Cannabis 101: A Beginner's Guide to Cannabis Products and Features
Dispensary menus don't have to be confusing - here's what all those products actually are.
You walk into a dispensary ready to try cannabis, take one look at the menu, and realize you don’t understand what any of it means. What’s the difference between distillate, full spectrum, and liquid diamonds? Why are there so many different types of concentrates? Understanding the different product types is how you stop guessing and start finding what actually works for you — and that’s exactly what this guide is for.
Prerolls, Blunts, and Infused Joints
What’s the difference between a joint and a blunt? It’s all about the wrapper. A joint/preroll uses thin rolling papers (usually made from hemp), while a blunt traditionally uses a tobacco leaf wrap, giving you a slight nicotine buzz. Alternative wraps like hemp wraps (the most popular option) or even rose petals, which offer a smooth, aromatic smoke without any tobacco or additives. The wrapper affects the burn rate, flavor, and overall experience; joints burn faster and taste cleaner, while blunts burn slower and add an earthy richness to the smoke. Beyond the basics of flower consumption, infused products like Caviar (flower rolled in oil and kief) or infused prerolls deliver stronger, more intense highs with added concentrates and are best smoked slowly to ensure proper vaporization of the concentrate.
What's the difference between a joint and a blunt?
It’s all about the wrapper. A joint/preroll uses thin rolling papers (usually made from rice, hemp, or wood pulp), while a blunt traditionally uses a tobacco leaf wrap, giving it a distinctly different flavor and a slight nicotine buzz. Tobacco-free blunt alternatives include hemp wraps (the most popular option) or even rose petals, which offer a smooth, aromatic smoke without any tobacco or additives. The wrapper affects the burn rate, flavor, and overall experience—joints burn faster and taste cleaner, while blunts burn slower and add an earthy richness to the smoke. Beyond the basics of flower consumption, infused products like Caviar (flower rolled in oil and kief) or infused prerolls deliver stronger, more intense highs with added concentrates and are best smoked slowly to ensure proper vaporization of the concentrate.
Cannabis Concentrates Explained:
When it comes to concentrates, the extraction method is everything. It determines the product’s potency, flavor profile, price, and even how you’ll consume it. Cannabis can be extracted in two ways: solvent extraction methods use butane, CO2, or ethanol, whereas solventless extracts use ice-water, heat, and pressure. The most common ways to consume concentrates are vaping and dabbing.
Vapes:
Vaping has exploded in popularity for its convenience, flavor options, and discretion. By using cartridges or disposable “all-in-one” devices, the cannabis concentrate vaporizes in a heating chamber, and has a very fast onset. Cartridges typically come in hardware fitted with the industry standard 510-thread, and you’ll need a battery to screw them onto. All-in-one disposable vapes are designed with the oil and battery in one device that you throw away once it’s empty.
Distillate
Distillate is a highly refined extract processed to remove most of the plant’s original compounds, leaving behind a concentrated, THC-forward oil. Natural terpenes are largely stripped during refinement, so distillate cartridges are commonly reinfused with terpenes and flavonoids to create sweet, fruity flavor profiles with minimal cannabis taste.
Full spectrum
Full-spectrum products are made to preserve more of the plant’s natural cannabinoid and terpene profile rather than refining them away. The oil retains more of what made the original strain distinct, and the way those compounds work together is known as the entourage effect, creating a more complex, flower-like experience and taste.
Liquid Diamonds
Liquid Diamonds combine pure THCa crystals (the diamonds) with High Terpene Extract (HTE) for maximum potency and flavor. The THCa crystallizes and separates during extraction, then gets melted and reintroduced to the terpene-rich sauce for a premium vaping experience.
Dabs:
Dabbing is the other way to consume concentrates, but it requires more equipment. There are multiple options for dabbing set-ups from beginner-friendly electric rigs, high-end rigs with precise temperature control, or traditional glass rigs with water filtration that cools the vapor similar to smoking flower from a bong.
Solvent Extracted Concentrates
shatter
Shatter (also known as Pull-n-Snap) is made by purging butane extract at low temperatures without any agitation, and is known for its glassy, translucent, brittle consistency. It’s stable, affordable, and potent – a solid entry point for dabbing.
sugar wax
Sugar Wax forms naturally when purged extract sits in stable conditions, allowing THCa to crystallize within the terpene-rich sauce. The result is a crumbly, sticky texture like brown sugar that offers more flavor than shatter at a similar price point.
budder
Budder (also called Badder) is created by whipping the extract and incorporating air, breaking up the molecular structure into an opaque, frosting-like texture. The whipping process makes it easier to handle when dabbing while preserving flavor.
Solventless Extracted Concentrates
Hash
Hash is one of the oldest forms of cannabis concentrate, made by collecting and compressing trichomes into a solid mass. Modern hash is typically made by agitating cannabis in ice-cold water to separate trichomes from the plant, then filtering the water out, and pressing. It can be made from either live (fresh-frozen) or cured flower. Live hash captures a brighter, more vibrant terpene profile, while cured hash has a more mellow, classic flavor.
