Bioavailability
The share of a dose that actually makes it into your bloodstream. It differs a great deal between inhaling and eating.
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Glossary
The words on a label, a lab sheet and a dispensary menu, defined the way Tiffany explains them at the counter. Search, or jump to a letter.
39 terms.
B
Broad-spectrum
A full-spectrum extract with the THC taken out. You see it most often in CBD products.
Budtender
The person behind the dispensary counter. Good for finding a product category, but a budtender is not a medical provider.
C
Cannabinoid
A chemical that acts on the endocannabinoid system. The cannabis plant makes more than 100 of them.
Caregiver
An adult designated to buy cannabis on behalf of a medical patient. The rules differ from state to state.
CB1 receptor
The main cannabinoid receptor in the brain and nervous system. Most of what THC does runs through it.
CB2 receptor
A cannabinoid receptor found mostly in immune tissue. It is thought to be behind the anti-inflammatory effects.
CBD
Cannabidiol. A cannabinoid that does not intoxicate, with evidence behind it for anxiety, inflammation, and seizures.
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CBD will not get you high. Taken alongside THC it softens some of THC's effects, including part of the anxiety and the speed of the high. It is FDA approved for specific seizure disorders.
CBG
Cannabigerol. A minor cannabinoid that has been studied for focus, inflammatory bowel disease, and antibacterial activity.
CBN
Cannabinol. A cannabinoid that forms as THC ages. It is often sold for sleep; the evidence is thin, though it is mildly sedating.
COA (Certificate of Analysis)
An independent lab report listing what is really in a product: cannabinoids, terpenes, and contaminants.
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Products sold in regulated markets carry a COA from an outside lab. It shows cannabinoid potency, the terpene profile, and test results for pesticides, heavy metals, and microbes. If a product has no COA, Tiffany's advice is to leave it on the shelf.
Concentrate
Any product made by pulling the cannabinoids and terpenes out of flower. Far more potent than flower itself.
CYP450
The family of liver enzymes that break down most prescription drugs. Cannabis, and CBD in particular, can change how hard they work.
D
Decarboxylation
Heating raw cannabis so that THCA, which does not intoxicate, turns into active THC. It is the reason raw flower on its own will not get you high.
Distillate
A heavily refined concentrate, usually close to pure THC or pure CBD. Most vape cartridges are filled with it.
E
Edible
Food or drink that contains cannabis. It starts slowly (30 to 120 minutes) and lasts a long time (4 to 8 hours).
Endocannabinoid system (ECS)
A signalling network across the whole body that plays a part in pain, mood, appetite, sleep, and immunity. Cannabis works on it.
Entourage effect
The idea that cannabinoids and terpenes act together, so a whole-plant extract behaves differently from THC on its own.
F
First-pass metabolism
The liver breaking a drug down before it ever reaches your bloodstream. Edibles go through it; sublinguals mostly skip it.
Flower
Dried cannabis buds. Flower can be smoked, vaped, or turned into concentrates.
Full-spectrum
An extract that keeps the plant's whole chemical profile: several cannabinoids together with the terpenes.
I
Indica / Sativa / Hybrid
Traditional labels for cannabis types. They work as rough shorthand but are unreliable for predicting how a product will feel.
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The old idea that indica means body and sativa means head does not survive modern genetics. The cannabinoid and terpene numbers on the label tell you far more.
Isolate
A single cannabinoid, often CBD, refined to more than 99 percent purity. There is no entourage effect here, only the one compound.
K
Kief
The powder of resin glands that shakes loose from flower. It can be sprinkled on a bowl or pressed into hash.
L
Live resin
A concentrate made from plant material frozen right after harvest. It keeps terpenes that dried flower loses.
M
mg vs. %
Percent is potency by weight. Milligrams is the dose in one unit. They measure the same product two different ways.
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Flower labels give THC as a percent. Edibles give milligrams of THC per piece. A 1 gram joint at 20 percent holds roughly 200 mg of THC in the plant material.
Microdose
A dose of THC below the point where you feel high, usually 1 to 3 mg, taken for clinical benefit without intoxication.
P
Pharmacist consultant
A pharmacist who works with a dispensary to help patients with dosing, drug interactions, and medication reviews.
R
Rosin
A concentrate made without solvents, by pressing cannabis under heat and pressure. It holds on to more terpenes.
RSO (Rick Simpson Oil)
A thick oil extract from the whole plant, taken by mouth. Popular with patients using cannabis for serious illness.
S
Sublingual
Under the tongue. The dose is absorbed through the lining of the mouth and skips the liver's first pass.
T
Terpene
The aromatic oils that give cannabis, and every other plant, its smell. They may shape how the cannabinoids feel.
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Terpenes such as myrcene, limonene, pinene, and linalool also show up in mangoes, lemons, pine, and lavender. Their role in shaping the cannabis experience is suggestive rather than proven.
THC
Tetrahydrocannabinol. The cannabinoid most tied to the high, and to many of the medical effects of cannabis.
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THC binds CB1 receptors in the nervous system. It is the main driver of euphoria, appetite, and much of the pain relief, and it is also the main cause of anxiety or paranoia at higher doses.
Tincture
A liquid cannabis extract, usually held under the tongue. It starts in 15 to 45 minutes and doses predictably.
Titration
The start low, go slow process of raising a dose a little at a time until you find the smallest amount that works.
Tolerance
Your body adjusting to regular cannabis so it takes more to get the same effect. A break resets it.
Transdermal
Through the skin and into the bloodstream. A transdermal patch gives steady levels for 8 to 24 hours.
Trichome
The tiny, crystal-like resin glands on cannabis flower. They are where the cannabinoids and terpenes actually come from.
Numbers and symbols
11-hydroxy-THC
The compound your liver makes from THC when you eat it. It lasts longer and hits harder than inhaled THC.