It can be a little bit overwhelming to navigate the vast world of cannabis-infused products, but with a few basics and general advice, you can find a product that works for you and use it safely.

Choosing the Right Cannabis-Infused Product

First, you should decide what kind of effect you’re seeking from cannabis products. Different types of cannabinoids impact the body differently, so you might want to try out a few different products and see which one you prefer. The two most common cannabinoids are THC and CBD. In general, choose a product with THC if you’re looking to experience the psychoactive effects that people usually have in mind when they think of marijuana. A CBD product is the better choice if you want to experience the anxiety or pain-reducing effects without affecting your mental state. Both of these cannabinoids can be found in an assortment of edibles, infusions, and other products.

Chocolates

Perfect for chocoholics, cannabis-infused chocolates typically kick in relatively quickly, in about 30 minutes to two hours after consumption. Producers make them by combining chocolate with THC or CBD extracts for an even dosing experience that remains predictable.

Gummies

Similar in process and effectiveness to cannabis chocolates but great for those who prefer a fruity sweet treat to a chocolatey one, gummies are an excellent alternative for those seeking an easy way to dose THC or CBD.

Baked Goods

Made by infusing butter or oil with cannabis, baked goods come in a wide variety, including brownies, cookies, cakes, granola bars, and more. These products come in varying sizes, which means that their total cannabis content differs as well. It’s critical to pay attention to the milligrams of THC present in each product and eat an appropriate amount for your tolerance. Baked goods can take a little longer to take effect, which can fool people into ingesting more than they should. Be patient and take it slow to safely enjoy the best of these decadent products.

Beverage Additives

If you’re not a big snacker, you might prefer a THC or CBD beverage or beverage additives. These products offer precise dosing with minimal calories and sugar, but as with edibles, you should carefully inspect the product’s labels to determine how much you should consume at once. Because cannabis is insoluble in water, it is made through new emulsification technologies that allows cannabis to be effectively mixed with liquid. Beverage additives are more concentrated versions, allowing you to add them to whatever drink you like (in measured amounts) and make your own cannabis beverage!

Dabs

Dabs go by many names, including shatter, resin, honeycomb, and more. Simply put, they are a highly concentrated form of cannabis that is made from leftover pieces of the cannabis plant that remain after the larger flowers are used. Producers extract a concentrate using butane, creating a product known as butane hash oil. Users can then smoke or vaporize it. These products typically result in a more intense experience than other cannabis-infused products, and you should use them with caution. Do your research before experimenting with dabs to make sure you’re taking them correctly and in the right amounts for you.

Cannabis-infused products are easily accessible in many states and come in a wide variety that allows just about anyone to find something that works for them. With some research and sampling, you can determine which type of cannabinoid you’re looking for and what the best delivery method is for you. If you’re new to cannabis, take it slow and figure out the best dosages in the products that interest you.

While some people may smoke a whole joint and be functional, others may get super high off of just a puff or two. Some regular consumers will eat an infused candy with a very high concentration of cannabis. In contrast, others are satisfied eating a 2.5mg gummy.

Read on for techniques to determine the correct dosage for an enjoyable cannabis experience.

What Makes Some Super Users and Others Lightweights? 

The simple answer is that we’re humans, and everybody’s body chemistry is different. It’s similar to drinking alcohol, where one person has to down a six-pack of beer to feel drunk while their friend gets a pleasant-enough buzz off a single can. Age, gender, experience, and genetics can all play a role, according to experts.

From a technical perspective, the answer lies with the endocannabinoid system, or ECS, which is just now being seriously studied by scientists. So far, we know that the ECS regulates appetite, memory, sleep, mood, and possibly even fertility. Cannabinoids like THC bind with receptors in the ECS, creating a different effect for everybody. 

The most straightforward answer, though, could depend on the strain you’re smoking. 

High-THC strains are becoming more and more popular. The five top strains at cannabis-enthusiast-focused website Flavor Fix all have THC rates that clock in at 20% or higher. From the 1960s to the 1980s, according to government studies, most cannabis had THC content below 2%.

This isn’t your dad’s weed you’re smoking.

Finding the Right Dose

How do you determine the proper dosage for a flower or even an infused edible that may not have a particular strain attached? Kind of a good news-bad news thing there.

