Have you heard about Maryland or Delaware medical marijuana concentrates, but you are unsure what they are or how they may help you? As Maryland and Delaware’s leading medical cannabis certification provider, we at Green Relief Health are here to guide you through the entire medical cannabis process. This includes providing information about all the different types of cannabis products that are available to you. So, let us walk you through what a medical marijuana concentrate is and what Maryland and Delaware’s medical cannabis laws allow.
Medical Marijuana Types
Medical marijuana is available in many different forms including flower, oils, edibles, capsules, concentrates, and more. The most well-known form of medical marijuana is the flower form. Flower is a general term that refers to the smokable parts of the medical cannabis plant.
Loose Flower
Loose flower is perhaps the most well-known form of marijuana. Medical marijuana flower can be smoked in several different ways. The loose flower method typically requires the patient to either grind or break the flower in some way before placing it into a pipe, bowl, or some other smoking device.
Pre-rolls
The other form of non-combusted flower available for purchase comes in cylindrical or cone like marijuana cigarettes known as joints, pre-rolls or blunts. With these products, producers gather ground cannabis and roll it into pre-rolls to offer patients a high-quality combusting experience with the utmost convenience — the grinding, rolling, packing, and wrapping have been expertly done for you. The quality of pre-rolls can vary, but as cannabis competition widens, less and less will be stuffed with low-quality medical cannabis, stems, and leaves. But as with any product, the scale of quality ranges widely.
Maryland And Delaware Medical Marijuana Concentrate Types
Now that we have looked at perhaps the most well-known form of medical cannabis to give us a basic understanding of some ways to consume the products it is time to examine what a concentrate is.
What is the difference between marijuana oils, concentrates, extracts, and more? In one sense, not much. While each clearly has differences in the way you consume them, how they look, or taste the basic idea behind each is the same. They all are products derived from medical marijuana and that offer more cannabinoids per unit compared to the plant in its natural state. This is in a nutshell where the term concentrate comes from. It is simply because those forms of medical cannabis are more concentrated with things such as THC than medical cannabis flower is.
Differences In Maryland And Delaware Medical Marijuana Concentrates
While in principal the idea behind Maryland and Delaware medical marijuana concentrates is the same, there are differences among the various product types. Extracts, such as the type used in an oil form, use an extraction method to remove the THC from the plant. Typically, this is done with either a CO2, butane or ethanol extraction method that separates the THC from the rest of the plant. The different types of extraction methods can affect how much of the cannabinoids are taken from the plant and how pure the final product is.
Here is where it gets confusing again, extracts are a form of concentrates, and oils are a form of extracts. To make it clearer, here are a few examples:
- Kief is a concentrate, but not an extract or oil.
- A tincture is an extract and a concentrate.
- Edibles are not a concentrate, extract, or oil, but may use one or multiple concentrates during manufacturing.
How Much Concentrate Can I Buy In Maryland Or Delaware?
The standard amount certification issued in Maryland by a medical cannabis provider for a patient identifies the quantity of THC that the patient can purchase in each 30-day period. The typical amount of Maryland medical marijuana concentrates a patient can buy is 36 grams over a 30-day period.
You may ask if you can buy THC concentrates and buy flower? Yes, you can buy flower in addition to medical marijuana concentrates. The typical amount of flower a person can buy during a 30-day period in Maryland is 120 grams. However, with flower or medical marijuana concentrates a medical cannabis doctor can certify you to receive more than this amount if it is needed.
In Delaware concentrates are treated the same as dried marijuana flower. These means that the same rules of patients having up to 6 ounces every 30 days will apply whether it is a concentrate or flower. It is important to note that patients are limited to purchasing 3 ounces every 14 days.
What Happens If You Buy Flower And Concentrates?
There are two limits identified on a certification in Maryland – one for dried flower and one for THC in processed products. These limits are a combined limit, not two individual limits. That is, a patient may purchase the limit of dried flower OR the limit of THC in processed products in a 30-day period, not both.
If a patient purchases both dried flower and processed product within a 30-day period, the total amount of dried flower and THC available to purchase is reduced by the percentage of product already purchased.
For example, if a patient has purchased 50% of his or her limit of dried flower and 15% of his or her limit of THC, then he or she has purchased 65% of his or her limit (50 + 15 = 65). Therefore, the patient can purchase 35% of either the dried flower limit, or the THC limit.
In Delaware, this distinction does not apply and patients aren’t allotted different limits whether its a concentrate or dried flower.
Why Do You Need Maryland Or Delaware Medical Marijuana Concentrates?
There are several reasons why concentrates exist and not all because someone needs a stronger concentration of THC. One reason why a patient may utilize concentrates is because they can not use smokable products for either health or preference reasons.
Concentrates also allow THC to be processed in different ways in the body which has been shown to have benefits. The tincture or oil form, for instance, allows the cannabinoids in the medical cannabis to have direct access to the bloodstream. Studies have found that the sublingual application of marijuana concentrates like in a THC oil increases bio-availability and the drugs response.
Drawbacks
Medical marijuana concentrates are not for everyone for various reasons. Some patients still prefer the traditional way of consuming cannabis in a smokable form. And while consumption preference is one reason some may not like concentrates there can be others.
It is much easier to reach an uncomfortable dose of THC with concentrates than with traditional marijuana flower. This can lead to some unwanted side effects, including dizziness, memory problems, and anxiety. Concentrates also tend to cost more on average and may require intricate and costly setups to use depending on the type.
Takeaways
The many different forms and applications of Maryland and Delaware medical marijuana concentrates can help make medical marijuana more convenient, discreet, and effective. However, since these methods are newer, they can also be confusing to many patients. It is important to remember that there are a few drawbacks which, depending on both the form and user, can have dangerous side effects and should be used carefully. Therefore, it is always important to consult with a certifying cannabis provider when using medical marijuana.
