10/11/2019 Cannabis For Dummies Cheat Sheet

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Cheat Sheet

Cannabis For Dummies Cheat Sheet

From Cannabis For Dummies
By Kim Casey

Cannabis is a broad topic that covers buying cannabis (marijuana), using it (medicinally for
cancer or glaucoma or other diseases and recreationally), complying with various laws, growing
it, working in the industry, starting a cannabis business, and even investing in cannabis. This
Cheat Sheet touches on only a few key topics.

The 3 Primary Cannabis Strains

Whether you’re buying, consuming, or growing cannabis, you need to know the di erences
among the three primary strains from which all well-known hybrid strains (such as Pineapple
Express and OG Kush) are grown.

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©Lifestyle discover/Shutterstock

Strain Structure Characteristics Best for

Indica Short, bushy Higher in CBD Nighttime use

Condensed root Lower in THC Relaxation
system
Photoperiod1 Appetite stimulation
Sturdy stalks
Sleep aid
Wide leaves
Anxiety relief
Dense, heavy
buds Relief from pain and
in ammation

Nausea suppressant

Sativa Tall Higher in THC Daytime use

Long, slender Lower in CBD Euphoria
branches
Photoperiod Stimulation
Expansive root
system Increased energy

Increased focus
Long, narrow
leaves Anti-depressant

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Ruderalis Small High CBD Cross-breeding with

Scraggly Low THC indicas and sativas to
create auto- owering
Hardy Auto- owering hybrids

Fewer branches

1 Requires a shift in duration of light/dark to ower.

How to Di erentiate Among Key Cannabinoids

Cannabis contains a variety of chemical compounds called cannabinoids that act on receptors
in the body’s endocannabinoid system to produce di erent e ects. They also work
synergistically with one another and with other chemical compounds to enhance the overall
experience—a phenomenon known as the “entourage e ect.” Here, we compare the best-
known cannabinoids.

Cannabinoid Psychoactive Commonly Used for

Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) Strong Energy

Focus

Euphoria

Sleep

Cannabidiol (CBD) No Pain relief

Anxiety relief

Seizure prevention

In ammation relief

Relaxation

Sleep

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Cannabigerol (CBG) No Pain relief

Muscle relaxant

Anti-erythemic (reduces redness

in skin)

Anti-depressant

Anti-proliferative (may slow the

spread of cancer cells)

Anti-psoriatic

Antibacterial

Anti-fungal

Cannabinol (CBN) Mild Pain relief

In ammation relief

Sleep aid

Bone support

Nausea relief

Appetite stimulation

Antibacterial

9-tetrahydrocannabinol acid No Appetite stimulation

(THCa) Relief for nausea/vomiting

In ammation relief

Inhibition of prostate growth

Slow the progression of certain

neurological diseases, such as
Parkinson’s

Tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCv ) Mild Appetite suppression

Bone support

Diabetes management

Alzheimer’s relief

PTSD relief of panic attacks

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What Are Terpenes and the Cannabis Entourage E ect?

Terpenes are aromatic chemical compounds in plants that give them their unique aroma and
avor. They may also work synergistically with cannabinoids and other terpenes to enhance the
overall e ect of the cannabis — a phenomenon commonly referred to as the “entourage e ect.”

Terpene Aroma/ avor E ects

Carene Woody (cedar, pine) Dries excess bodily uid, including tears
and saliva, may cause dry mouth and eye
sensations

D-Limonene Citrus Aids in the absorption of other terpenes

through skin and mucous membranes,
anti-anxiety, immunosuppressant,
antidepressant, antibacterial,
gastroprotective, kills breast cancer cells

Geraniol Floral (rose) Mosquito repellant, protective against

neuropathy

Humulene Earthy, hoppy Analgesic, anti-in ammatory, anti-

bacterial, anti-proliferative, anorectic
(appetite suppressant)

Linalool Floral and sweet citrus Anti-anxiety, sedative, local anesthetic,

often found in lavender analgesic, anti-convulsive

Myrcene Earthy, hoppy with Sedative, analgesic, antibiotic, muscle

tropical fruit relaxant

Terpineol Floral (lilac) Relaxation

Terpinolene Floral with a smoky Highly sedative, anti-microbial, anti-

woodiness proliferative

α-Pinene Pine Anti-in ammatory, bronchodilation, anti-

microbial, focus and memory
enhancement

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β-Caryophyllene Pepper, clove, spice Anti-in ammatory, analgesic, anti-

anxiety, antidepressant, antioxidant, anti-
microbial, gastroprotective

10 Tips for Growing More and Better Weed

When you’re growing your own cannabis (marijuana), the two goals are more and better. Here
are ten tips to get you there.