Bad news first: You will have to do some research and sampling. Sure, you can take somebody’s advice. But you don’t know that person’s consumption habits, tolerance, or genetic disposition.

The good news: Today’s technology has made it easy and relatively affordable to track your right dose using sensors, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and an app on your phone. 

It all starts with picking out your strain. You can use databases like Flavor Fix to read up before you buy a product. Take Apple Jack, for example. Flavor Fix gives it a 9.5 “expert score.” What does that mean to you? Probably nothing.

But keep reading the review, and you’ll learn that Apple Jack apparently tastes like Golden Delicious apples. Maybe that’s enough for you to give it a shot! But it also tastes like “earthy cheese.” Perhaps that’s not as appealing. Keep scrolling.

Apple Jack typically has a THC level of about 20%, according to the site, and 2% CBD. That’s on the low end of today’s popular THC spectrum and high on the CBD side. That likely means you’re in for a mellow experience — once you’ve figured it out.

And Flavor Fix continues on to describe Apple Jack’s effects as “intensely euphoric, mood-lifting, and pain relieving.”

Next, go to your local cannabis dispensary and buy the smallest amount of flower they’ll sell you. This could be a gram or an eighth of an ounce. Roll your joint or pack your bowl, and puff once or twice. Give it about five minutes and see how you feel. 

At this point, you’ll have a good idea of what dose of this one particular strain it takes to achieve your desired effects. Unfortunately, you’ll have to start over if you don’t care for the taste and effects.

Tech Products Help

If you want to get wonky, check out gadgets like The Mode device by Vapor Dosing Technologies or Firefly 2+. This tech allows you to vape flower and/or concentrates. It will also typically connect to an app or other device and allow you to track the amount of cannabis you’ve consumed and the max temperature.

Unfortunately, these devices won’t help you figure out your edibles dosage. To determine the appropriate dosage for you when it comes to infused products like candies or cookies, start low. A 2.5mg dose is becoming the universally accepted starting point for edibles and a good “microdose” level. 

And because edibles can take an hour to kick in, you’ll have to practice even more patience.

But like all virtues, that patience will pay off when you don’t have a negative experience.

And luckily, there is technology on the edibles side, too – mostly tech that helps the high kick in faster. Try a gummy labeled as “fast-acting” (and ask your budtender about it) if you want to move along quickly.

Thirty-four-year-old UFC champion Conor McGregor has publicly consumed cannabis. Olympic-level sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson won the 100-meter dash in the 2020 Summer Olympic Trials but was disqualified because she tested positive for THC in a urinalysis. Olympic champion swimmer Michael Phelps smoked cannabis. And former NFL stars Ricky Williams, Calvin Johnson, and Marshawn Lynch have all confirmed their cannabis use — Williams while in his prime — and now all have their own weed brands.

Performance-Enhancer? 

The World Anti-Doping Agency considers cannabis a potentially performance-enhancing drug. And there’s a growing body of evidence that the famed “runner’s high” results from the natural boosting of endocannabinoid levels during intense exercise. Endocannabinoids are simply cannabinoids produced within the body rather than introduced into the body via consumption.

According to Harvard Medical School, the endocannabinoid system is a network of densely packed cellular receptors and chemical signals throughout the human brain and body. It’s “essential and mysterious,” they say, as it is newly discovered and not fully understood. What is understood is that cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant interact with this system.

And to top it off, a 2019 University of Colorado Boulder survey showed that about 80% of regular cannabis users consumed the plant shortly before or after exercise (or both).

‘High’ Exercise Do’s and Don’t’s 

So, is a plant with a reputation for making people slow and lazy good for exercise? Thanks to federal prohibition, studies are limited, but more and more evidence points to one answer: Yes.

Still, experts warn that cannabis users should limit their exercise to an activity they’re familiar with that doesn’t require heavy lifting or complicated workouts. They should also obey all traffic laws when under the influence of the drug. 

In other words: Don’t go rock climbing or hit OrangeTheory Fitness when you’re stoned — but consider yoga or running. 

