Cannabis 101

Everything you need to know
to get the most out of your City Leaves cannabis experience.

Cannabis is a plant that’s generally separated into two categories: hemp and marijuana.

The difference between hemp and marijuana is a legal one. Cannabis with 0.3% THC or less is classified as hemp. Cannabis with more than 0.3% THC is classified as marijuana. You’ve also heard marijuana referred to as weed, pot, bud, etc.

At City Leaves, you can find both hemp-derived products and marijuana-derived products.

In New Jersey, cannabis is legal for recreational and medical use

Under federal law, cannabis is still illegal and classified as a Schedule I substance. However, the State of New Jersey legalized cannabis for medical consumption for those 18+ in 2010 and for recreational consumption for those 21+ in 2022.

Cannabinoids are naturally occurring chemical compounds found in cannabis and some other plants as well as all vertebrates on the planet. There are three kinds: phytocannabinoids, endocannabinoids, and synthetic cannabinoids.

Phytocannabinoids are those found within cannabis and a few other plants. You’ve likely heard of the most well-known cannabis ones, like THC, CBD, CBN, CBG, etc.

Endocannabinoids are those produced within vertebrates, like us, via the Endocannabinoid System (ECS). The ECS is comprised of receptors that both endocannabinoids and phytocannabinoids act on.

Synthetic cannabinoids are lab-made to mimic natural cannabinoids and may be harmful for consumption. Examples of these include K2 and Spice.

Terpenes are naturally occurring volatile compounds found in all plants, including cannabis. They’re responsible for a plant’s smell and taste. There are tens of thousands of terpenes, though only about 150 have been confirmed in cannabis so far. Studies have shown that terpenes and cannabinoids can have an effect on each other’s behavior.

Apart from cannabis’s signature skunky scent, you know terpenes from your cleaning products (they’re used to establish that bright, lemony scent), your aromatherapy (terpenes are the primary component of essential oils), and your perfumes and colognes.

Every vertebrate on the planet, including you, has an Endocannabinoid System (ECS) responsible for keeping your body and its functions in balance. The ECS has three main components: endocannabinoids, receptors, and enzymes.

When the ECS gets a signal that something in the body is off balance, your brain synthesizes endocannabinoids and sends them to the receptors in that area to restore balance. Once the job is complete and the cannabinoids are no longer needed, it sends enzymes to destroy them.

Cannabis’s phytocannabinoids act on the same receptors as the body’s endocannabinoids to impart its effects.

The main compound behind the high you experience when consuming cannabis is tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC. Depending on how you consume your cannabis, THC enters your bloodstream through air sacs in your lungs (when smoked or vaped) or via your liver (when ingested via edibles or tinctures) and acts on endocannabinoid receptors in your brain to produce feelings of pleasure and euphoria.

Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) are chemical compounds known as cannabinoids that are found naturally in the cannabis plant. They’re just two of over 100 known cannabinoids, each with their own impacts and effects. THC is the intoxicating compound known for imparting a high. CBD is non-intoxicating and doesn’t impart a high, but it does offer its own relaxing benefits. Learn more about the difference between the two here.

You can inhale cannabis into your lungs by using a bowl or water pipe to smoke cannabis flower. You can also inhale it via disposable vapes or vape cartridges, or by dabbing concentrates. The effects from inhalation are nearly instantaneous and can last anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours depending on your tolerance and how much you consume.

You can ingest cannabis using infused edibles, beverages, and tinctures. Ingesting cannabis delays its effects a bit as it has to pass through your liver to get to your bloodstream. Depending on the product you consume, it can take anywhere from 10 minutes to two hours for you to feel it. The effects of ingested cannabis tend to last much longer than inhaled cannabis, so be careful not to overconsume.

Cannabis topicals deliver cannabinoids to your bloodstream through your skin. Most topicals are creams or oils that do not impart a high, and their effects stay localized to the area where they were applied. However, transdermal patches specifically are designed to deliver full-body effects and can impart a high.