Start with feminized seeds. You won’t get buds from a male plant (sorry guys). Buy
feminized seeds at your local dispensary or grow outlet.

Use quality soil. Soil must absorb moisture but also drain well. If in doubt, buy a pre-
mix soil from a local nursery. A soil made for tomatoes works well for cannabis too.

Upsize your container. If the container’s too small, it stunts the plant’s growth.

Use the right nutrients at the right times. During the vegetative stage, use a
fertilizer with high nitrogen, medium phosphorous, and high potassium. In the ower
stage, switch to a fertilizer with low nitrogen, medium to high phosphorous, and high
potassium.

Increase light intensity. Generally speaking, the more intense the light, the bigger
and more productive the plant. Just be sure not to burn the plants and, if you’re
growing photoperiod plants, that you switch to a 12-hour on, 12-hour o light cycle
when you’re plants are ready to enter the owering stage.

Increase CO2: When growing indoors, if you increase the light intensity, add CO2, so
the plants can take full advantage of the increased light intensity. The CO2
concentration should be between 700 and 900 parts per million (ppm) during the
vegetative stage and between 1,200 and 1,500 ppm during the owering stage.

Prune your plants. Remove low branches that aren’t receiving light, dead or
yellowing leaves, branches that are growing up through the center of the plant, and,

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during the owering stage, any fan leaves that are sitting on other leaves or
preventing light from reaching other parts of the plant.

Train your plants. You can use various techniques to make your plant grow more
horizontally, thus exposing a greater area of the plant to light and increasing ower
production. Techniques include trellising, low-stress training (LST), and scrogging.

Flush the grow medium. Up to two weeks prior to harvest, ush the grow medium
with pure reverse osmosis (RO) or distilled water to dissolve and remove accumulated
salts that can negatively a ect the way the plant burns and tastes.

Harvest at peak potency. When about a third of the trichomes turn amber and
most are cloudy white, your plant is ready to harvest. Trichomes form the sticky crystal
substance that covers the bud; they contain most of the cannabinoids and terpenes in
the plant.

8 Reasons to Think Twice about Starting a Cannabis Business

People who are passionate about cannabis often dream of starting their own cannabis
business. A huge percentage of those businesses fail, and not necessarily due to a lack of e ort
or expertise. Here are ten reasons why you may want to think twice about starting a cannabis
business:

Federal taxes: Due to federal 280E legislation that disallows traditional income tax
deductions for cannabis businesses, your business income will be taxed at an e ective
rate of 75–95 percent.

State and local taxes: While most state and local taxes are passed along to the
consumer, these taxes raise the prices of products for consumers, which can
negatively impact your sales.

License fees: A license to open a cannabis business is likely to cost more than
$60,000! In addition, you’ll probably need the help of a high-priced consultant or
lawyer to guide you through the application process.

Compliance costs hassles: The rules and regulations governing cannabis

businesses are costly and complex, and you’d better follow them to the letter or you
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stand to lose that license you paid over $60K for!

Competition: Competition in the industry is sti , including competition from black

market sellers who may be able to undercut you on price because they don’t pay
taxes.

Criminals: The combination of cash and drugs is attractive to criminals, who are
willing to snatch both. Your business will be a prime target.

Inaccessible banking: Most banks are prohibited or reluctant to serve cannabis

businesses, meaning all transactions must be in cash. You even have to pay your
employees and your taxes in cash.

Limited access to bank loans: You can’t get a loan from a federally insured bank,
because they’re prohibited by law from pro ting from cannabis.

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