University of Pennsylvania professor and researcher Marcel Bonn-Miller gave Men’s Journal these tips:

• “Use it if you’re thinking of skipping today’s training” because the CU Boulder study showed that many cannabis consumers use the plant for exercise motivation. That’s quite a shift from the pop culture stereotypes.
• “Turn to THC for repetitive, long workouts” due to the purported pain relief offered by THC, CBD, and other cannabinoids. It also may “amplify” the natural runner’s high.
• “Stay sober for heavy or complicated workouts” since some studies show that cannabis may affect judgment, coordination, spatial perception, and other factors critical to a safe workout.
• “Save it for your long runs” since it appears that THC could help with endurance exercises that are low risk.

Ideal Exercise Match

Several gyms have popped up across the country to specialize in cannabis-themed workouts. However, the trend hasn’t really taken off. 

A bigger trend? Yoga and cannabis.

“One of the main benefits of combining weed and yoga is that cannabis — when the dose is correct for the person, the ingestion method [is correct], and even the strain is correct for the person — really does facilitate relaxation,” Dee Dussault, the founder of Ganja Yoga in San Francisco told Yoga Journal.

The same article includes insight from the founder of Colorado-based Marijuasana. According to its website, the business is a “cannabis-centric yoga company that produces nationwide pop-ups,” among other things. Stacy Mulvey, the founder, says cannabis can serve as a supplementary regulator for the body.

“The endocannabinoid system works with various other systems—circulatory, regulatory, nervous, et cetera—to keep the body in homeostasis. Cannabis, Mulvey says, “acts as a supplement to the endocannabinoid system,” the article explained.

So light up, pop that edible, or hit the vape if you feel like supplementing your workout. You should feel pretty good about it — as long as you know your limits and don’t go too hard. Namaste.

The short answer is: “No.”

The long answer is: “It’s slightly complicated.”

So let’s get you the long answer: Is cannabis safe for dogs? Here’s what you need to know.

Cannabis is a plant with potentially high levels of the high-inducing chemical THC. Some cannabis plants are low in THC and often high in other cannabinoids, like CBD. We generally call that second type of cannabis “hemp.” 

But it’s all the same plant.

Generally speaking, most Americans likely don’t have a bunch of hemp lying around the house. Still, there’s a good chance they may have a product containing CBD derived from that low-THC cannabis plant we call “hemp.”

CBD is proven to have medical benefits for people and animals with certain seizure disorders, and many believe it is effective at combating anxiety, inflammation, insomnia, and even helping with some neurological disorders.

And there is no shortage of pet-focused CBD products on store shelves or on the web. Products with CBD derived from this cannabis type are generally safe when you administer them as a veterinarian or the package labeling directs. 

What Americans are more likely to have lying around the house is a bag of high-inducing cannabis. It might be in flower (plant) form or could be in edible forms, like gummies, chocolates, or cookies.

Every dog owner knows pets could easily woof down any of those things—and that’s where we could get into some serious trouble.

While no human death has ever been attributed to a cannabis overdose, fatalities, and severe sicknesses are attributed to cannabis in pets. 

They call it “marijuana toxicity.”

In a 2019 news article, NPR says that a Colorado study “found that two dogs who had ingested chocolate baked goods made with marijuana-infused butter had died.”

Of course, chocolate is toxic to dogs—and so is butter. So the exact cause of death was uncertain. None of the vets NPR interviewed said they had seen any animal die because of marijuana exposure.

VCA Animal Hospitals—a national chain of veterinarians—is more succinct: “Deaths have been noted after ingestion of foods containing highly concentrated cannabis such as medical-grade THC.”

Fatalities were unusual, VCA notes, until the medical cannabis market began producing high-dose products.

Veterinarian John de Jong, now president of the World Veterinary Association, told NPR that states with legal cannabis are seeing more incidents of marijuana toxicity. At the same time, the story mentions that calls to the ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center have jumped 7X over the previous year. In 2019, only 10 states legalized adult-use cannabis. Today, the number is at 19 and growing.

What does marijuana toxicity look like in a dog?

VCA says that “many of the signs of intoxication are neurological.” Keep an eye out for wobbly, uncoordinated pets. At the same time, your dog may become hyperactive or disoriented with dilated pupils, “giving them a wild-eyed appearance,” according to VCA. Keep an eye out for excessive droop, vomit, and incontinence.

“In severe cases, tremors, seizures and coma can result,” VCA warns.

