Miscellaneous

Ask Jayne – Does Higher THC Equal Better Marijuana?

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Jayne Portland Weed Dispensary

Dear Jayne,

I was wondering if higher THC means better marijuana? I am new to the cannabises.

Sincerely,
Ima Knotreel
NE PDX.

Ima, would you be surprised if I told you the THC in your favorite strain of marijuana is basically the same as the THC in most other strains of marijuana? Doesn’t matter if you’re a sativa connoisseur or an indulger of the Indica, THC is basically just THC.

What is THC?

THC is the happy little chemical that releases dopamine from a chemical production and storage region of the brain to a receptive region of the brain. Lets be honest, most of the brain just loves dopamine.

This dopamine being delivered to different parts of the brain have different effects on people. Be it Sleepy, Happy, Dopey, Bashful,… Wait that is some the seven dwarves. Anyway this effect is the “high”.

It doesn’t matter what you strain you are enjoying, the THC compound doesn’t change. The percentages might go up and down but THC is still THC and once delivered to the brain it will turn into a dopamine release system (which feels great in my humble opinion).

If that’s true, which it is, I bet you’re asking “what is the point of difference between all these strains?” What makes Blue Dream a different experience than a nice GSC? Well I am glad you asked.

Welcome to the wonderful world of terpenes.

THC vs. Terpenes

Yes ladies and gentlemen, step right up step right up and embark upon a journey to a magical little substance called terpenes.

What are terpenes you ask?

Most plants have them. Lavender has linalool. Lilacs have terpineol. All citrus fruits have limonene. Hops, the drunk cousin of cannabis, is replete in Myrcene. Which helps answer the question “why does beer make me sleepy?’ Well your marijuana has a little of all of them.

Way to go cannabis.

You might consider them the essential oils within the cannabis plant. I like to consider them the explosive flavor crystals of mental refreshment. Just like that gum I used to love in college. But I digress.

Basically terpenes are what determine the fragrance of the flower, flavor of the bud, and unique effect on the individual user. It is the special combination of different terpenes in different percentages unique to each strain of marijuana that is truly the point of difference between strains.

Now granted if you have a Northern Lights #5 that’s testing at 15% THC and a Northern Lights #5 that’s testing at 25% THC the 25% THC is gonna be rather potent. But it’s going to be a more potent version of the same terpene profile that is indicative to the Northern Lights #5 strain.

In an article in Scientific America published April 20, 2017, Mowgi Holmes, a geneticist and founder of the cannabis genetic company Phylos Bioscience, explains it this way: If you take a pure isolated Delta – nine –tetrahydrocannabinol, the main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, “you’ll experience a high that has no specific character so that it seems boring”.

Boring?

I have not met a single person in all my time who has consumed marijuana because it was boring.

Sedative?

Maybe, but certainly not boring.

Here’s how I like to think of it: Let’s imagine we have three spaceships. The USS Sativa (a fast ship), The USS Hybrid (a stable ship that moves neither too fast or too slow), and the USS Indica (Slow ship and it’s gonna be awhile before you get to the moon, you might just stay on the couch and eat cheetos).

Now imagine that THC is the rocket fuel in our three spaceships.

More THC means more rocket fuel to get you higher, but where is that high going to go. Your spaceship needs a navigation system. Terpenes are that navigation system. It is the terpenes that dictate where the “high” is going to take you in your mind. It is the terpenes that dictate which neural pathways the THC gets dropped along.

Terpenes, or rather terpene profiles are the next step for you in the evolution of a proper marijuana strain selection. Using terpenes to pair specific strain effects to certain activities will only enhance your cannabis experience. Maybe a nice energetic sativa for that sunrise hike or maybe a hard hitting indica for when your mother in law comes over. #napping4peace.

– PM

Portland Cannabis Wedding Guide

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Jayne Portland Weed Dispensary

Roses are blooming, the sun is shining, and wedding season is upon us here in Portland Oregon! A destination hotspot for weed weddings, Oregon’s cannabis scene offers a lot more than your average herb.

