The speed at which the world of cannabis is changing is truly head-spinning with new cannabis trends popping up all the time. It seems like only yesterday that cannabis fans had only one choice: Whatever the guy on the corner decided to sell you that day.
Now, as you can plainly see on our dispensary online menu, there’s a vast array of choices. Not only do the many trusted local growers and producers we partner with supply an ever-changing array of new strains, formulations, and hybrids, our knowledge of how cannabis actually works with our bodies is deepening.
As we’ve discussed previously, one of the biggest developments in the realm of getting high has nothing to do with actually getting high. And we’re learning an immense amount about terpenes, a class of plant compounds that have an awful lot to do with how cannabis interacts with our bodies and our minds.
So let’s take a brief tour of a couple of the biggest new developments in the cannabis world and see if we can get you up to speed.
Cannabis Trends: The CBD Revolution
Once upon a time, people looked to cannabis for the sweet fog of euphoria we like to call: “Being high.” They still do, of course. But there’s more to the story.
You’re probably familiar with THC, the most abundant cannabinoid, or what we like to call “active ingredients” in cannabis. It’s the one responsible for the cannabis plant’s psychoactivity. But these days, you’d have to try hard NOT to notice advertisements for CBD, the second-most abundant cannabinoid. CBD isn’t psychoactive like its cousin, so it’s gaining popularity as an additive in foods and beverages, even in dog treats.
But even if it won’t make us high on its own, CBD is doing a great deal for our bodies. Several studies suggest it plays a large part in the cannabis plant’s pain-fighting abilities, as well as offering a potential treatment for conditions as diverse as anxiety, depression, multiple sclerosis and epilepsy.
Most cannabis contains at least some amount of CBD. But if a particular strain is very high in THC, it will tend to mask the CBD content. High-CBD flower or extract has a very distinctive experiential profile; many fans describe high-CBD strains as having a “heady” or a “buzzy” effect.
Terpenes: The Cannabis Plant’s Essential Oils
Terpenes are another sort of “active ingredient,” but from a very different source and harnessing their effects has joined the ranks of cannabis trends. They’re the fragrant hydrocarbons—that’s “essential oils” to you and me—that give the cannabis plant (and many others) their distinctive flavors and aromas.
Smelling a distinct piney or resinous quality? That’s probably pinene, a terpene known for easing inflammation, including in our bronchial tubes. And that sharp lemon flavor may be limonene, the same oil found in lemons. It’s associated with an elevated mood and stress relief as well as possessing antifungal and antibacterial qualities.
There’s still a great deal to learn about terpenes—there are over 200!—but with the influx of interest in cannabis research, we’re hopeful we’ll know much more in the coming months and years.
It seems like there’s always something new to learn about cannabis—and with more research finally being done, we can’t wait to see what the next breakthrough is!
Looking to learn more about cannabis? Why not stop by our Des Moines dispensary and see the different products we carry? Or take a peek at our online dispensary menu to see our awesome assortment of high-quality, lab-tested flower, edibles, and more.
