Is High THC important?

By; Monique Pinette

Let's address the elephant in the room, with the cannabis industry rapidly evolving I am often asked what my front line experience entails.

Well here is a first-hand look at the time spent on the floor of Canada's largest cannabis retailer. As much as it pains me to say this and I wish the exact opposite was true, this is the conversation on the floor more frequently had. And it starts with this one question, "What's your highest thc percentage bud?"

Now for anyone who works in the industry or who has a deeper understanding of cannabis we know asking for high thc is like walking into a car dealership and saying you want 1000hp and that's all you care about. Well let me tell you going fast is cool and all but you know what's arguably more important? Having brakes that will stop you, having suspension to handle the power, and how about airbags or the right tires to keep you safe. Trust me I get it, you have been smoking longer than I have been alive and it's a core belief that nothing under 25% thc will get you high. However, I truly believe if you only care about high thc you are missing out on some pretty incredible products and experiences! I have bought cannabis that sits at 14% thc that put me on cloud 9, and on the other hand, I've smoked joints at 24% thc where I feel like I need another 3 to doobies to get me buzzed.

This unfortunate story of only looking for THC leaves you missing some amazing experience.

One of the best ways to describe the relationship of thc to terpenes & cannabinoids I have ever heard goes like this. If you think about the plant in the same way you think of music. Thc is your volume, and terpenes & cannabinoids make up your genre and beat. So I strongly dislike country music as a whole, well let me tell you if you play a country song for me it doesn't matter if you crank it or have the music low I'm still not going to love it regardless of how loud it is. However, you hit me with some rap, metal, or swing music I going to love it whether it's loud or quiet because this is my jam. So next time you want to ask for high thc try to do a little digging on whether it's the volume that's the issue or if you are in the polar opposite end of the record store from what you know and love. Have you ever felt really on edge and someone tells you to drink lavender tea? There is a terpene in lavender called linalool and it's known for its unwinding properties! If you learn these terps and what they can do for you, you will have a larger understanding of the whole cannabis experience.

This leads us into terpenes and the entourage effect. The terps will give so much of a whole bud experience and can tell you the way this strain can make you feel. As a budtender, it's so important to learn the properties of terpenes you see, they will help you make curated recommendations based on the feeling your guests are looking for. There are a few legal producers who already include the terpene content right on their packaging!

So next time you visit a cannabis store, maybe spend some time chatting with a budtender about their favourite products based on terpenes or those where the terpenes shine!