From CBD infused soaking salts, to 24k Gold Rolling papers, Jayne Dispensary carries all the brands to make the wedding of your dreams. Three basics to ensure your special day is everything you dreamed of and more! Ease anxiety, enhance pleasure, and enjoy the day with these tips.

Relieve Wedding Anxiety with CBD

Yes, this is a magical time, and yes, it can be super stressful preparing for a wedding. Ease anxiety with Moxey CBD mints. These mints are micro dosed at 5mg of CBD per unit, and they’re tasty, discreet and effective. Relief is almost instantaneous with Moxey CBD Mints. Providing a wave of clarity, they help you feel calm and centered. It can sometimes be difficult in the moment to remember that this is a celebration of love. Pop a mint and reflect on the beauty that is your wedding.

Another great way to relieve anxiety is intimacy. Enhance pleasure with Luminous Dew. A sensual lubricant that comes in two versions. The High THC blend may accelerate arousal and enhance feeling for both men and women, while the balanced THC/CBD blend may ease discomfort and delay climax. Take a break, grab your partner, and enhance.

Bottom line; Enjoy this time! One of my favorite ways to celebrate is taking a Shine 24k gold paper and filling it with my favorite strain! #Highnooncultivar Grateful Glue. Uplifting, cerebral and giggly, the high is perfect for socializing.

Whether you’re throwing a wedding for 1000 people or eloping with your special someone to Crater Lake National Park, cannabis is a great tool to help carve out your perfect memory.

Have a cannabis wedding experience? Id love to hear about it! Share your stories in the comments section!

What To Do When You’re Too High

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Jayne Portland Weed Dispensary

Oh, look! you exclaim. Edibles! I’ll just have one…or two, I’ll be fine…they’re just harmless brownies, right?

There there now. We’ve all been so excited that we’ve accidentally eaten one too many edibles, or had just one more dab at the party than we should have. And while most folks know that being too high won’t actually kill you, it can still be a supremely uncomfortable place to be in.

How do I get “unhigh”?

Luckily, if you ever smoke too much weed, there are a few things you can do to counteract that feeling of being too high. We’ve rounded up a few of our favorite suggestions below for you to check out. Feel free to drink it all in—you never know when you’re going to need it.

Too High Tip #1: Consume CBD

CBD is the Superman of cannabis: just when you think things can’t get any worse, CBD flies in and saves the day.

Even though it can seem strange to counteract being too high with more cannabis, consuming CBD is one of the best ways to bring yourself back down to earth. This is due to the fact that CBD is a negative allosteric modulator, meaning it binds at the CB1 receptor found in our brains and changes its shape so that THC is less effective.

CBD has also been found to bind to other receptors in the body to produce other beneficial effects. These include binding at the serotonin receptor 5-HT1A, which provides anti-anxiety and anti-depressant effects that can help alleviate your discomfort.

The fastest way to get CBD into your system is to smoke CBD flower. While we’ve got a few CBD options available one of our all-time favorites is Cascade High Organics’ “Cannatonic” cultivar, aka one of this year’s Cultivation Classic winners. At 12.7% CBD it has less than 1% of THC, making it an ideal flower for some fast acting CBD relief.

For those who prefer not to smoke, another option is a CBD tincture administered sublingually. Fight the urge to swallow it and hold the tincture under your tongue for 60-90 seconds for maximum effect.

Edibles are definitely another solid option. WYLD produce a line of CBD rich strawberry gummies that are conveniently divided into 10 pieces per package for easy dosing. You can also use Muru’s CBD cannamixers to let your body know help is on the way. Just mix the CBD syrup in with some water or ginger ale and drink it down. Depending on your metabolism, it’ll take anywhere from 30 min to 2 hours to kick in. Most folks tend to start feeling the effects of CBD around 15-20 mg, with doses of 50 mg and up tending to make people sleepy.

