Which Forms of Marijuana Can You Get In Ohio Dispensaries?
Though the Ohio medical marijuana program has been in operation for several years now, many people are still unaware of the incredible variety of marijuana forms available at Ohio dispensaries. Medical marijuana has come a long way, and Ohio processors are consistently innovating new cannabis products meant to fit patient needs, preferences and lifestyle.
If you don't yet have your Ohio marijuana card, now is the best time to get one! With a list of 25 conditions that can be treated with medical cannabis in Ohio, qualifying for your card is easy. Meet with one of our certified marijuana doctors online or in-person, to get your medical card in minutes! We simplify the process, and make getting your Ohio marijuana card affordable. We can even help you get your card on the same day as your appointment.
Get a Medical Marijuana Card to Try All the Forms of Cannabis Available in Ohio
Once you have your medical marijuana card in hand, you can shop at any licensed cannabis dispensary in Ohio, to purchase high-quality medical marijuana products in just about any form you can imagine. Most dispensaries carry a variety of medical cannabis forms, like dry marijuana flower, edibles, vape cartridges and vape pens, lotions and topicals, tinctures and THC oils, cannabis concentrates and extracts, dabs, badder, budder, and even FECO and RSO.
What's more, most forms of marijuana products found at dispensaries come in different varieties and strains. Check out our marijuana types page for more information on different types of medical marijuana strains, including indica, sativa and hybrid products.
The variety of cannabis products available to Ohio patients might feel a bit intimidating, and you may just want to stick to the most familiar format: Dry marijuana flower. While this is an excellent, cost-effective place to start (it will take you quite a while to get through trying the many hundreds of strains available), you're really missing out if you don't venture out of your comfort zone at least a little bit.
Here, we are going to outline what each medical marijuana form is, how to use it, and suggestions for favorite products to help you get started.
What is Dry Marijuana Flower?
The first form of product that most patients will be familiar with is the flower from the cannabis plant. Many medical marijuana patients got their first experience with cannabis through marijuana flower, and now you can shop at dispensaries to purchase marijuana flower in an endless array of strains, each producing its own unique effects, aromas and flavors.
Understanding Tier I Vs. Tier II Medical Marijuana Flower in Ohio
In Ohio, medical marijuana flower is broken into two categories: Tier I and Tier II. This is simply referring to the concentration of THC in the product, and therefore the number of days each purchase counts for. Tier I marijuana flower has a lower concentration of THC (up to 23%), and Tier II marijuana has a higher concentration of THC (23% to 35%).
How Much Marijuana Flower Can You Buy at Ohio Dispensaries?
Flower in Ohio is generally sold in 2.83 gram units. Larger quantities are becoming available in the form of 5.66 gram (0.2 oz) packages, 8.49 gram (0.3 oz) packages, 11.32 grams (0.4 oz), 14.15 gram (0.5 oz), as well as one ounce (28.35 grams) quantities.
Sometimes, you can find a deal on certain strains by looking for what's known in cannabis culture as "shake". Look for terms such as "smalls", "budlet", or "popcorn" when shopping for your medical marijuana online. These will generally indicate that you are getting a less attractive-looking product, with the same potency, for a lower price.
How to Consume Medical Marijuana Flower
It is important to note that even in flower form, medical marijuana must be vaporized for legal consumption in Ohio. No one is watching to see what you do when you leave the dispensary with your prize, but you are not technically legal in your consumption unless you are using a vaporizer.
Find a Good Vaporizer for Dry Herb Marijuana Flower
Fortunately, there are some pretty good vaporizers out there at a reasonable price, but do make sure your vape is specifically for dry-herb vaping. Many batteries are made just for oils and cartridges, and you might not know that until you get home unless you remember to check before buying (yes, that happened to this author as a newbie to the program).
The Pax 3 is a little pricey, but it can handle both oils and dry flower, which actually makes it a bargain. The battery lasts a long time, and you have ultimate temperature control to bring out all the terpene goodness of your fresh medical marijuana buds.
Pro Tip: Grind Your Buds Well Before Vaporizing
Make sure you grind your buds well, and pack your product tightly into the vape chamber for best results and less waste.
