We’ve got exciting news here at Cinder. Now that New Mexico has just legalized recreational cannabis, we’re setting up shop in Albuquerque! After running one of the hottest cannabis shops in Spokane, we’re excited to start serving the people of Albuquerque as well. We figured that since legal cannabis is new to everyone down in New Mexico, we should do our part in educating the masses on what to expect and how to fully enjoy all the wonders of recreational cannabis.
Products 101
So, what exactly can you find in a dispensary? Well, there are quite a few options. Let’s start with the big one, flower.
Flower
Buds, nugs, whatever you call it, flower is just straight-up weed. You can expect to see it in a variety of sizes from 1g, 3.5g, 7g, 14g, all the way to an entire ounce. When you go in to buy some bud, you’ll have to decide if you want a sativa, indica, or hybrid. What does this mean? Well, sativas tend to produce a more energy-forward high and are great for smoking in the daytime. Indicas on the other hand tend to produce a relaxing high and are better for smoking later in the day when you need to wind down. Can’t decide between the two? Go for a hybrid! Hybrids are the most versatile of these options. You can have an indica-dominant hybrid that’s relaxing without being too sedating, a sativa-dominant hybrid that’s energy forward without getting you too amped up, or a balanced hybrid that gives you the perfect balance of the two.
If sativas sound like your jam, we recommend picking up strains like Super Lemon Haze, Sour Diesel, or Jack Herer. Do indicas sound more your speed? Then we recommend picking up some Ice Cream Cake, Granddaddy Purple, or Northern Lights. Want a hybrid instead? Then try some strains like Wedding Cake, Gorilla Glue, or Do-si-dos!
Pre-Rolls
Pre-rolled joints, or pre-rolls, are a personal favorite as they save you the trouble of having to roll your own joints. Plus, pre-rolls are always rolled neat and tight. So, if you aren’t great at rolling your own joints, pre-rolls are the way to go! Another great option in this category is infused pre-rolls. These come loaded with things like hash oil, kief, or high THC distillate to pack a little punch into your pre-roll.
Concentrates
Cannabis concentrates come in many different forms. There’s waxes, hash, diamonds, rosin, resin, Rick Simpson oil, shatter…the list goes on! We’ll break down each one for you so you can decide which one you want to pick up when you see us.
Wax
If you’re familiar with dabbing, then you’ve heard of wax. Wax can be extracted from the cannabis plant through alcohol extraction or butane extraction. This yellowish-brown concentrate is the most popular choice amongst dab smokers and is the stickiest form of concentrate on this list. As such, wax is smoked using a dab tool to scoop it up and let it rip.
Shatter & Other BHO
Shatter is a form of BHO or butane hash oil. This means that this concentrate is extracted using butane. The result is a stable and glass-like concentrate that, as the name suggests, will “shatter” into little pieces. Shatter tends to be one of the purest concentrates with a smooth, clear, and solid consistency. Though, shatters can sometimes be a bit sticky as well.
There are many other BHO concentrates as well like budder, badder, crumble, or sauce. The difference between all of these mainly lies in their consistency. These consistencies are fairly evident in the names. Shatters tend to shatter, crumbles tend to crumble, badder is smooth like batter, and so on. As such, your choice in BHO is purely dependent on your preference for consistency.
CO2 Oil
Next, we have oil. This concentrate comes from extracting cannabis with CO2 to produce a runny oil that comes in either a syringe or container. Oil tastes distinctly different from shatter because of the difference in extraction methods, but one is not better than the other. This difference only matters if you have a preference.
Rosin
The popular choice of those wary of chemical extraction is rosin. This concentrate is carefully squeezed out of dried flower, kief, and trim through the use of extreme heat and pressure. No gasses or alcohol ever come in contact with the weed during this process. The highest quality rosin comes from pressing bubble hash to create hash rosin. Rosins are highly revered for their natural terpene and flavonoid content which makes for an incredibly pure and flavorful smoke.
Resin and Live Resin
Like rosin, resin is a solvent-less extract. Live resin, however, is not solvent-less and tends to undergo an extraction process using butane or propane. Resin, and especially live resin, differ from rosin because they tend to retain their terpene profile more than a rosin. Live resin differs from resin because of the use of a solvent as well as flash freezing the cannabis beforehand. This results in the ultimate preservation of terpenes in live resin.