Too High Tip #2: Take A Deep Breath

What makes most users so uncomfortable when they’re too high isn’t the amount of cannabis they’ve consumed; it’s their reaction to how high they are.

Panic is usually the first sign you’re a little too high. It manifests in the form of sweating, heart palpitations or a dry mouth, and is the beginning of most disorienting experiences.

Fight panic by taking a few deep breaths in through your diaphragm. This is called diaphragmatic breathing, and it’s a technique that can help you manage anxiety. The goal is to use your diaphragm to pull air in and push air out from your lungs. Doing this helps lower blood pressure and improves the function of your vagus nerve, bringing about a feeling of calm.

You can always try to meditate, too, or do a little yoga if you’re up for it. Don’t know where to start? Find apps that will help guide you through meditations like the Calm or Headspace apps.

Too High Tip #3: Terpene Therapy

Limonene is a glorious terpene. Much like our good friend CBD, Limonene is an Anxiolytic, meaning it helps manage anxiety. It’s also an anti-depressant and anti-inflammatory, and is found in just about any kind of citrus fruit you can think of. Grab yourself a few lemons and make some fresh lemonade for a hint of relief.

Linalool is another great option in terms of terpenes. You can find Linalool in many essential oils, particularly lavender. Linalool helps the immune system fight the damaging effects of stress, so if you think you can handle it grab some lavender and try and sleep it off. All hail the powers of a good nap.

The terpene beta-caryophyllene is another terpene worth noting here. Known for its anti-inflammatory properties, you can find beta-caryophyllene in black peppercorns. Chew on a few to help mediate some of the more extreme effects of being too high like heart palpitations.

Too High Tip #4: Stay Hydrated

Water is your friend. Consume lots of it to combat dry mouth and help your body get back to a better place. You should also definitely stay away from alcohol since it can increase THC concentrations in your bloodstream.

Too High Tip #5: Get Distracted

Put on some headphones and play your favorite album. Practice counting backwards in multiples of 4, or maybe try your hand at sketching. Take a bath with some Empower CBD infused bath salts, or maybe even try going for a walk. Having a nice, hot cup of tea can do wonders for you, too.

Got any helpful tips we didn’t include here? Tell us how you get less high in the comments below.

Cannabis 101: A Beginner’s Guide To The Mighty Bud

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Closeup of Silvertip cannabis strain by Bull Run

We’ve seen a lot of smiling faces come and go, and while everyone comes into our Portland dispensary excited to dive right in, some faces are more hesitant than others.

These are the folks that—thanks to years of negative stigma associated with marijuana use—may know very little about cannabis and it’s effects. They might feel overwhelmed with just how much they don’t know, or are too embarrassed to even ask. But the world of cannabis is not a scary one and becoming well-informed will not only make your shopping experience easier, you can learn how to choose the perfect type of consumption or strain of weed for your needs.

To help combat a lack of access to information, we decided to create a convenient guide to Cannabis 101. We hope that by arming consumers with knowledge we can help you learn how to make better, more informed purchasing decisions, aka the kind of changes that make your day just a little bit brighter.

The Endocannabinoid System

Our body is regulated by a complex series of chemical networks and pathways. One of these is the ECS, or endocannabinoid system. The ECS is in charge of maintaining homeostasis, aka making sure everything in our body from our internal temperature to our blood sugar levels are “just right”.

The ECS system is essential for regulating our moods and everyday well-being. It does so through a system of endocannabinoid receptors, CB1 and CB2, found on the surface of cells. While our body naturally produces its own endocannabinoids, Anandamide and 2-AG, that can activate these “feel good” receptors, THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) is a plant-based cannabinoid that can also bind to these receptors. The end result is that blissful high we all know and love.

It might surprise you to learn that THC isn’t the only superhero in this film, either. There are over 100 different kinds of cannabinoids produced by plants, many of which are still being studied in more depth today.

THC

THC is a pretty marvelous molecule in its own right. It’s been used to treat a wide variety of medical conditions for thousands of years now including seizures and epilepsy, glaucoma, arthritis, Multiple Sclerosis and even neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s disease.