Dogs could also pass out and choke on their own vomit.

What should I do if my dog got into my stash?

Go to the vet immediately. If it’s a holiday or weekend, max out that credit card if you have to and find emergency vet services.

What does treatment look like?

“When a toxin enters the body, often the first line of defense is to get it out,” according to VCA. Essentially, the first step is inducing vomiting. However, if your dog is already showing signs of marijuana toxicity, odds are the THC has already been absorbed and puking isn’t gonna help. 

Stomach pumping may happen, and vets may administer activated charcoal regularly to neutralize the THC, according to VCA.

Otherwise, it’s all about harm reduction and seeing the dog through what might be a really bad trip: Vets may administer anti-anxiety medications or IV fluids and pay careful attention to the pet’s breathing, body temperature, and heart rate, according to the VCA.

What’s the bottom line?

Unless it’s a CBD product developed specifically for dogs, keep all your cannabis away from it (and any other pets). Be a responsible pet parent, and don’t get your dog high. It also could save you more than $1,000.

Contrary to popular belief, hemp and marijuana are not two different species of plants. The only actual difference between hemp and marijuana is their THC content. According to the Agricultural Act of 2018, hemp contains 0.3% or less THC than traditional marijuana (cannabis that can get you high). 

Hemp is a versatile plant that manufacturers use to create several products, including paper, clothing, and building materials. Keep reading to learn more about the many uses of this billion-dollar crop. 

Hemp Paper 

Not all paper is made from trees. In fact, hemp paper dates back to the Western Han Dynasty (202 B.C.–9 A.D). According to the American Forest & Paper Association, Chinese court official Ts’ai Lun invented paper using a mixture of mulberry bark, hemp, and water. Lun mashed these ingredients into a pulp, pressed out the liquid, and then hung the remaining mat to dry in the sun. The end result? Paper. 

Lun’s invention didn’t hit the Middle East until 300 years later. It took another 500 years for Europe to catch up. Once word spread to Europe, paper became a popular product. People used it to print books, bibles, and legal documents. 

By 1690, the U.S. had built its first paper mill in Pennsylvania. In the beginning, the U.S. paper mills used Lun’s method. But, as the demand grew, the technique and materials changed. Thanks to the MarijuanaTax Act of 1937, the mills switched from hemp to wood, which was cheaper and legal.

Hemp Foods and Beverages 

Hemp seeds make for a tasty and nutritious topper on yogurt, salads, oatmeal, rice, and veggies. They’re also packed with vitamins (vitamins B and E), minerals (sodium, iron, calcium, sulfur, and potassium, to name a few), and fatty acids (Omega-3 and Omega-6). What’s more? Hemp seeds may produce anti-inflammatory effects. 

Other hemp-based foods include: 

• Hemp seed butter (an alternative for those with a nut allergy).
• Hemp flour (gluten-free and delicious).
• Hemp honey (ideal for sweetening coffee, tea, baked goods, etc.).
• Hemp milk (a non-dairy milk alternative).
• Hemp protein powder (vegan and nutritious).

Hemp can be made into just about anything, including vodka and chewing gum. 

Hemp Building Materials 

Hemp lumber is an eco-friendly alternative to traditional lumber. It has a harvest time of four months (most trees used for lumber can take anywhere between 20 to 80 years). It’s also durable, and according to HempBuild Magazine, it’s 20% harder than oak wood. 

HempWood (owned by Fibonacci LLC, and founded by Greg Wilson) launched a new, sustainable wood alternative in 2019. According to the company’s website, HempWood can be used for flooring, furniture, or other construction materials. Plus, when it comes to price, HempWood is much more affordable than most domestic hardwoods. 

HempWood isn’t the only hemp-based building material out there. Hempcrete (that’s right, a hemp-based concrete alternative) is another versatile construction material. It’s made from hemp hurd (a part of the plant that was previously considered “waste”), lime, and other natural ingredients. Hempcrete is plant-based, energy-efficient, and 100% recyclable.  

According to the Hemp Foundation, the hemp plant has more than 50,000 known uses, from paper to medication. And thanks to the Hemp Farming Act of 2018, American farmers are allowed to grow hemp as a rotational crop. Even so, there are restrictions in place. But, if we keep fighting, hemp may be the answer to a greener tomorrow.

