Whether you’re smoking it, drinking it or eating it, there’s more than one way to kick back with some cannabis. Every day, newbies are discovering innovative ways cannabis can be consumed.
The House of Cannabis in Barrie caters to every kind of cannabis user; whether you’re trying it for the first time, looking to see what’s new on the shelves, or you’re a savvy smoker. Canna-curious first-timers often have the most questions when they walk into the store.
Gillian Marsden is the store manager at The House of Cannabis, and their budtenders have a step-by-step process to help every customer find the ideal product. She says they start by asking what the customer’s looking for, and the budtenders will narrow down the options.
The House of Cannabis budtenders ask first if the customers prefer to smoke or vape their cannabis. They preach going “low and slow” to start, typically with a lower dosage edible or pre-roll.
“I usually like newcomers to try something that’s balanced or low THC because I don’t want them to get in over their head with it,” Marsden said. “We have a really good pre-roll in the store that’s called Orchid CBD Runtz. It’s 9 per cent THC and 13 per cent CBD.”
People who are trying cannabis for the first time aren’t always familiar with rolling a joint or have the smoking paraphernalia at home. That makes pre-rolled joints an easy entry point into cannabis. With some pre-rolled joints as small as 0.3 grams, it’s not overwhelming for the cannabis newcomer.
Outside of smoking and vaping cannabis, gummie edibles are the most popular category at The House of Cannabis. These come with extracted THC, CBD or CBN, which all have various effects.
THC is the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis which gives that “high effect”. CBD influences the body, while CBN is more cerebral and helps with focus and calming the mind.
If starting with gummies, Marsden recommends customers take one dose to start, wait about 20 to 30 minutes to see how it affects them, and then take another gummie afterwards if they want to bump it up a notch. Cannabis affects everyone differently, so the results will always vary from person to person.
Another popular way to ingest cannabis is through cannabis beverages. Marsden suggests newbies start with drinks that contain 5 milligrams of THC or less per can, as going with 10 milligrams of THC might be too intense for first-time users.
New customers are often surprised by all the cannabis products available today. It’s more than joints and bongs, and cannabis is used for more than just getting high. People use cannabis to achieve all different effects and moods.
“We ask: ‘Are you looking to be social? Are you looking to relax? Are you going to go watch a movie on the couch?’ From there we pick in the category,” Marsden said. “Sometimes we even go into the next level of if you want to relax, let’s find a strain that’s high in linalool.”
Linalool is a terpene found in lavender, but also found in cannabis. Terpenes give plants their distinct aroma thanks to their essential oils. You’ll also find terpenes in hops, which are used to brew beer.
If you still have questions about trying cannabis, the budtenders at The House of Cannabis are glad to help.
Check out the store in-person at 66 Dunlop Street West in Barrie, or place an order online for same-day delivery.