Experience Tips

In the industry, flower or bud is used to refer to the part of the dried cannabis plant that can be smoked.

Monique McHenry, director of the Medical Cannabis Center for Research and Education at the University of Vermont, says, scientifically, a flower is the reproductive part of a plant and a bud is a young development on a plant.

When buying weed, you will be inundated with fun strain names such as “Bubba Kush,” “Girl Scout Cookies” and “Pineapple Express.” This is the industry’s way of differentiating between products, but there’s little science behind it.

“People use these names all over the place but they’re not identifying unique genetic identities or strains like people think they might be,” said Sean Myles an associate professor in agriculture at Dalhousie University.

Most cannabis products are labeled as either sativa or indica to help guide consumers on what kind of high they want. Users report that sativa is more uplifting, whereas indica is often described as more relaxing. The anecdotal evidence about differences in indica and sativa have not been supported by science.

The two are distinct species of cannabis, but experts say there aren’t genetic differences between what’s on the market. “If you look at the chemicals, they don’t consistently fall into groups that the market labels sativa or indica,” McHenry said.

Dispensaries also sell products that they say are a mix of both sativa and indica — but experts say this is more of an industry label than anything else.

Many weed products now boast of various terpenes on their labels. These are naturally occurring in the plant and account for the difference in weed smells.

For instance, strains that have terpenes with fruity aromas are often described as “lemon” or “strawberry,” while strains with earthy terpenes might be described as “diesel” or “funky,” Myles said.

A cigarette, but with cannabis flower. Those with tobacco are called spliffs.

An emptied cigar filled with cannabis.

A small basin — usually glass — used for smoking cannabis flower.

A glass water pipe. It can be used for cannabis but also tobacco.

These are cannabis products that can be consumed. Brownies are a common example, but there are many other sweet (and salty) edibles.

Named for their resemblance to pens, weed pens are used to inhale cannabis and come in two types. Dab pens are specifically for concentrated cannabis products such as wax, shatter and rosin. With vape pens, you’re vaping either flower or cannabis oil cartridges, often called carts.

This is a cannabis extract that can also be consumed but is usually faster-acting than edibles, as users will swallow or absorb it under the tongue.