Generally considered to be two different species of the same plant, people have for decades seen sativa and indica strains as two completely different beasts regarding their effects. 

Today, there’s a movement away from defining strains simply as indica or sativa and toward “chemotype,” a strain defined by its actual chemical composition. For example, a strain that’s technically an indica may provide an effect more like the stereotypical sativa high depending on the cannabinoids and terpenes it possesses.

But it will likely take years for such complexities to be understood by your average, casual consumer (if they ever are). That’s why dispensaries and edibles manufacturers still primarily describe their products in a way their customers will understand: indica and sativa. It’s essential to understand what those labels are widely believed to mean. That way, you know what to expect. In this article, we’ll focus on cannabis indica, starting with the plant itself:

Plant Characteristics

There is some disagreement about whether or not the cannabis indica plant is a different species than the cannabis sativa, but they typically look different.

Cannabis indica plants are typically short, dense, and have a bushier appearance with wide and short leaves compared to the typical cannabis sativa plant. Cannabis sativa plants are typically more tree-like in comparison.

Indica plants grow naturally in the Middle East and Asia mountains, where the climate is dry. Cannabis indica is traditionally the source of the famous hashish (resin) produced in India and Morocco.

Thanks to its native inhospitable growing climate, cannabis indica plants have a relatively fast growing cycle—half that of some cannabis sativa strains. It takes about seven weeks for an indica to flower and be ready for harvesting.

Indica’s Effects

The stereotypical indica high is a “body high,” meaning you’ll primarily feel it in the body as opposed to the more cerebral, creative effects in a sativa strain. Here’s a trick on how to remember this: Indica is felt “in-da-body,” while you can think of the first two letters of “sativa” standing for “stay awake.”

The body high is often a heavy feeling that’s perfect for relaxation, sleep, and pain relief. Just know: You might not want to leave the couch! Indica is also thought to stimulate the appetite or be more likely to give you “the munchies”— a good or bad thing, depending on who you are.

Popular Indica Strains

Northern Lights is quite possibly the most famous strain of cannabis, period, let alone indica. Cannabis database Leafly calls its effects “euphoric” and says it relaxes muscles while “easing the mind.”

Also popular among indica fans: anything purple. And when we say “purple,” we literally mean the flower has blue, red, or purple hues. Helpfully, the word is typically in the strain’s name too. So, whether you’re going for Purple Trainwreck, Purple Punch, or Grizzly Purple Kush, you can expect a high THC count (upward of 24% in some cases) and a body high that could leave you couch-locked with a bag of chips in your lap.

These days, Kush is giving Northern Lights a run for its money in popularity. The earthy-tasting, body-relaxing OG Kush strain has been combined in so many forms that it’s hard to keep up! There’s Bubba Kush, Pre-98 Bubba Kush, Commerce City Kush, King Louis OG, and even Charlie Sheen OG. 

Kush’s diversity and popularity are apparent in its celebration within hip-hop culture.

To sum up, the way we understand weed is changing, but the simplest way to categorize it is by its two most common species: indica and sativa. That’s how you’ll see it labeled at most retail stores or dispensaries and in everyday conversation with casual smokers.

Indica is known for its bushy appearance and body high and comes in the form of many popular strains you’ll hear about in stoner movies and hip-hop tracks. The more you know!

But over the past 10 years, 18 U.S. states have legalized the sale and use of recreational cannabis (and nearly 40 have some form of medical marijuana). So, it’s just as likely that the “skunky” odor you smell driving through certain areas is coming from a new kind of source: a legal marijuana grow.

Do People Like Their Marijuana to Smell Like a Skunk?

Yes, the cannabis plant is known—and even celebrated—for its distinctive skunky odor. You can find references to the pungent smell in marijuana strain names like Skunkberry, White Super Skunk, and Thelonious Skunk. 

And you can find references to it in lyrics by famous cannabis enthusiasts like the rap trio Cypress Hill.

“Skunk” strains are celebrated for their relaxation-inducing mellow and heavy highs, which many people believe help with mood disorders and anxiety.

But what exactly causes your weed to smell like a skunk? Well, thanks to nearly a century of federal cannabis prohibition making most studies of the plant illegal, we don’t know for sure. But experts do have some ideas—and some of those theories involve one of beer’s most essential ingredients: hops.