THC is an analgesic compound, meaning that THC helps you manage pain by blocking pain signals from being sent to the brain. It’s a neuroprotectant that promotes neurogenesis, helping stimulate brain growth by creating new nerve cells. It’s also been known to help kill cancerous cells by inducing cell death in tumors, and can be an especially potent anti-anxiety and antidepressant for some.

Since everyone’s body chemistry is so different, THC affects everyone differently so it’s best to experiment with your dosage until you find that sweet spot. Start slow and take your time.

It’s also worth keeping in mind that each method of THC consumption will affect you differently. For instance, some people find that strains with over 20% THC might be OK to smoke, but might produce a much more powerful effect if consumed in an edible. Some edibles offer different levels of THC and CBD which can effect how you feel after dosing, from a clear headed, creative high to one that’s more relaxing. Edibles also have different lengths at how long THC can take an effect in your body. A baked good edible for instance could take anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes to feel it’s effects, whereas a newer nitro brew edible drink can give you the feeling of being high within 10 minutes of consumption.

CBD

You can think of CBD as THC’s best friend. CBD (cannabidiol) is another cannabinoid found in the cannabis plant.

While THC produces that great high CBD is non-toxic, meaning it won’t get you “high” in a conventional sense. It’s an incredibly powerful cannabinoid in terms of the health benefits it offers, which include:

  • Analgesic (pain management)
  • Anxiolytic (anxiety reducing)
  • Anti-inflammatory: CBD lessens the amount of inflammation occurring in the body, providing extreme relief for conditions like arthritis
  • Anti-psychotic: for those with mental illnesses, CBD reduces psychosis to better cognitive functioning. It also helps reduce the discomfort that comes with being too high – yay!
  • Anti-oxidant
  • Anti-fungal

Depending on your needs, you can access CBD in a variety of forms from smoking it to ingesting it in a tincture or applying it topically with a salve. We even have an entire page devoted exclusively to CBD products on our menu, so feel free to take a look and approach any of our budtenders with questions you may have.

The game isn’t over quite yet, though…

Terpenes

Perhaps the most glorious of all the cannabis compounds are terpenes, a group of over 200 organic compounds that give each strain its unique aroma and effects. While research is only beginning to scratch the surface on these compounds a few are especially well-known including:

  • Limonene (focus, mood elevating, sexuality)
  • Pinene (memory, awareness, bronchodilator inducing a quicker high)
  • Myrcene (sedating, anti-fungal, anti-bacterial)
  • Linalool (calming, anxi-anxiety, anti-depressant)
  • Caryophyllene (anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory)

Leafly has a really great graphic that breaks down terpenes by group and effect:

The best way to get an indication if a particular strain is right for you is by finding out what terpenes you enjoy and finding strains that fit that terpene profile. This will be a far better indicator of whether or not you enjoy a strain that relying on the THC percentage alone. After all, you wouldn’t go up to a bar and order a cocktail made with pure ethanol, would you?

THC, CBD, Terpenes, Other Cannabinoids & Why This All Matters

We’ve already covered a lot of ground on THC and CBD, but that isn’t to say we’ve done it justice: after all, there are so many more cannabinoids in play in your marijuana. A few of these include CBG (cannabigerol), a cannabinoid with potent anti-inflammatory effects that can help patients manage inflammatory bowel disease; CBN (Cannabinol), another minor cannabinoid known to treat insomnia and CBC (Cannabichromene), a powerful anti-depressant that promotes bone and brain cell growth.

When all of these fantastic compounds come together they produce an effect greater than the sum of the individual parts alone. This is called the “entourage effect”, and it’s the reason why smoking flower on its own is such a different experience than smoking a cartridge. It’s also the reason why CBD works a lot better with a little THC thrown into the mix, helping extend the effects of THC by preventing it from being broken down in our livers.

