Clients and customers, we are creating a blog platform to allow you to better connect with Excelleaf through questions and/or comments that you have. Our blog Asking for a Friend: Cannabis 1 on 1 will appear weekly, so check out our page frequently for answers to your questions. This week, This week, the Asking for a Friend query will come from a close family member of the Excelleaf family that is interested in cannabis and how it works.

Excelleaf, asking for a friend who always wanted to know: how does cannabis work in the body?

Hello friend, great question! Our bodies possess a system called the endocannabinoid system, just like we have other systems in our bodies (i.e. the digestive system and the respiratory system). This system has receptors throughout the body that send messages to the brain. The endocannabinoid system is stimulated by substances called endocannabinoids. These substances act on receptors throughout your body that affect certain behaviors or actions in the body. Cannabis works in the body just like our own natural endocannabinoids. Cannabis is the mirror image of the substances that work in the endocannabinoid system and when we take it, messages are sent all over our bodies. These messages become actions that affect coordination, mood, appetite and other functions in the body.

Excelleaf, asking for a friend: what’s the difference between THC and CBD?

Hey friend, really good question. Both compounds are found in the cannabis flower. CBD (cannabidiol) is a compound that has many healing properties but doesn’t have psychoactive effects like THC. It has been shown effective in the treatment of seizures, arthritis, insomnia and inflammation. It is approved by the FDA. THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) is the psychoactive component of cannabis that is responsible for “the high.” It has been used to help with a multitude of ailments, including pain, spasticity, glaucoma, insomnia, nausea and anxiety. Cannabis has both THC, CBD and over 100 other compounds that have a positive effect on our bodies and restore balance in the body—homeostasis. 

At Excelleaf, we pride ourselves on having the ability to not only serve our customers and clients with compassion and dignity but also to create and form relationships and bonds with them. We welcome all questions and comments and will diligently address all of them, so feel free to ask away!

Excelleaf, asking for a friend here, but why is it so important for them to buy legally when they have a friend who will sell them weed for half the price?

Hi friend! That’s a great question and it may not seem like there is much difference between buying your cannabis products legally or illegally, except for these two important points:

First, cannabis is now legal to buy, so consumers of cannabis need to support the legal outlets in order to not undermine all of the really good progress we have made so far. 

Second, your friend may know what quality of weed they’re buying, but many people who buy from an illegal source don’t know and cannot find out. If your friend buys from a legal dispensary, they will be able to find out all of the details of the plant they’re smoking, from the name of the strain to the THC content and the cannabinoid profile, if they want to or need to, for medical reasons.

Excelleaf, asking for a friend: what should a person expect when visiting a dispensary?

Hey friend! If you have never visited a dispensary before, you are in for a pleasant surprise. With the legalization of cannabis products, retailers have brought their best game to give cannabis dispensaries a legitimate, professional face. A dispensary should be an inviting, safe and welcoming space. You should feel that the attendants are knowledgeable and understand your needs. Everyone comes to a dispensary in search of something. It might be relaxation, a sleep aid, pain relief, or help to manage a range of other conditions. You should leave feeling like your needs have been met, you have been heard and understood and you will return because of the excellent customer service. You are not expected to be an expert or to know exactly what you are looking for, so there is one rule in a dispensary: there are no stupid questions!

Excelleaf, asking for a friend: which strains are the best for pain management, for night and day?

Hey friend! Thanks for asking. This question is probably on the minds of many other people out there, too. Many people live with chronic pain and are looking for an alternative to addictive and damaging pain pills.

Indica strains such as White Widow, Blueberry, OG Kush and Northern Lights are good for pain. OG Kush is indicated most strongly for night-time pain relief and sleep. Blueberry is more suited to daytime pain. 

If your dispensary does not offer these strains, they will be familiar with them and able to offer a strain with similar effects. Remember to be very clear about your requirements (for example, being able to work) and before you buy any cannabis products for pain management, consult with your healthcare professional.

Excelleaf, asking for a friend about Delta-8 THC, Delta-9 THC; why does it matter? There has been a lot of talk lately about “Delta this-or-that,” so why is it important?

Hey there, friend! Let’s first explain what Delta-8 and Delta-9 mean.

There is a double-bonded carbon atom on the eighth or ninth position of the carbon chain hence the name Delta-8/Delta-9. Delta-8 has milder psychoactive effects and can be found in the hemp plant (a cousin to cannabis).

It is important to note that Delta-8 is not as highly regulated as Delta-9 and although less psychoactive, the lack of regulation can cause vast differences in dosing.

It’s concerning because we have cared for patients in the hospital that after taking really high doses of Delta-8 purchased at a gas station become paranoid, anxious and sick. Don’t be misled by claims of less strong.

So now, when you hear people talking about Delta-8 this and Delta-9 that, you know what they are referring to and you don’t have to feel lost.

Excelleaf, asking for a friend: do you have any advice on what to do when you are pulled over and you have legal cannabis in your possession?

Hey friend! This is a great question and I know it will help a lot of people out there, so thanks for asking! Here is a list of things to remember when you are traveling with a cannabis product and are pulled over:

• Always cooperate fully with any orders issued by law enforcement.
• Speak in slow, measured tones and with a polite attitude.
• Ensure that you have your medical ID with you at all times if you are a medical patient. 
• Ensure that you have the sales slip with the details of the dispensary, including the dispensary’s license number.
• Ensure that the cannabis you have bought is packaged and labeled clearly and that the label on the packaging is the same as the details on the sales slip from the dispensary. 
• Possibly the most important thing to remember: make sure the package is sealed and unopened. Do not open your weed in the car. 
• If there is any potential conflict or your cannabis is confiscated by law enforcement, do not argue with them. Make a note of the officer who takes possession of your cannabis and follow up with the officer’s superior at the station.
• Lastly, it is advisable to have the contact details of a good marijuana advocate or lawyer on you at all times so that you know who to call if your rights are violated or if your follow-up to the officer’s superior is ignored.