It’s safe to say that there are different types of marijuana products and they growing every day. Whether you’re new to cannabis products or not, it can be a challenge to stay on top of the selection of goodies on offer online or at your favorite local dispensary.
Not to worry — we’ll cover the common kinds of weed products so you know what’s what. By the time you’re done reading this, hopefully you’ll feel confident in your knowledge of the different types of THC products available to you.
To get you oriented, this high-level information may be helpful when we delve deeper into the wide world of pot products in the next section.
This might sound like a silly question, but the first step to navigating the ever-evolving world of marijuana dispensary products is knowing what separates marijuana products from other types of cannabis products.
In the US, the government separates cannabis products into two camps: hemp or hemp-derived, and marijuana or marijuana-derived.
Federally legal hemp products must be made from industrial hemp, which may be rich in cannabinoids but cannot exceed 0.3% THC content. Any hemp plants that exceed this amount of THC fall into the marijuana products category.
While we’re focusing on marijuana products, hemp-based cannabis products are often available in the same form as marijuana products. So you can refer to this guide even if you aren’t looking for products that will give you that signature THC buzz.
Marijuana products are either for internal use or external use. They come in many preparation styles that can be consumed in one or more of the following ways:
Just a fast final note before we dive in, we’re focusing on cannabis products for people. But, there are tons of similar products and formulations designed especially for animals out there as well. Our non-human friends can benefit from the power of plants, too!
We also wanted to mention a few things about consuming cannabis because informed, responsible, and sensible cannabis use is the best approach.
If you’ve poked around anywhere that’s selling weed products, you know that the dispensary items list is very loooong! You can find a cannabis product for just about any need it seems.
With that in mind, here’s a fairly exhaustive rundown of the types of marijuana products you may find on the market. So, if you’re wondering, “What do they sell at dispensaries?” — there’s a good chance it’s a plentiful mix of these goods.
Choose a Marijuana Product Type Below to Learn More or Scroll Down
These are the holy grails of the cannabis plants. They’re packed with tons of plant goodness — cannabinoids, terpenes, and more.
Your local dispensary probably has a mind-boggling selection of different strains, each with its own taste, scent, and effect profile. Some varieties may be more recreational, while others are more medicinal.
There are three types of cannabis strains: indica, sativa, and hybrid. These distinctions are based on the plant's genetic makeup and can play a significant role in the overall experience. Ask your budtender for guidance if you’re not sure which strain is right for you.
The flower you find for sale has probably been dried, cured, and packaged in jars, tins, or bags.
Buds can be loaded into the bowl piece of a dry pipe, dry herb vaporizer, or water pipe or rolled into a joint and smoked. This is the most common way of consuming flower.
Flower can also be ingested. Raw cannabis can be consumed in foods and beverages for its nutritional profile.
When it comes to preparing your herb, you can learn how to grind weed without a weed grinder or discover the benefits of using a weed grinder for a smoother process.
When using flower to make edibles or homemade cannabis goods (e.g., infused butter, hand salve, etc.), the cannabis should be decarboxylated before extraction or infusion. The decarboxylation process activates the cannabinoids. When smoking flower, your lighter achieves this effect.
If your marijuana comes in a form that you have to chew, sip, or suck on — it’s an edible! Edibles are ingested products and can include baked goods, chocolates, jellies, teas, milks, and more. You may find them pre-made and ready to consume, or you can make your own.
Once you’ve downed your edible, it travels through your digestive system. The cannabinoids enter your bloodstream from there.
An appropriate amount — e.g., a serving — is eaten or drunk. When it comes to enjoying these delectable treats, it's essential to keep a few key pointers in mind.
To start, always pay attention to dosage. Begin with a low dose and allow ample time for the effects to kick in before considering additional consumption.
Edibles can have a delayed onset, so patience is key. It may take up to a couple of hours to take full effect, and the experience can last much longer than smoking or vaping.
As you might guess from the name, pre-rolls are already-made-for-you cannabis cigarettes (minus the tobacco). They come in a whole slew of varieties: different fillings, wrappers, potencies, sizes, shapes, and quantities.
In addition to being convenient, pre-rolls make consuming cannabis more accessible for those with physical limitations who can’t roll their own joints.
Pre-rolls are lit up and smoked like a regular cigarette or homemade joint.
Concentrates are just what they sound like — extremely concentrated forms of cannabis extract. In these products, the percentage of THC (or other cannabinoids or terpenes) is typically very high.
Common forms of marijuana concentrates include: oil, hash, rosin, wax, shatter, budder, crumble, sugar, sauce, and sand.
Cannabis concentrates are smoked or dabbed using a dab rig, nectar collector, and vape device.
A dab rig consists of several key components, including a water chamber that cools the vapor, a nail or banger where the concentrate is placed, and a heating element, often a torch. As the nail or banger is heated to the optimal temperature, the concentrate is applied, instantly vaporizing and creating a potent vapor that is inhaled through the rig.
A nectar collector can be used for a more direct and controlled dabbing experience. Resembling a straw, the nectar collector is equipped with a tip made of glass or quartz that is heated and then used to touch the concentrate, instantly vaporizing it. As the vapor rises, the user can gently inhale through the device.
Vaping is another popular option for consuming concentrates. Vaporizers designed for concentrates offer a convenient and discreet way to enjoy the effects without the need for open flames or extensive equipment.
Vapable cartridges are all the rage these days. These cartridges contain cannabis extracts and are used with a vaporizer. The devices heat up the extract so that its compounds are released and aerosolized as you inhale.
Vape cartridges are loaded onto a battery to heat and vaporize the oil within the cartridge. Once the product is loaded into a vaping device, it is then activated and operated per its instructions, often by pressing a button. The vapors the device produces are then inhaled.