Photo: skodonnell via gettyimages.com

The Theories

Terpenes: Terpenes are a relatively new area of focus for most cannabis companies and producers. Terpenes are natural compounds found mostly in plants. They, among other things, produce smells and affect pigment and coloration. And you could say they’re universal: The same terpenes that make a lemon smell like lemon are likely the same terpenes that make your Super Lemon Haze strain smell like a lemon.

There’s a growing understanding within the world of cannabis that the old indica-sativa way of thinking about the effects of the cannabis plant is flawed at best and inaccurate at worst. Instead, “The Entourage Effect” concept is picking up steam. The concept posits that a combination of cannabinoids (CBD, CBG, CBN, THC, etc.) and terpenes are really what cause the unique smell, look, and effect of each cannabis strain.

Another intoxicant that Americans love to consume and sometimes refer to as “skunky” (though usually not in a good way) is beer. And beer is full of hops, which are genetically related to the cannabis plant, falling in the same plant family, called Cannabaceae. 

Experts frequently point to one terpene, myrcene, as having a particularly skunky smell—and it’s found in certain cannabis strains in addition to hops.

“While not all strains with myrcene smell like skunks, it’s a common trait—and one that stoners have grown to love,” explained Herbert Fuego, the columnist for “Ask a Stoner,” a feature in Denver’s Westword alt-weekly.

But a growing body of scientific evidence is pointing to a different culprit.

Thiols: Thiols are alcohol-like chemical compounds, except with a sulfur atom in place of the oxygen atom. They’re also the primary cause of a skunk’s defensive stench, according to 1980s research referenced by Discover Magazine.

A 2001 study by the University of Northern Carolina and Belgium’s University of Gent found that 3-MBT, a thiol similar to one emitted by skunks, causes beer to get that skunky persona. That particular thiol was found in the hops used to make the beer.

Thomas H. Shellhammer, a professor of fermentation science at Oregon State University, told Discover that the minute a beer is exposed to ultraviolet light—like sunlight—a chemical reaction occurs that quickly creates the sulfury thiol.

“If you walk outside with a nice yellow beer like a pilsner on a summer day, the change is happening almost immediately,” Shellhammer told Discover.

And the thiol theory got some serious backing in a recent peer-reviewed study by California-based terpene research and production company Abstrax Tech.

Using a technology called 2-Dimensional gas chromatography (or 2DGC) the researchers found “key volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs)—organic compounds containing sulfur” and thiols as the primary cause of the skunky smell in cannabis, according to a press release announcing the findings. The study says these compounds are actually similar to VSCs found in garlic.

“I have suspected for years now that we were missing something in our understanding of this plant,” study co-author and cannabis industry veteran Josh Del Rosso said in the release. “Although terpenes have been hailed as the major source of the pungent scent of cannabis, we now know that it is this new class of VSCs.”

So whether it’s terpenes, thiols, key volatile sulfur compounds or something else yet to be discovered, the age-old question of, “Why does my weed smell like a skunk?” has a growing body of science to be explored.

In Colorado, for example, the following conditions are state-approved for medical marijuana treatment:

• Cachexia (a condition typically caused by a disease like cancer or AIDS that causes significant weight loss, including muscle loss)
• Cancer
• Glaucoma
• HIV or AIDS
• Persistent muscle spasms
• Seizures
• Severe pain
• Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Notice anything about that list? Except for PTSD, all of those conditions are primarily physical. 

The relationship between mental health and cannabis use is less clear. The U.S. drug war and decades of misinformation have biased the perception of cannabis use in mainstream medicine and culture.

Is Cannabis an Effective Treatment for Depression?

Thanks to nearly a century of federal cannabis prohibition making most plant studies illegal, there’s a lot about the cannabis plant that we just don’t know.

Study after study shows a correlation between cannabis use and depression, though prohibitionists or federal organizations sometimes use them to discourage cannabis use.

However, as more scientific studies are released and peer-reviewed by unbiased sources, it’s becoming increasingly clear that cannabis may be an effective treatment for the 280 million people in the world who suffer from depression.