-
Klutch - Ice Cream Cake (Indica)
-
Buckeye Relief - Grapefruit Sour Dream (Sativa)
-
Certified Relief - Southside Legend (Hybrid)
Medical Marijuana Oils for Vaping (Vape Pens, Syringes, Cartridges, Luster Pods)
Medical marijuana vape oil is a highly concentrated THC product — often more than 2 times stronger than flower forms (70% THC per dose in comparison to the max limit in Ohio of 35% THC from flower). Vape oils often look like honey or amber, and they may come in syringes, cartridges, all-in-one vape pens and luster pods.
What's the Difference Between a Syringe, a Vape Pen, a Cartridge, and a Luster Pod?
Syringes are the most basic packaging for your medical marijuana oils for vaping. Don't worry, they don't include a needle. They are simply the tube and plunger apparatus, and they are filled with cannabis oil and marked for measured dosing. Vape pens are the all-in-one package, with cartridge and battery together. When you buy a vape pen, you don't have to buy anything else to go with it. They even usually come with their own cute little charger.
Cartridges are the round glass tubes with a 510 screw on the end that you twist into your battery to heat and inhale, and luster pods are the "pod-shaped" version of carts. Reviews indicate that the experience with a pod is more powerful and the batteries for pods create a more concentrated terpene vapor.
The thing about luster pods and cartridges is that the Ohio Board of Pharmacy requires that each brand make its own battery to go with its products. This means that when you buy a specific brand of cartridge or pod, you need to buy the battery that goes with it.
They aren't very expensive, but don't forget to make sure you have what you need in order to consume your product when you get home (yes, this author has purchased cartridges only to get home and realize she had the wrong battery).
Consuming medical marijuana oils out of a syringe is the most complicated and messy way of doing things. Oils are generally thicker than one would imagine and stickier than honey. However, you can simply dab a little onto the heating element of your oil-compatible battery, turn it on, and inhale the vapor.
Using cartridges is much easier, since all you have to do is screw them onto the battery, turn it on and inhale. Pods work similarly, in that you just need to plop them into place and they are ready to go.
Processors use the word "live" to indicate that the product they are referring to was made using fresh buds rather than dried or cured buds. Using fresh buds to make an extract leads to a higher number of cannabinoids, terpenes and other chemical compounds and botanical elements being preserved. It may also mean more THC-A is present, a non-psychoactive form of THC that has high-value healing benefits.
The main difference between resin and rosin is in the way they are extracted, and therefore their concentration. Rosin is simply extracted using heat and pressure, but resin is extracted using alcohol. Therefore, it is generally far more potent than rosin. It can also sometimes contain remnants of the extraction solvent, but Ohio medical marijuana products are stringently tested for purity. So you shouldn't have to worry about traces of ethanol in your resin.
-
The Botanist - MAC & Cheese (Sativa)
-
Butterfly Effect - Layer Cake (Indica)
-
Firelands Scientific - Chem OG (Hybrid)
Medical Marijuana Edibles
Edibles are a popular medical marijuana product that can lead to both fascination and intimidation. The thing about edibles is that they can sometimes get a bad wrap for leaving the patient feeling overwhelmed by their high, and thinking that it will never end.
However, once you master how to use your medical marijuana edibles, they may become your favorite new cannabis product. Edibles in Ohio dispensaries are taking on a diverse and sometimes sophisticated flavor, with gummies in seasonal assortments like pumpkin spice and apple cider, THC-infused honeys, syrups and beverages, and even chocolate-covered espresso beans available at dispensaries across the state.
Edibles are a popular medical marijuana product that can lead to both fascination and intimidation. The thing about edibles is that they can sometimes get a bad wrap for leaving the patient feeling overwhelmed by their high, and thinking that it will never end.
However, once you master how to use your medical marijuana edibles, they may become your favorite new cannabis product. Edibles in Ohio dispensaries are taking on a diverse and sometimes sophisticated flavor, with gummies in seasonal assortments like pumpkin spice and apple cider, THC-infused honeys, syrups and beverages, and even chocolate-covered espresso beans available at dispensaries across the state.
-
Wellspring Fields - Infused Peanut Butter (Hybrid)
-
Wana - Pomegranate, Blueberry, Acai 5:1 CBD:THC Gummies (Hybrid)
-
Kiva Confections - Dark Chocolate Coated Espresso Beans (Hybrid)
Medical Marijuana Extracts
Rick Simpson Oil (RSO) and Full Extract Cannabis Oil (FECO) are extracts meant to be ingested. They are both highly concentrated extracts from the cannabis plant, and they are potent treatments for people who have cancer and other conditions that cause severe symptoms.
