Congrats,,,if you are reading this you may just be someone who is finally ready to give cannabis a try for what ails you. If that is the case and you are fairly new to the world of medical marijuana (MMJ for short), here are some things you might find useful.

Licensing: We are working under the assumption that you are in a State where marijuana is legal, at least for medical purposes. And going with that assumption, we assume you know what your State requires so you can become a card carrying medical marijuana user. Here in sunny Florida, we have access to some amazing companies that help candidates apply for their MMJ cards. Big shout out to MyFloridaGreen.com. I can’t say enough great things about them. So again…we assume you are either already about to be approved or you are well on your way to being approved.

Terminology: You need to know some of the basic terminology that you will be hearing. You will be hearing terms like Sativa or Indica or Hybrid etc. To break it down for simplicity sake, sativa is more for daytime use. It elevates the mind and helps people focus more. It will have some nice cerebral effects. Then there is indica. Indica is also known as the “in da couch” version of cannabis. It offers more of a body effect and relaxes the muscles etc. A hybrid is a mix of both sativa and indica and can be more sativa dominant or indica dominant. Those are the 3 main types or versions (as I call them) of cannabis. Each strain within those versions will help with a variety of ailments. Your MMJ Dr as well as the dispensary employees can direct you to the strains that will give you the most relief from the things you suffer from. Those same professionals can also explain what terpenes are (naturally found in various strains of cannabis) and how they also benefit the body.

Once you have that general understanding, you should also know what these terms mean; Flower is another name for bud. The cannabis plant has two main things…leaves and flowers (buds). The flower is where most of the terpenes and THC/CBD are located. It’s the most potent part of the plant and the most desired. Then there is what they will call a “pre-roll.” That is a nice way of saying “joint.” You can buy the cannabis that is already “pre-rolled.” Flower and pre-rolls are for those who intend on smoking their cannabis. Then there is a tincture. Tinctures are cannabis oils that are taken orally and placed under the tongue with a dropper of some sort. It is great for those adverse to smoking or vaping. Edibles are pretty self explanatory and I won’t yet discuss concentrates because well…not sure a beginner should be starting with a concentrate. Just my opinion. If you understand flower, pre-rolls and tinctures, you will be off to a great start.

Equipment: Third, you need to know what you will need at home to make your MMJ experience go smoothly. If you decide to try flower, you will need a grinder. I highly recommend at least a 3 piece grinder. The grinder is what you put the flower (bud) in and then grind it down to ground flower which can then either be rolled using papers (i.e. zig zags or other brands) or placed into a glass pipe or water pipe.

Papers will be the other item needed if you go with flower. Rolling papers can now be purchased in cone shapes for those of us who have a hard time with rolling a joint with our old fingers. The pre-made paper cones allow you to just stuff the end with the ground flower. I love the cones. Makes “rolling” much more enjoyable for me. Another item to consider is a rolling tray. Inevitably you will be dropping a lot of ground flower as you try to roll. Having a nice rolling tray will aid in keeping your weed soldiers from being lost overboard.

And the last recommended item when getting started is a nice “stash bag.” If you have a spouse or significant other who is not a fan of the smell of cannabis, then a smell proof bag (also know as stash bags) is a perfect addition and a nice place to keep your product and equipment.

Go Slow: Last thing to touch on for beginners is…GO SLOW! Your “medicine” will come with suggested dosages. If you are new to cannabis or have not tried weed since you were 18 (like me), it is imperative that you start out low and slow with your dosage. if you are trying flower in a joint or pipe, take one 3 second puff (my recommendation only) and wait about 5 minutes to see how that hits you. A lot strains tend to be creepers…meaning they can creep up on you a few minutes after smoking or vaping etc. People tend to try more before they know how big the effect will be. Edibles are for sure a product that you need to try maybe half of the cookie or gummy or chocolate square and then wait about 45 minutes to see what kind and how strong that the effects will be. Just trust me…go slow and your experience will be much much better overall (again…my opinion).

So there you have it…your guide to MMJ and hopefully a great starting point for your new journey. Puff puff pass and enjoy!