We hope we’ve been able to shed some light on this magical herb and the science behind how it all works, but if you have any lingering questions feel free to leave them in the comments below. We’re all ears 🙂

Love,

The Jayne Team

Welcome to Jayne Cannabis Dispensary in Portland

by
Cannabis Dispensary Budtender at Jayne

We’re incredibly honored for you to be joining us* today.

Located on 2145 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, Jayne is a medical and recreational cannabis dispensary in NE Portland staffed by some of the friendliest weed lovers, enthusiasts and aficionados you’ll find, the kind of folks you can find carefully cooking cannabutter on Thursdays to bake brownies with on Friday.

We’re all about supporting our local community, and do everything we can to help it grow. From throwing monthly BBQs on the first Friday of every month to giving back a portion of our profits to local charities like Transition Projects or The Bradley Angle House, we’re proud to help change the world one joint at a time.

Over the past few years we’ve learned that while a few things are certainly nice to have (overflowing jars of candy, comfy couches, hot cocoa, magical crystals) there’s really only one thing that matters to us: you.

We are here for you.

We really care.

We are here to listen, here to help connect you to the resources you need to live better lives.

We’re passionate about educating the world about cannabis because we’re constantly in awe of the positive impact it can have. The cannabis industry not only provides countless jobs to the areas it supports, but the goal of many cannabis businesses and products is to help improve lives.

It’s why we work so hard to make sure every last nug is grown with love from vendors we know and trust–vendors like High Valley Organics, Bula Farms and Deschutes Growery that produce some of Oregon’s most radiant flowers.

Oregon has come so very far. We still remember back in the day where the weed industry was the world’s greatest little secret. We took our “nature walks”, broke out our one hitters and came to wonder…why all the secrecy? Why was something so beneficial so taboo?

All that sneaking around started giving way to a crazy dream, a series of what-ifs that just grew bigger and bigger by the day.

What if we could create the kind of space where people would feel comfortable learning about marijuana instead of living in a world where it was kept in the shadows?

Thanks to a lot of fantastic people in November of 2015 our list of what-ifs transformed into the space we know and love as Jayne, proving that with a little faith, trust and resin dust just about anything was possible. Chances are you recognize a few of us out here on the floor—our original team is still here and going strong.

We take pride in the details and work hard to ensure that we’re always learning. From reading through books and research papers to getting CBD certified (thank you, East Fork Cultivars), we’re willing to do whatever it takes to help you stay informed.

It’s the guiding force that motivates us to go in and learn the science behind how cannabis works, and we’re excited to announce that we’ll be sharing all of that information right here with you on this blog.

This blog is our way of breaking down cannabis misconceptions through knowledge, discussion, research and experience. We’ll start by walking you through the basics of cannabis (what is THC? CBD? terpenes?) and will take you all the way through every fascinating detail about it we’ve learned over the past few years.

Muscle pain and aches? We’ve got something for that. Tired from your last workout? Bad day at work? Looking for something to make your hike extra epic? Need something to make you giggle? We not only have the best marijuana product to match with the right activity or mood, we can teach you how picking the right terpenes and method of consumption can change the way you look at cannabis.

No matter what your needs, we’ve got a little something to make everyone’s day brighter with.

Come to us with your questions and believe us when we say that the only stupid question is the one left unasked. We’ll be documenting everything you need to know right here from changes in marijuana policies to common patient questions and answers, the latest in cannabis research, interviews with our favorite farms and industry folks; strain highlights and our favorite product picks, special deals and vendor events. Keep a close eye and we may even throw a few of our favorite cannabis recipes in there, too.

This is your blog, your space to ask the big questions and to learn about cannabis in a safe, friendly way.

We are the Jayne team, and we’re excited to be here with you today and every day. Feel free to come by for some candy and a joint anytime.

Love,

The Jayne family

* Thanks for reading to the end! You’re an awesome human being. Mention this blog post to your budtender for 20% off your next visit, and keep an eye on this blog page for new posts and goodies to come.