Cannabis seems to be everywhere these days, lots of it, but it’s not all the same.
Canada’s state-run market reports an inventory of 3 million pounds. When it sits, oxidation and loss of moisture degrade its quality and even change its chemical composition.
In the United States, many state markets have seen the green rush and it has created oversupply that drives down prices. After all, supply and demand is a law of economics. This appears at first glance to be a good turn of events for consumers, but it depends on what people are seeking from their cannabis.
We have learned that the most common cannabinoids are THC and CBD. THC is psychoactive while CBD is not. There are also 80 to 100 other minor nonpsychoactive cannabinoids, some of which have profound health effects. CBG is one of my favorites lately. It can help with a wide range of stomach and gut issues by reducing inflammation and restoring balance.
Many of the other minor cannabinoids have not been well researched but we do know from thousands of years of anecdotal experience that they are safe and nontoxic.
As someone who has helped thousands of people to treat themselves with cannabis. I encourage broad-spectrum cannabis therapy. I would want to get as many different healing compounds into a person as possible. Remember, THC is the only one causing intoxication and this effect can be minimized in many ways if it’s not desired. As a population, prohibition created a cannabinoid deficiency and restoring this takes all the powers of the plant.
Commercially grown cannabis will certainly have plenty of the primary cannabinoids. However, due to a variety of factor, it may be lacking in the minor cannabinoids. If what you are after is an intoxicating couple hits of really strong weed, then perhaps this will suffice. If you are a novice cannabis user or a lightweight, perhaps you won’t notice or mind the use of synthetic fertilizers, growth regulators and pesticides that are common.
If you want to optimize health and well-being or if you are a cannabis connoisseur and appreciate the nuances of different cannabis strains, you will want something more. Cannabis that is organically grown and the result of proper breeding will have a broader spectrum cannabinoid and terpene profile.
The fertilizers used are organic and pest management practices are natural. Similar to eating organic food, the experience of consuming such organic cannabis products will be different. The variety of cannabinoids present will present more health benefits by balancing more systems and biological processes. The high is different. It’s somewhat rounder having been modulated by the minor cannabinoids that compete with the THC for the same receptors in the brain.
It's easy to be price sensitive these days, as the price of good is increasing. In the cannabis world, prices are falling in most markets. It’s also easy to get caught up in the wave of race to the bottom as retailers slash prices and seek to maintain market share.
Cannabis consumers should get to know the people involved in the production of their medicine and its processing. Be curious about their backgrounds and what methods they employ and why. We may pay taxes now but at its core, it’s still a drug deal, take time to research what you are putting in your body and the ethics of those involved.
Incidentally, there is a time and a place for hydroponic cultivation, cloning, many of these techniques.
If I were on a spaceship, for example, I would love to have these means available to have a steady supply of cannabis to pass the time. Here on Earth, we have the luxury of sunshine and rich soil and all kinds of rich natural fertilizers. We have the space to do proper plant breeding and reproduce from seed. Instead of aiming to meet the minimum requirements of the plant, we can try to optimize its conditions and input variables. This gives the plant an opportunity to express its full potential usefulness if the cultivation and production of consumer products are managed intelligently, ethically and responsibly.