Hash
Hash, or hasish, is the product of concentrating the trichomes of a cannabis plant. Trichomes are the glands on the cannabis plant that produce resin. Hash is one of the oldest form of cannabis concentrates dating back thousands of years whereas most other concentrates on this list have only emerged within the past few decades. Hash is often smoked on its own or with flower, but it is also consumed orally or infused into things like the traditional Indian drink bhang.
Kief
Similar to hash, kief is made up of the trichomes of the cannabis plant. The difference with kief is that is refers to the loose collection of trichromes that get sifted through a mesh screen, typically at the bottom of a three-tiered grinder. Kief can later be pressed into hash, or sprinkled on top of a bowl to be smoked. While you can collect your own kief, that tends to take quite a while to get a worthy collection going. That’s why it’s so great that you can pick it up here at Cinder!
Distillate
Distillate is a form of concentrate that doesn’t contain any wax, terpenes, flavonoids, or really any other compounds aside from THC (or occasionally CBD). As a result, distillates produce a notably shallow high that doesn’t bring on the full experience of the entourage effect. For those who may not know, the entourage effect is the experience you have when smoking a full-spectrum cannabis product with all of those good terpenes, flavonoids, and cannabinoids other than THC, like CBD or CBG. While a tad underwhelming on their own, distillates are wonderful for adding to other forms of cannabis like a pre-roll or a bowl.
Vape
Similar to dabbing, vaping also involved the consumption of cannabis concentrates. These tend to be CO2 oils, distillates, or live resins that have been conveniently packaged into a vape cartridge or pod. Vaping allows you to smoke concentrates easily and on the go and are great for those who may not want to have to set up a whole rig every time they want to smoke concentrates.
Diamonds
One of the purest forms of cannabis concentrate you can buy is diamonds. Also referred to as crystals or wizard stones, THC diamonds are crystalized cannabis rocks that are best smoked in a dab rig. Diamonds are highly potent as they often contain over 90% pure THC, so we only suggest you pick these up if you’re a seasoned stoner already!
Rick Simpson Oil
This concentrate is named after the man who pioneered it, Rick Simpson, who developed his oil when he was battling skin cancer. Unlike the other concentrates on this list, you don’t smoke RSO. Instead, RSO can be applied under your tongue, onto your skin, or mixed into foods. This is a great option for those with weaker lung capacity who want to enjoy the experience of a cannabis concentrate. RSO also tends to be a full-spectrum cannabis product, meaning it contains terpenes and cannabinoids aside from THC.
Edibles
If you’re not a fan of smoking, that doesn’t mean you have to deprive yourself of the cannabis experience! With edibles, you can enjoy a tasty treat that will show you all of the wonders that cannabis has to offer. Edibles often come in the form of sweets like chocolate or mints, but did you know there are savory edibles like pretzels and nuts too? That’s right, almost any food can be an edible! This is because edibles are made by simply incorporating cannabis concentrates into the cooking process.
Edibles come in a variety of dosage options as well. For example, Mr.Moxey’s Mints are a popular choice among those looking for a weaker edible as they offer doses as low as 1mg per edible. But, if you’re not afraid to go all out, most edibles clock in at around 10mg. If you’re a first-time cannabis consumer, we don’t recommend eating any more than 10mg. Be sure to also give yourself a full 90 minutes to digest and process your edible as their high comes on much slower than smoking.
Topicals & Self-Care
While most of the time you buy cannabis you’re buying it to smoke and get high, we also offer self-care products like topicals, tinctures, and bath bombs. These self-care products can contain the THC that gets you high, but many contain CBD. CBD is a non-psychoactive cannabinoid found in cannabis that is popularly used as a means of finding relaxation and relief without getting high. Topicals and other self-care products are a great treat to throw in the mix when you want to have a little at-home spa day.
Products listed are available at Cinder locations: Cinder North, 6010 N Division St, Spokane, Wa 99208; Cinder Downtown, 927 W 2nd Ave, Spokane, WA 99201; and Cinder Valley, 1421 N Mullen Rd B, Spokane Valley, Wa 99206
This product has intoxicating effects and may be habit-forming. Which is to say, cannabis can impair concentration, coordination, and judgment. Therefore, do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of this drug. Furthermore, there may be health risks associated with consumption of this product. For use only by adults twenty-one and older. To sum up, keep out of the reach of children.