The term, “entourage effect” is unfamiliar to most patients new to medical marijuana, but understanding what this and other terms mean can help you tailor your treatment plan to meet your wellness goals! Keep reading to learn all about the entourage effect and how you can harness its power for better health!
The Entourage Effect Will Help Louisiana Patients Choose Marijuana Flower Strains
Louisiana has had medical marijuana on the shelves since 2019, with easy access for patients who apply for a Louisiana marijuana certification. And although the state has been selling medical cannabis for two years, smokable flower is just now being added to the menu for 2022.
With cannabis flower on its way, many patients will be shopping for buds early next year, and with all the different strain choices, picking the right strain for you can be a challenge.
Louisiana Medical Marijuana - What is the Entourage Effect?
The cannabis plant contains hundreds of compounds affecting the taste, smell, flavor, and appearance of the plant and its flowering buds. Cannabis strains can be bred and crossbred with different properties to allow the plant to fulfill its maximum potential for its intended use.
Because of the variability in how plants can grow different levels of natural compounds, no two cannabis plants are exactly the same. That doesn’t mean there is no control over the properties of the plant, however. When Louisiana cultivators grow strains, they are in a controlled environment where each individual plant or group of plants can get exactly the nutrients, soil, water, air, and light they need.
All these parts and techniques play a key role in how specific strains work to produce their overall effects after consumption, and this process is called the entourage effect, which is the marriage of all compounds and properties of the plant working synergistically to provide the experience once consumed.
How the Entourage Effect Works
Think of the entourage effect like a good book. All the individual parts of a cannabis plant—like terpenes, THC level, and CBD level—are like the table of contents. They offer a general outline of what to expect.
But the way these parts come together to form a cohesive experience tells the unique story of the plant, and how it interacts with your body.
Everyone Experiences Cannabis Differently, Based on Their Own Chemistry
Cannabis is a diverse plant with many different effects on the body. Because everyone’s body chemistry and endocannabinoid system work differently, everyone’s experience with cannabis will also be different.
Some experiences may be very similar, but biologically no two people can smoke the same strain and have the exact same effects, even if on average it feels the same or if perhaps the only changes are unnoticeable.
For example, the difference between indica and sativa marijuana strains may be felt differently based on your genetic sensitivity to certain cannabinoids and terpenes. Most people say that indica strains produce a relaxing, sleepy effect and sativa strains produce an energetic, excited effect. However, your results may be completely opposite based on your personal biology.
The result of this individualization with cannabis means that there is no way for one strain or terpene profile to produce the same effect in all people who try it, although there are usually pretty good averages you can base the experience on.
And although there is a high level of biological variability that will determine exactly what kind of experience you will have, there is usually some commonality between the taste, scent, and general effects of a strain.
This is where the entourage plays a key role in determining what effects, smells, and flavors you’ll get out of a cannabis strain.
Online Resources for the Entourage Effect
Humans have been using cannabis for thousands of years, though modern recorded history of cannabis and its medicinal properties in the West is a relatively new phenomenon. Fortunately, one of the most compelling and enjoyable parts of the medical cannabis world is how community-driven the programs are.
Because of the advent of technology, medical marijuana patients all over the world can share their knowledge and experience about any one of the thousands of cannabis strains that exist.
This allows for an excellent opportunity for patients who are shopping at Louisiana pharmacies for medical marijuana to get a fairly detailed amount of information on a strain before purchasing it!
Sites like Leafly and Weedmaps are great resources to find both available strains near you, and detailed information on each strain.
How to Use Your Understanding of the Entourage Effect When Buying Cannabis in Louisiana
Often, strains are listed by their class of either “indica” or “sativa” and are further classified by terpenes and specific levels of THC or CBD in the strain.
There are also sections for comments, allowing you to brush up on how real end-users feel about the strain and how it affected them. In some cases, you can even locate an exact strain grown by a specific cultivator!
These are invaluable resources that are available for free that can help nudge you in the right direction when looking for cannabis strains for your specific medical condition.
Putting it all together, when you gather enough information to get a general sense of what patients are using a strain for, and how it makes them feel, you’ll be better equipped the next time you’re purchasing your cannabis at a Louisiana medical marijuana pharmacy!
Get Your Louisiana Marijuana Certification
Louisiana is one of the few states that allow for an easy way to get access to medical cannabis.
With the state offering telehealth, you can even get your medical marijuana certification online from the comfort of your own home.
For questions about Louisiana’s medical marijuana program, or how to become a medical marijuana patient in Louisiana, consult with one of our trusted doctors and book an online medical marijuana appointment today!
Doctors Who Care.
Relief You Can Trust.
At Louisiana Marijuana Card, our mission is helping everyone achieve wellness safely and conveniently through increased access to medical marijuana. Our focus on education, inclusion, and acceptance will reduce the stigma for our patients by providing equal access to timely information and compassionate care.
Call us at (833) 253-2943, or simply book a medical marijuana evaluation to start getting relief you can trust today!
Check out Louisiana Marijuana Card’s Blog to keep up to date on the latest medical marijuana news, tips, and information. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to join the medical marijuana conversation in Louisiana!
Comments