Ohio’s First Summer of Adult-Use Cannabis

Start Low and Go Slow

• “Start Low” with the amount of cannabis consumed and “Go Slow” when increasing the amount of cannabis you consume.
• Start with a low serving size. You may have to cut your edible to start with or have fewer sips of a beverage rather than taking the entire serving at once.
• After you have waited and feel safe to increase the amount, consume the same amount or less than you previously consumed.
• Wait 5-10 minutes after inhaling or vaping before consuming more.
• When trying a new product for the first time remember, different products can take longer to take effect. Wait for effects before taking more. You can always take more if you aren’t feeling the effects, but you cannot go back and take less!

Indica vs. Sativa. What’s the Difference?

When it comes to cannabis, people often talk about two main types: Indica and Sativa. Here’s a quick and easy breakdown:

• Appearance: Indica plants are usually short and bushy with wide leaves. Sativa plants grow tall and thin with narrow leaves.
• How They Make You Feel: Sativa products are often described as energizing and uplifting. Indica products, on the other hand, are known for their relaxing and calming effects.
• What About Hybrids? Hybrids are just a mix of both. If a strain is “indica-dominant“, it leans more toward the relaxing side. If it’s “sativa-dominant“, it might give you more energy — but with some chill mixed in.
• Keep in mind, these effects are based on personal experiences and don’t apply to everyone. In fact, the effects of cannabis mostly come from two key components: cannabinoids and terpenes. These chemical compounds work together to create the overall feel of each strain.

All About Edibles

• Edibles are consumable products that have been infused with cannabis. While edibles are a great option for customers, they can easily lead to a bad experience if you are not cautious. A common mistake that many first-time edibles users fall victim to is eating too much. Follow these steps when consuming edibles:
• Start Low & Go Slow: The suggested starting dose for an edible is 2.5-5mg. This may not seem like much for an experienced smoker, but it is best to consume conservatively the first time. Edibles can take up to 90 minutes before the effects become noticeable. If you have eaten 10mg and still have yet to feel the effects, wait at least 90 minutes before consuming more.
• Plan Ahead: While the effects of smoking cannabis are instantaneous, edibles tend to take longer to “kick in” and last for a much longer time. The effects from edibles are noticeable for roughly five hours.
• Get Comfortable: Make sure you are in a safe and comfortable place when using edibles. Never get behind the wheel of a car while under the influence of cannabis, if you do have to leave, use a designated driver.

Regulated vs. Unregulated Products: Know the difference

Regulated, tested cannabis products from licensed dispensaries

• Safe for human consumption
• Packaged and labeled to keep children safe
• Potency is accurate and listed
• Ingredients can easily be found
• Know who made it
• Produced right here in Ohio
• Sales are taxed, with revenue going to our local communities
• Sold in a 21+ retail dispensaries only, not accessible by children

Intoxicating hemp and other cannabis products found at gas stations, smoke shops and the illicit market

• Unsafe and untested
• No packaging or labeling regulations
• Unknown potency
• No idea how or where it was made
• Likely not grown or manufactured in Ohio
• Not paying cannabis taxes
• May contain harmful chemicals, contaminants, heavy metals, pesticides or poisonous ingredients
• No age restrictions

ABCs of Cannabis Common Terms

• Aroma: The odor of a cannabis sample. The aroma of marijuana is caused by chemical compounds called terpenes.
• BHO (Butane Hash Oil): An extraction, or concentrate, created by immersing cannabis in a solvent (in this case, butane), resulting in a very potent oil that contains high levels of THC. Also known as “dab,” different varieties of BHO include “honey oil,” “earwax,” and “shatter.”
• Bud: A reference to the flower of the cannabis plant.
• Cannabinoids: The chemical compounds found in cannabis. The most famous example is THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, which provides the high delivered by most strains of cannabis.
• CBD: Cannabidiol, or CBD, is one of the cannabinoids found in cannabis. Next to THC, CBD is the second most common cannabinoid in marijuana.
• Concentrates: Extracts from cannabis that offer greater strength and potency than flowers from the herb and are available in many different forms. Concentrates typically have very high levels of THC and other cannabinoids.
• Cross (crossbreeding): The act of breeding two different strains of cannabis to produce a new and unique strain. The goal when crossing strains is to combine the most desirable traits of both parents.
• Dab: Slang for a dose of BHO (Butane Hash Oil) that is smoked or vaporized.
• Dispensary: A business location where patients and adult-use consumers can gain consultation from an expert, called a budtender, select, and purchase cannabis. Dispensaries help patients and consumers avoid the illicit market.
• Edibles: Food that has been infused with cannabis. Edibles typically feature a significantly longer onset time than smoking or vaporizing, typically requiring 45 minutes to an hour.
• Flowers: The “bud” section of the cannabis plant that matures at the end of the “flower” stage of cultivation.
• Hash: Short for hashish, this is a form of cannabis concentrate that is significantly more potent than regular marijuana flowers.
• Hemp: The non-psychoactive variety of cannabis that contains little or no THC. By legal definition in the United States and Canada, hemp may contain no more than 0.3 percent THC.
• Hybrid: A cannabis plant that is a cross of two or more different strains.
• Hydroponics: A cultivation system commonly employed in cannabis gardens that involves the use of plant roots suspended in a liquid solution of water and nutrients. No soil is used in hydroponics.
• Phenotype: The physical characteristics of a particular strain of cannabis, such as height, leaf structure, and color.
• Pre-roll: A cannabis cigarette, or “joint,” that is sold by dispensaries. Pre-rolled joints can be convenient because they can be consumed without the use of paraphernalia (pipes, bongs, and other smoking devices).
• Strain: A specific variety of a cannabis plant that falls within a particular species, such as sativa or indica. Strains deliver a particular cannabinoid profile, meaning each offer a unique mix of cannabinoids such as THC, CBD, and CBG.
• THC: Tetrahydrocannabinol is the most common and cited cannabinoid available in marijuana. Also referred to as Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol. THC is one of the only cannabinoids to provide a “high”.
• Tincture: A liquid form of cannabis extracts typically produced using alcohol or glycerol that is most commonly administered via use of an eyedropper under the tongue.
• Topical: A cannabis extract involving the infusion of cannabinoids in a lotion or cream intended to be applied to the skin.
• Vaporizer: A device used to consume marijuana via inhalation. Vaporizers pass a stream of hot air across a sample of cannabis, which vaporizes the trichomes, but leaves the plant matter basically intact. Both flowers and cannabis oils can be vaporized.
• Wax: A cannabis concentrate derived from BHO (Butane Hash Oil). Wax offers patients and adult-use consumers a way to consume very high-potency cannabis.