCP percentage, it can be hard to know how you’ll be affected.
CBD
Formally known as cannabidiol, CBD is the second most popular cannabis compound and, unlike THC, does not get people “high.” (It still “seems to have effects on some chemicals in the brain,” according to MedlinePlus, a U.S. government site.)
CBD often comes from hemp, a form of cannabis that by law has very little THC, less than 0.3 percent. A form of CBD has been approved in the U.S. to treat seizures, and researchers continue to look at whether it also may help with conditions like anxiety, pain and Parkinson’s disease.Government agencies and researchers alike say to take care when considering a CBD purchase — the widely used products aren’t regulated and their labels aren’t always accurate (sound familiar?).
Ways to consume
Joints
The standard. You get a lighter, light the end of the joint and inhale. If you’ve smoked cigarettes, pre-rolled joints, or pre-rolls, are similar. Novices be warned: You likely won’t need many hits off a joint to get stoned. Many of the downsides of tobacco cigarette use — think lung irritation and volatile chemicals — are also applicable here. You’re inhaling smoke, after all.
Edibles
Edibles — foods, like chocolate or cookies infused with cannabinoids — are a popular way to consume cannabis, but they also can be the most difficult to dose correctly. The effects have a delayed onset of anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours, and can last anywhere from a few hours to most of the day.
With that in mind, “start low and go slow” is a good mantra. Connecticut’s law requires dispensaries to do their best to provide 1 mg and 2.5 mg THC doses, and to make the 5 mg single-serving dose clearly defined and easy to portion, like sections of a chocolate bar.
Not feeling anything immediately? Wait the full two hours before eating more, or you risk compounding the effects to an unpleasant degree.
Vape cartridges
These are small devices that attach to a battery, have their own battery or are in “pods” similar to e-cigarettes. To consume, you basically sip it like a straw. Breathe in for a few seconds, hold your breath for a few more seconds, then exhale.
They contain processed cannabis oil, which is heated by an element inside the device and released as vapor that you inhale. Vapes are an easy and fast-acting way to consume THC. People generally notice the effects within a few minutes, if not instantly. But easy come, easy go — the effects also tend to wear off quickly, as soon as within an hour.
Pro tip: Vapes are also a quick way to get dehydrated. Drinking water is recommended.
Forms of cannabis
Flower
If you’re buying raw flower, you’re likely a bit more experienced. You’ll need a grinder to shred the flowers. Ever buy coffee beans instead of ground coffee? Same concept. Then you’ll need a way to consume them. This is usually through rolling your own joints or using a pipe, bong or dry herb vaporizer, all of which you can buy online or at a smoke shop. I personally use a dry herb vaporizer to consume my medical cannabis — my lungs do not like smoke. These heat the ground flower up to temperatures that release the compounds in cannabis without combustion and smoke, just vapor.
Concentrates
Now we’re getting into the enthusiast’s realm. Concentrates are exactly what that word implies — concentrated plant material with very high THC. There are almost too many forms to list: kief, wax and shatter are a few. Often they can be added to flower to boost potency. But some people use very high heat to vaporize and inhale concentrates with a “dab rig.”
The best comparison I can make is that a joint is like a glass of wine or beer, and concentrates are like a shot of grain alcohol. You wouldn’t recommend that shot to a first-time drinker, right?
How are we doing? Has this series been helpful to you so far? Do you have any suggestions for us? Let Lindsay know at lindsay.boyle@hearstmediact.com.
More from this series
Day 1 - A primer
Day 2 - How might I feel?
Day 4 - Inside the law
Day 5 - Inside the law, pt. 2
Day 6 - Medical marijuana
Day 7 - Growing at home
To read the latest stories about cannabis in Connecticut, visit ctinsider.com/cannabis.
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An important note: We aren't lawyers and what’s written above and elsewhere in this series isn't legal advice — it’s our best interpretation based on analysis of the lengthy law and conversations with experts.
Recreational cannabis is a new area of law in Connecticut. If you have questions, talk to a lawyer.
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