Anecdotally, you can look at a longstanding cannabis review site like Leafly.com to see their database includes thousands of strains that users say positively affect depression and anxiety. Scientifically, recent studies released in The Journal of Biology and Medicine and Journal of Affective Disorders found that cannabis use provided great relief to those suffering from depression. 

There’s still plenty of work needed to get to the bottom of marijuana’s actual effects. But based on what we know now, here are five cannabis strains likely to help with symptoms associated with depression—like sadness, insomnia, a lack of energy, low concentration, and appetite loss.

Gelato

Cannabis enthusiasts prize the Gelato strain for its THC rate of 17% and uplifting effects. More than 2,000 people have ranked the strain at Leafly.com’s strain database—with “euphoric,” “aroused,” and “happy” being the top three good feelings they associate with it. 

About a quarter of Leafly’s reviewers said it aids in their depression (24%) and anxiety (26%), while 27% told the site that it’s a good destresser.

Photo: MmeEmil via gettyimages.com

Sherbert

If feeling relaxed, happy, and giggly sounds like a good alternative to your current mood, you’ll want to hit up your nearest dispensary for the Sherbert strain. 

“This strain exhibits powerful, full-body effects that are elevated by a jolt of cerebral energy and carefree state of mind,” Leafly’s in-house strain reviewers say. Its 18% THC rate “makes it an ideal choice for medical marijuana patients seeking relief from symptoms associated with stress, tension and mood disorders.”

Twenty-seven percent of users told Leafly that it helped with their anxiety and depression, respectively, while a whopping 35% said it’s a good stress reliever.

Thin Mint

Thirty percent of Leafly’s users told the company that the Thin Mint strain aids their depression, while 35% said it is a good destresser and 26% said it helps with pain—that’s a medical trifecta. It’s also a trifecta in a different sense, as the strain itself is a cross between sativa Durban Poison, indica OG Kush, and hybrid strain GSC (“Girl Scout Cookie”).

“Uplifted,” “euphoric,” and “relaxed” were users’ three highest-ranked feelings.

Dosidos

If you think you’re noticing a food theme here when it comes to strain names, welcome to the world of cannabis! And let’s talk about eating. Of course, cannabis is famous for its “munchy” effects, but some strains are more potent than others when creating an appetite. 

And being that a lack of appetite can be a sign of depression, what better solution than a strain known for making people hungry? And when “sleepy” and “relaxed” are the other two highest-ranking feelings in the Leafly database, it must be time to grab yourself an eighth of Dosidos.

Skunkberry

No mood-altering list of cannabis strains would be complete without a skunk on it. Yes, the skunk strains are known for smelling like, well, a skunk. They’re also famous for their euphoric and simultaneously pain-relieving high. 

At Leafly’s database, “relaxed,” “euphoric,” and “happy” were the highest-ranked feelings for the Skunkberry strain. About a third of reviewers told the website that Skunkberry helps with pain, stress, and depression. 

The next time you’re feeling a bit down, you might find some relief in alleviating your depression symptoms with one of these top-rated strains.

By ROB MAADDI AP Pro Football Writer

The NFL is awarding $1 million in research funding to two teams of medical researchers to study the effects of cannabinoids on pain management and neuroprotection from concussion in elite football players.

Medical teams from the University of California San Diego and University of Regina in Canada were selected from 106 proposals initiated by the NFL and the NFL Players Association’s Joint Pain Management Committee in June 2021.

“We’re always interested in trying to improve our approach and our treatment for acute and chronic pain in NFL players, and we always want to make sure that our players are receiving the most up-to-date medical consensus around any of these treatments,” NFL chief medical officer Dr. Allen Sills told The Associated Press. “So, our burden of proof is really high for NFL players. Anytime we want to introduce a new therapy, we have to understand how that decision might impact their well-being and their performance. We know there’s been a lot of interest in this area, but we did not feel like there was a lot of great solid research on the benefits of marijuana, CBD and treating acute and chronic pain. So, that’s why we wanted to try to contribute to the body of science in this area.”

Dr. Kevin Hill, the Director of Addiction Psychiatry at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and a pre-eminent cannabis researcher and author, is the co-chair of the NFL-NFLPA Joint Pain Management Committee. Hill explained why there hasn’t been much research on this topic.