Live rosin
Live rosin is the top-shelf choice. Made by heat-pressing the hash from ice-water extraction, live rosin delivers the plant’s complete terpene and cannabinoid profile with unmatched flavor and purity. While cured rosin exists and offers its own mellow charm, live rosin uses fresh-frozen flower to lock in terpenes at their peak expression, which is what earns it the gold standard reputation among cannabis enthusiasts.
There’s one more concentrate type we haven’t talked about yet: Full Extract Cannabis Oil (FECO). Also known as Rick Simpson Oil (RSO) or Refined Hash Oil (RHO), this product is vastly underrated and incredibly versatile. Most commonly sold in syringes, FECO is a thick, dark, tar-like oil made by using ethanol to extract cannabinoids from plant matter. What makes it different from other concentrates is that it’s already decarboxylated and activated, meaning it’s ready to use without any heat required. You can add it to food or drinks, take it orally or sublingually, or apply it topically. That flexibility, combined with its full-spectrum potency, makes FECO one of the most versatile products on the menu and a favorite among experienced consumers who want maximum options in how they consume.
If you’re trying to avoid inhaling, edibles offer a smoke-free option with longer-lasting effects.
Edibles
Edibles come in many forms and can be infused with different types of extracts. The ingredients, solvents, and formula of the edible all affect how quickly they hit, and how long they last. Depending on the infusion oil, some edibles can have more or less of a weed taste than others.
Fat-based infusions like cannabutter, MCT oil, or ghee are digested slower, leading to a gradual onset over 1-2 hours.
Sugar-based edibles like hard candies and gummies kick in faster and offer the best flavor if you’re looking to skip the weed taste.
Infused drinks have quicker onsets, but Nano-emulsified products are the fastest – delivering effects in 20-40 minutes instead of an hour or more.
Your metabolism, liver function, tolerance, and body composition all affect how edibles hit you. Timing matters too: taking an edible on an empty stomach means faster, more intense effects than after a big meal. Eating fatty foods alongside your edible also speeds up THC absorption compared to lighter foods like salad. Understanding the ingredients and infusion method helps you predict what to expect.
Figuring out what cannabis products you're looking for:
Now that you understand the features of each product, here are some practical tips for figuring out and choosing what works best for you.
1. Timing is everything
Think about when you want to feel the effects. Need relief now? Smoking or vaping kicks in within 2-10 minutes. Planning a chill evening at home? Edibles take 45 minutes to 2 hours to hit, so plan accordingly!
2. How long do you want the ride to last?
Edibles are the marathon runners of cannabis. They’ll keep you feeling the effects for hours, sometimes all night, and can even into the next day. Vaping and smoking are sprinters: quick onset, and back to normal within 2-4 hours.
3. How low-key do you need to be?
If discretion matters, vaping and edibles are the stealthiest options. If you don’t mind the smell and want a more hands-on cannabis experience, flower can be more beginner-friendly and lets you visually appreciate the frosty trichomes!
4. Know (or find) your tolerance
Here’s the thing: you won’t know your tolerance until you try. After a few tries, you’ll figure out quickly if you’re getting too high or not feeling enough. Products with higher THC will hit harder, while lower percentages offer a gentler experience. There’s no wrong answer – just what works for you.
5. Keep a cannabis journal
This might sound extra, but trust us – jot down some quick notes in your phone about what you’ve tried and how it felt. Having a list of the strains you like and products you enjoy is gold when you’re standing in a dispensary trying to remember what worked. Your budtenders will love you for this. They might not have the exact same strain, but they’ll be able to make better tailored recommendations to your preferences.
The Dispensary Experience
Now that you have the knowledge to figure out what kind of products you want, the budtenders can help you whittle down the options to what suits your preferences best. Here are some talking points to help guide your conversations.
Budget
Let your budtender know roughly what price point you’re looking for. Most dispensaries have the full range of options from $5 products to premium items like live rosin.
Troubleshooting
Budtenders aren’t just there to help you navigate the menu – they’re actually some of the most undervalued experienced cannabis resources available. They’ve heard every question imaginable, so don’t be afraid to ask!
Ideal Effects
Relaxation, sleep, energy, uplifting, comfort, longer-lasting – whatever your goal is. Budtenders want to give you the best recommendations they can, and knowing what you’re looking for helps them find the products that actually deliver.
Tolerance level
Cannabis culture can be intimidating, full of people consuming cannabis in mass amounts. If you’re just starting out, chances are your tolerance is really low and that’s completely okay. There are always underrated and overlooked hidden gems on the menu that have lower THC percentages.
Favorite Strains
Tell your budtender what strains you’ve tried and what you liked about them! Even if they have never heard of the strain before, a quick look into the lineage and terpene profile of the strain will give your budtender enough information to recommend similar options.
Your budtender should actually want to help you.
If they’re giving you one-word answers, seem annoyed by questions, or rush you through your decision, leave and go to a different dispensary. The best dispensaries have budtenders who are passionate, patient, and help educate.
Our budtenders at both Anchorage locations are here to help you find exactly what you’re looking for — just good recommendations and knowledgeable service.
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