Tinctures and drops are a form of cannabis product made by diffusing the compounds of marijuana or hemp into a solution or carrier oil. The result is a dilution of cannabis that’s user-ready.
This kind of marijuana preparation offers a lot of flexibility. It can be administered in a number of ways. It can be used as-is or integrated into other things (e.g., DIY edibles or topicals).
Cannabis tinctures and oil drops are ubiquitous, so you shouldn’t have trouble finding them at dispensaries or even online.
Tinctures and drops can be taken orally, or sublingually (under the tongue). They can also be used topically, though taking them internally is more common. They can be consumed straight-up or added to recipes.
Topical marijuana comes in a range of products, from roll-ons, to squeeze tubes, to cream tubs, to lip balms to bath bombs to bath salts to salves to massage oils to lubes. They’re an easy go-to for beauty and wellness applications. As such, topicals can have a place in both medical and personal care regimens.
With topicals, the THC and other cannabinoids tend to stay near the surface of the skin — they don’t enter the bloodstream in the same way as other formulations might. Because of this, topical marijuana products are likely to have a more localized, shorter-lasting effect.
Topicals are for use on top of the skin. Gently wash and dry the affected area and apply the topical of choice onto the affected area. Simply massage into the skin until fully absorbed.
Marijuana also comes in pill forms. The different kinds of cannabis pills — softgels, capsules, and tablets — have their own unique features. Some are oil-based; some are coated; some have time-release mechanisms; some are smaller and easier to swallow. Shop around to find the characteristics that are best for you.
Regardless of variety, softgels, capsules, and tablets are intended for internal use via oral consumption. Simply wash it down with a beverage and you’re good to go!
Transdermal products are similar to topicals in that they’re designed for external use and go on the surface of your skin. But, there are significant differences that set transdermals apart — like their formulation and how long the effect last.
Transdermal gel is specially made to deliver substances through the skin and into the bloodstream in a time-release manner. Patches are pre-loaded with transdermal gel.
Transdermal patches and gels are commonly used by those with persistent, recurring, or chronic body aches.
Transdermal patches and other transdermal cannabis products should only be applied to clean, dry, unbroken skin. It may be necessary to change the application site each time. Patches and gels are intended to be put on the skin over the target area.
Squirtable marijuana? Yup! Oral, nasal, and facial cannabis sprays are a thing. They simply have a liquid that’s infused with THC, CBD, and/or other plant compounds. You’ll see cannabis sprays for an assortment of beauty and personal care purposes.
Effects and other usage characteristics depend on which type of spray you opt for. Oral and nasal sprays will cross the tissue barrier and enter the bloodstream like sublingual/ingested and intranasal products. Facial sprays are topicals.
Oral sprays are spritzed into the mouth, nasal sprays are spritzed into the nose, and facial sprays are spritzed onto the face.
While not the most common of cannabis-infused products, you may be able to find dissolvable marijuana strips. These work like those breath strips that you place in your mouth and let melt away. Some of the cannabis will enter your system sublingually while the rest is ingested.
The strip goes under the tongue and is left there to [quickly] dissolve.
The main distinction between these and run-of-the-mill topicals is that intranasal creams and gels are immediately absorbed through the nasal membranes. This means the cannabis directly enters the bloodstream and essentially impacts your body like an internal-use product.
Intranasal creams are dabbed onto the insides of the nostrils and gently, but thoroughly, rubbed in. It can help to lightly press the nostrils together after applying the product to help ensure coverage.
At first blush, this may seem surprising. But, there’s definitely a place for cannabis products that are taken rectally or vaginally. Most often they’re used for therapeutic purposes, like alleviating pain and/or nausea.(4)
Depending on the product and way it’s use, suppositories can act like a topical and/or like internally-consumed cannabis. This is because the groin area has areas of membranes or very thin skin that let the cannabis pass through to the bloodstream.
It may take some practice and finesse, but basically the product is positioned at the opening of the rectum/vagina and then pushed in with a finger or applicator.
Cannabis inhalers look and function like asthma inhalers. A little pressurized metal canister filled with a marijuana-infused solution fits snugly into a plastic actuator that has a metering valve.
Because of the anti-inflammatory and bronchodilation properties of cannabis, this formulation is aimed at addressing airway ailments. It allows for cannabinoids to be inhaled without the risks associated with smoking.
There’s a bit of art and science that goes into the proper use of an inhaler. The gist, though, is that one deeply breathes in (through the mouth) the aerosolized marijuana that’s expressed from the canister when it’s pushed on. The puff of substance is then held in for a short period (usually a few seconds) before being exhaled.
This is the purest form of cannabis. The processing techniques extract and isolate a single cannabinoid — like THC or CBD. All other cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids, etc. are stripped away. What’s left is almost 100% pure crystals (aka crystalline), which are often pulverized into powder. Isolates have no flavor, fragrance, or color.
Isolates can be taken orally in capsules, mixed into food and beverages, or sublingually by holding it under your tongue. Sprinkling the crystals onto your bowl or into your joint and smoking it is another option.
We’re including these here because they do exist, and we want to make it clear that injectable marijuana products are only used in certain medical or research settings.
Don’t. It’s not intended for personal use or administration. It’s only delivered this way by a professional as part of a formal clinical study.
As you can see, there’s no shortage of marijuana dispensary products. You could try something new every sesh if that strikes your fancy!
But, to dial into the cannabis formulations and products that work for you — you’ll really have to assess your needs and preferences, consider the pros and cons of each preparation, and do some research. It may take some trial, error, and patience, too.
Your off to a great first step by doing your research. Once you feel confident, visit a reputable local dispensary. Explore the recreational and medical marijuana products for sale. Ask the budtender all your questions. And, when you’re ready, check with your doctor first and maybe give a few products a try.
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