Cannabis is a very versatile plant. Although in cannabis culture, cannabis has mostly been depicted as having to be smoked, smoking, or inhaling cannabis is just one way to consume it.
As legalization took hold in Canada, more methods of consumption began to become available. When Canada first legalized cannabis in 2018, we only saw dried flower and cannabis oils in stores; by 2020, the cannabis industry has adapted to include edibles, concentrates, and vaporizers.
When you browse our offerings at We’:), you’ll see that we have done our best to curate our products in a way that invites everyone to experience cannabis, no matter their preference.
Here, we provide an overview of some of what we carry in store, as well as some background information for their place in cannabis lore and culture.
Smoking cannabis joints dates back to 1865 when a Mexican university professor noted that people were mixing cannabis into their tobacco cigarettes, thus cementing the history of the joint in cannabis culture.
Joints involve rolling finely ground flower into papers, either by machine or by hand. In our store you’ll find a variety of kinds of rolling papers to pre-rolled cones that you can stuff with your favourite cannabis, or leaflets of papers that you can handroll or use a cigarette roller with.
At We’:), you’ll find a variety of pre-roll joints that come in 1g formats, .5 gram formats, or 0.05 gram formats. In some packs you may find up to 10x3.5g joints, where what you buy may amount up to a gram or two. Usually, pre-roll joints that you’ll find at We’:) are machine rolled, and we do our best to curate the best pre-rolls that lead to a smooth smoking experience.
The pipe is one of the oldest known methods with which to smoke cannabis. Herodotus, an ancient Greek historian, was the first person to make mention of cannabis in literature, describing Scythians inhaling the fumes of burning leaves from a pipe-like object. Indigenous Peoples use cannabis as a ritualistic plant, holding the belief that there is a connection between the spiritual world and the cannabis plant. In Indigenous storytelling custom, the term “peace-pipe” is referred to. Tribe elders would generally hold meetings while smoking cannabis from a pipe.
Cannabis is consumed through a pipe by putting ground-up flower in the “bowl” of the pipe, lighting the flower in the bowl with a lighter (or a lit hemp wick), and inhaling the smoke. Most pipes have a “shotgun” or a small hole on the side that you hold while inhaling, and release when you’re ready to pull it into your lungs. Pipes come in all shapes and sizes and can be made from several materials, including silicone, glass, metal, and plastic.
While pipes can be rather compact, they don’t necessarily hold discretion.
If you think using a bong is a discreet method of using cannabis, you’re wrong, as the bong not only is one of the things most tied to cannabis lore, but it also is extremely obvious when you’re consuming cannabis from one.
Bongs are designed to hold water, and like a pipe, have a “bowl” in which you put your cannabis and light it. When finished your toke, one removes the bowl and inhales the smoke that has gathered within the cannabis chamber.
Be aware – a big bong toke can hit hard!
Smoking out of a bong offers the cleanest form of smoking consumption, compared to joints and pipes, as the water helps filter the smoke and any cannabis impurities. Many bongs also have sets of chambers and percolators to help filter the cannabis smoke.
Bongs can be made from several materials, including glass, plastic, and silicone. It’s important that your bong is kept clean, and they make solutions like Orange Chronic specifically for that purpose!
Vaporizers have come a very long way in the cannabis industry. Vaporizers were created with the medical cannabis consumer in mind, as the cannabis material is only heated to the point of releasing cannabinoids and terpenes, rather than the point of combustion. Vapes also provide a bit more control in dosing. People prefer vaporization because it reduces airway irritation and eliminates the possible ingestion of carcinogens that are produced when cannabis flowers are combusted (ignited, or lit).
Vaporizers contain a coil element that gently heats the cannabis product, whether it be oil, concentrate, or flower, to release the cannabinoids and terpenes. This process is extremely efficient and releases more cannabinoids and terpenes than consumption methods that involve combustion (lighting it up).
There are three main types of vaporizers: flower vaporizers, concentrate vaporizers, and hybrid units. You’ll find a variety of flower vaporizers at We’:), vaporizer cartridges, vape batteries, and disposable vaporizers.
For those who do not want to inhale cannabis through their lungs at all, oils have become very popular since being introduced into the legal market right off the bat.
Full-spectrum cannabinoid oils are made by infusing a carrier oil (typically MCT or coconut oil) with cannabinoids (like THC and CBD) and terpenes (like linalool, limonene, or myrcene). Oils may also isolate specific compounds, such as THC or CBD, to produce a product with very specific applications.
Oils come in sublingual sprays or with a dropper to administer the oil sublingually. The oil is placed under the tongue for maximum absorption, and like edibles, usually take full effect within 60 to 90 minutes.
Capsules are a newer method of cannabis ingestion, being ushered into cannabis stores with “Legalization 2.0”. Capsules offer a smoke-free and sugar-free option for cannabis consumption.
Capsules are individual gel capsules (typically vegetable-based for vegan consumers) that contain a tincture, oil, or decarboxylated flower mixture. The effects are similar to taking a tincture, oil, or edible and are generally not felt for 60 to 90 minutes.
One of the greatest benefits of cannabis capsules is their discreet nature and specific dosing. Capsules at We’:) are available in various doses and THC:CBD ratios.
Edibles are infused foods, such as gummies, cookies, brownies, honey, beverages, and other confections, which contain cannabinoids such as THC and CBD. At We’:), you will only find edible products that are up to 10mg in dose per package, although “servings” come in various milligrams.
Edibles are generally made with infused oils or tinctures but can also be made with decarboxylated flower, where the cannabis has been “activated” through a process of heating it to a point where the cannabinoids take effect.
The general rule and guideline for anyone using edibles is to start low and go slow with dosing. Edibles take up to 90 minutes to fully kick in, so it is important to be patient and take this amount of time to assess how you feel before taking more.
Topical is a broad term for any cannabinoid-based product that is applied externally. When cannabinoids are used topically, they do not cross the blood barrier and never enter the body’s bloodstream, which is why they will not make you high.
Legal topicals come in a wide variety of products, including creams, lotions, face creams, body balm, gels, oils, and even intimate lubricating products. Using topicals is a different method of “consumption,” although the body still gets all of the benefits from the cannabinoids.
Another “Cannabis 2.0” product, cannabis concentrates are extracts of the cannabis plant that come in concentrated form. Aka. Cannabis concentrates are very strong!
Extracts come in a variety of products, including wax, shatter, live resin, and rosin, and can be consumed through a concentrates vaporizer, or using a dab rig through the process of dabbing.
Those who dab have their own specific way of doing it and can be pretty meticulous about the way its done. Dabbing involves using a rig, and what is called a banger (or nail), as well as a torch to heat the rig to a high temperature. You drop the exgtract into the banger once it’s heated by the torch and inhale through the mouthpiece of the rig. You may use what is called a “carb cap” to help circulate the concentrate around the rig for the optimal dab.
Concentrates at We’:) come in various potencies, formats, and sizes, with 0.5g and 1g concentrates being the most common.
We Have Your Preference In Store!
We’:)’s greatest attribute is the care we take in curating products according to Intents. Every week, we thoughtfully browse what is available to ensure that our customers have the best pre-rolls, concentrates, edibles, and oils in store so that they have choice in where they want to take their cannabis consumption experience.
Browse our accessories section at We’:) and if you’re unclear on how to consume, ask one of our friendly and knowledgeable staff who will be glad to demonstrate the various ways cannabis be consumed, according to every preference.
