One of the main reasons medical cannabis today is different than just smoking a joint or getting a baggie of something a friend had is a knowledge of what you’re NOT getting. As with most states that have legalized medical cannabis, there are many growing, processing and testing procedures that have to be strictly adhered to. This gives you, the patient, piece of mind knowing that your medical cannabis is free from pesticides, molds, mites or heavy metals.
The other benefit is that you know what you ARE getting. Gone are the days of hoping whatever you are able to find will do what you want. Today, thanks to lab testing we know much more about your cannabis. We get to see not only what it doesn’t have, we get to see what it does have. Cannabis has at least 111 different unique cannabinoids! Not all are in every strain and for many of them science is still figuring out what they do. However in Maryland the lab tests we get tell us the top measuring cannabinoids in each one, with their percentages. We’ve all heard of THC and CBD but there are also CBN, CBG and more than 100 others, each one working differently in the body.
If that isn’t enough, we also get a report of the terpenes profile of each strain. Terpenes are what give cannabis and other plants their smell. They are the essential oils found in plants and responsible for many of its effects. With names like Pinene, Limonene, Linalool and others they might not be familiar yet but they will be. Pinene isn’t only found in cannabis, it’s also found in pine needles and rosemary. Limonene is also found in lemon peels and Linalool can be found in Lavender. The terpene make up of your cannabis determines the taste, smell and in large part the affect your cannabis medicine will have.
If you want to know more about cannabinoids, terpenes or which terpenes you might be looking for come see us or schedule an appointment with Ms. Barbara today.