Fun products like badder, crumble, budder and shatter have recently hit dispensary shelves, and these are simply cannabis or marijuana extracts meant to be inhaled, and they certainly keep things interesting. The way they are extracted or sometimes the solvent used determines the physical appearance and consistency of the products, and they are generally pretty concentrated.
Rick Simpson Oil (RSO) and Full Extract Cannabis Oil (FECO) are extracts meant to be ingested. They are both highly concentrated extracts from the cannabis plant, and they are potent treatments for people who have cancer and other conditions that cause severe symptoms.
Fun products like badder, crumble, budder and shatter have recently hit dispensary shelves, and these are simply cannabis or marijuana extracts meant to be inhaled, and they certainly keep things interesting. The way they are extracted or sometimes the solvent used determines the physical appearance and consistency of the products, and they are generally pretty concentrated.
-
Superflux - Garlic Butter Diamonds and Sauce (Indica)
-
Ancient Roots - Mimosa Live Rosin Oil (Sativa)
-
Wellspring Fields - Dirty Thirty Live Resin (Hybrid)
Medical Marijuana Tinctures
Medical marijuana tinctures are a favorite among cannabis doctors, because they are typically long-lasting, they don't have to be absorbed through the digestive tract (so they are easier on the stomach) or inhaled (so they are easy on the lungs), and they often come in formulas that put a focus on the healing properties of CBD as well, so they generally offer a milder experience.
Traditionally, tinctures have been made with alcohol. You can even make tinctures yourself at home by simply soaking quality buds in high-proof alcohol and straining the solids off. Then, voila! You have an alcohol-based tincture. The processors that make alcohol-based tinctures for Ohio dispensaries are making premium products that are precisely measured and dosed, but it's the same concept.
The main difference between an alcohol and an oil-based tincture is its water solubility. Alcohol-based tinctures will absorb faster (and some say more thoroughly) when taken sublingually, and you can easily mix them into your favorite beverages. They do burn a little when you take them, in comparison to the oil-based tinctures that generally feel more mellow in the mouth.
Medical marijuana tinctures are best when taken sublingually. This means you squeeze the measured dose out of the dropper underneath your tongue, and hold it there for about a minute before moving on or swallowing. When you do this, the active ingredients in the tincture absorb directly into your bloodstream and start taking effect within about 20 minutes or less.
You can also take tinctures by simply ingesting them—you can swallow them or add them to your food or beverages. Keep in mind that if you take them this way, it will create an effect similar to edibles because the product is reaching your bloodstream via your digestive tract.
The Botanist - Clarity 20:1 CBD:THC Tincture (Hybrid)
Medical Marijuana Topicals
In addition to both the vaporizable products and edible products, Ohio has also approved THC and CBD-infused patches, lotions, balms, creams, and ointments for topical administration. Topical treatments are often used to ease specific areas of the body. Cancer patients, for example, can use topical creams on their hands or feet to reduce the tingling sensation derived from chemotherapy treatments.
Topicals are simple and straightforward to use. Make sure the area where you intend to apply the treatment is clean, and then simply rub the topical in or apply the patch. Once you've tried a cannabis infused topical, you may decide this is the only pain-relief treatment you ever need again!
These delivery methods are absorbed through the skin, allowing patients to apply THC or CBD products directly to an affected area. Patients usually begin to feel relief with topicals within roughly an hour of application.
-
Standard Wellness - Manna Patches
-
Firelands Scientific - 1:1 Warming Salve
-
Beneleaves - Lavender Lotion
In order to legally enjoy any type of marijuana product in Ohio, you need a medical marijuana card. Getting one is like getting a magic ticket into a whole new world of natural relief, full of a variety of products to help just about any symptom and fit just about any lifestyle.
With all of these different medical marijuana forms available for medical cannabis patients in Ohio, there should be no trouble finding the most effective product and delivery method for you. Be sure to call Ohio Marijuana Card toll free at 1-866-457-5559, and our staff will walk you through the various delivery methods if you're unsure which one is right for you.
Schedule a medical marijuana evaluation online today, and one of our certified marijuana doctors can help you find the products and the treatment plan that you've been waiting for!