What's the Difference between Medical & Recreational Use?
With cannabis laws constantly changing, it is difficult to keep up.
With the reform of cannabis happening in many countries and cannabis laws constantly changing, it can be difficult to keep up. That's why we will take a moment to explore the differences between Medical and Recreational weed and some of the regulations you need to know. Let's start by examining states' medical and recreational cannabis programs.
Potency
A common misconception about Medicinal cannabis is that it contains lower levels of THC and higher quantities of CBD. Although this may be true for some patients, it is not true for all.
Some medical cannabis patients, like children, will need a strain of cannabis with low levels of THC and higher amounts of CBD. However, some adult patients with chronic health conditions benefit from the much-needed relief that cannabis with higher amounts of THC can bring.
What Is Recreational Cannabis?
There is no physical difference between cannabis, whether it's labelled as medicinal or recreational. Recreational and medical are just legal terms applied to the user's reasons people use cannabis.
Recreational cannabis can be purchased by adults in countries and states that have legalised recreational or adult-use cannabis. Recreational cannabis laws treat cannabis like tobacco and alcohol, with tax added to the price.
Instead of looking at cannabis as a tool to improve health and quality of life, those who indulge in adult-use cannabis often look to the psychoactive effects of THC.
What is Medical Cannabis?
Medical cannabis is prescribed to treat symptoms related to various conditions. To qualify for medical cannabis, you must have a diagnosis and recommendation from a doctor.
The Effects
There is no physical difference between cannabis, whether it is labelled as medicinal or recreational. The differences are only legal classifications and taxation.
If you were to purchase the same strain from a medicinal dispensary and a recreational-use dispensary, there would not be much difference. Depending on who has grown it and what techniques have been used, like whether it has been grown indoors or outdoors, both could have near-similar THC levels and terpene profiles.
However, this is not to say that the same strain will affect two different people the same. Everyone has a unique endocannabinoid system that reacts to certain cannabinoids and terpenes differently.
Terpene Profile VS THC Percentage
Previously, THC percentage has been the marker by which the potency of a strain of cannabis is determined. Thanks to scientific developments in the field of cannabis, however, we now understand that there is more to what causes the potential effects.
It is now believed that the right mix of cannabinoids and terpenes could help to create a synergetic consequence known as The Entourage Effect. This delivers a distinctive and wholly complete cannabis experience for every patient.
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Liz Filmer