“One reason is the scheduling of cannabis makes it harder to do this research but the main reason is that stakeholders really aren’t interested in advancing the science,” Hill told the AP. “You have states and companies that are making a lot of money selling cannabis products, selling CBD products right now. So they don’t feel the need to prove the efficacy of these products, and millions of people are using them. So that’s the predicament that we’re in as healthcare professionals or organizations that really care about the health and safety of our constituents, the players in this case.

“We really want to know do they work? And every day I meet with patients who are interested in cannabinoids and it’s the same thing, we really don’t know the answers to that. So it becomes a very complicated risk/benefit discussion. So I’m thrilled to be a part of something that actually is going to get toward finding some answers to the questions that everybody’s been talking about for years.”

The $1 million research grant is a progressive move by the league to better understand and improve alternative pain management treatments. Many NFL players over the years have inquired about the benefits of cannabis and cannabinoids. Several former players are involved in the medical-cannabis business and have either started their own brands, invested in companies or been hired as ambassadors.

“We’ve heard from the teams, from the medical staffs, from the players loud and clear that they’re interested in cannabis and cannabinoids, and so we wanted to do something that would advance the science in this area so that we could have better informed conversations with them,” Hill said. “I also want to emphasize that this is the first step here. The NFL has done great research in other areas: concussions, musculoskeletal injuries, etc. We’re not limited just to cannabinoids. We’re interested in figuring out, are there ways that we can treat pain better? And so we’re going to use this and look at this process and see if there’s a way that we can improve this process, but continue to try to advance the science in the interest of players health and safety.”

Cannabis is a banned substance in the NFL, although rules about players using marijuana were loosened in the latest collective bargaining agreement.

Under the most recent labor deal, players who test positive for marijuana are no longer suspended but they can be fined depending on the number of positive tests. Timing of testing was changed to the first two weeks of training camp instead of from April to August. Also, the threshold needed to trigger a positive test was raised fourfold.

The study led by Dr. Thomas Marcotte, Dr. Mark Wallace and researchers at the University of California San Diego will investigate the effects of cannabinoids on pain and recovery from sports-related injuries in elite athletes.

The research led by Dr. J. Patrick Neary and researchers at the University of Regina studies naturally produced cannabinoids for pain management and neuroprotection from concussion and participation in contact sports.

The projects will take three years to conduct.

“This type of work is going to be of interest to athletes in many different sports and at all levels,” Sills said. “We know that all sports have some degree of injury and pain that are associated with those injuries. And so I think this will be very generalizable. These products are already out there and in many cases, they’re being widely used and widely marketed. So this research will help inform people as to which strategies may be beneficial and then those that may not be. And so I see this as being hugely impactful for the NFL, for all of the elite sport, but also sport at all level across society.”

By Rebecca Olmos | TheCannifornian.com Correspondent

Cannabis topicals are creams, lotions, or oils that can be applied directly to the skin without causing any intoxicating effects. Many people use cannabis-infused topicals to alleviate pain, arthritis, joint issues, and muscle aches. But this study from The Journal of Clinical Investigation found that cannabis may also help with other skin conditions like acne, eczema, and aging.

According to the British Journal of Dermatology, at any given time, a third of the world’s population is dealing with some skin issue. Skin is the body’s largest organ. It is one of the leading medical concerns in all communities, and topicals are one of the fastest-growing categories of cannabis infusion, expected to reach 4.5 billion in sales by 2025, according to a survey by CWI Consulting Services.

So how might cannabis help with your skin?

The two most well-known cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant are tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), both antioxidants. Antioxidants are beneficial for the skin because they protect from free radicals like pollution and UV rays.

THC and CBD are also anti-inflammatories which may be helpful when addressing issues like acne, wrinkles, and psoriasis.

Dispensary or beauty store?

Skincare products are no different than other cannabis-infused products in that they can be cannabis-derived, found in dispensaries, or hemp-derived and found on any health and wellness shelf.

Which one you choose to apply will depend on the issue you’re trying to address and your comfort level. Products higher in CBD might be better for managing any conditions related to inflammation and pain, while THC will be better for skin concerns like wrinkles and dark spots.

Like any new addition to your skincare regime, be mindful of all the ingredients in any product you choose. Start by using a small amount on your skin to see any adverse reactions before committing to a complete application.