This guide explains how to use medical cannabis products, one format at a time. It starts with the compounds that matter most, THC, CBD and terpenes, then walks through capsules and edibles, flower, vape carts, concentrates, RSO, tinctures and topicals. It's written for Michigan medical patients and for anyone new to shopping at a dispensary.
How to use medical cannabis products: read this first
This is general education, not medical advice. Whether cannabis belongs in your care, which form suits you and how much to take are decisions for your certifying physician or another clinician who knows your history.
Talk with a clinician before you start if you're pregnant or breastfeeding, take other medications, or have a heart or mental health condition. Using cannabis during pregnancy or while breastfeeding may harm the baby, and cannabis can interact with other drugs.
Our budtenders can explain how products work, read labels with you and compare formats. They aren't medical professionals, though, and they can't advise you about a health condition. If you still need a card, start with our Michigan medical card guide. For a deeper reference on cannabinoids and product types, see the High Society patient guide.
THC, CBD and terpenes in plain words
THC
THC is the cannabinoid behind the intoxicating side of cannabis. It can temporarily alter your mood, thoughts and perceptions, which is the high people describe. In raw flower, most of it exists as THCA, an acid form that turns into THC when it's heated by smoking, vaping or baking.
How THC feels depends on the amount, the product and the person. Some people feel relaxed or upbeat. Others feel anxious or uneasy, which is more likely after a large amount or a strong product. That's why starting low matters: Canadian public health guidance suggests a first edible hold no more than 2.5 mg of THC. Our THC dosage guide explains how to find your amount.
CBD
CBD is not intoxicating like THC. People use it on its own or in products that pair it with THC. It can cause side effects of its own, including drowsiness, decreased appetite, vomiting and diarrhea.
Where you buy CBD matters. Testing has found CBD products with different amounts than their labels show, and some sold as CBD have contained THC. CBD products on a licensed Michigan dispensary's shelf have passed state-required testing, and the label lists the THC and CBD content. Our guide to cannabinoids compares CBD with THC and the minor compounds.
Terpenes
Terpenes are the aroma compounds behind a strain's scent, and many other plants make them too. Myrcene has an earthy note also found in hops, limonene smells of citrus peel, beta-caryophyllene is peppery, linalool is floral like lavender, and pinene smells like a pine forest.
You'll hear claims that certain terpenes relax or energize you. Research on that is still early, so think of a terpene profile as a guide to aroma and flavor first. Our terpene guide goes deeper.
Capsules and edibles
Swallowed cannabis takes the long way through your body. Your gut absorbs it, and your liver turns some of the THC into a stronger form, 11-hydroxy-THC, before it reaches your brain, so the effects arrive slowly and stay a long time. Canadian public health guidance puts the wait at up to 2 hours before you feel an edible and up to 4 hours before it reaches full effect. The effects can last 4 to 12 hours, and some can linger for up to 24.
Capsules hold a measured amount of cannabis oil in a pill. They're tasteless and consistent, which makes them easy to track. Michigan caps adult-use capsules at 10 mg of THC per dose, while products made for registered patients can contain up to 100 mg per dose.
Edibles include gummies, chocolates, baked goods and drinks. Adult-use edibles in Michigan can contain no more than 10 mg of THC per serving and 200 mg per package. Edibles made for registered patients can hold up to 50 mg per serving, so read the serving size before you eat.
A few habits help with both:
- If you're new, start at 2.5 mg of THC or below.
- Wait at least 2 hours before deciding whether to take more, and remember full effects can take up to 4.
- Avoid mixing cannabis with alcohol or other substances.
- Keep products in their packaging and stored where children and pets can't reach them. Edibles can look like ordinary food.
Flower and other ways to inhale
When you inhale cannabis, THC passes from your lungs into your blood, and you'll usually feel it within minutes. That makes it easier to pace than an edible: you can stop after a puff or two and see how you feel.
- Pre-rolls are ready-made joints. Some are infused with concentrate or rolled in kief, which makes them much stronger, so check the label.
- Pipes are small, simple and easy to clean. You pack a pinch of ground flower into the bowl and light it.
- Water pipes, often called bongs, pass smoke through water to cool it. Hits can be large, so go slowly.
- Rolling papers let you roll a joint at whatever size suits you.
- Dry-herb vaporizers heat flower without burning it, so you inhale vapor instead of smoke.
Smoking any product, including cannabis, can damage your lungs and heart, according to the CDC. If your lungs are sensitive, ask your clinician about non-inhaled options. And never drive after using cannabis: driving under the influence is against the law in Michigan.
Vape cartridges: 510 threads, fill levels and how long a cart lasts
A vape cartridge, or cart, is a small tank of cannabis oil with a mouthpiece on one end and a heating coil inside. You attach it to a battery and draw.
What is a 510 cartridge? The number names the most common screw thread for carts and batteries. If both pieces are 510-thread, they usually fit together across brands. Many batteries let you pick a lower voltage, and lab tests have found fewer harmful byproducts at lower settings.
Fill levels. Carts are sold by weight, often half a gram or a full gram, and the label shows the net weight. Go by that number rather than by how full the tank looks.
How long a cart lasts. It depends on the cart's size and on how often and how long you draw. A half-gram cart holds half as much oil as a full gram, and short draws of two or three seconds go further than long pulls. Store carts upright and away from heat.
Buy carts only from a licensed retailer, where every product's label names the lab that tested it.
Concentrates and the devices that use them
Concentrates gather the plant's cannabinoids and terpenes into a small, potent form, from glassy shatter to whipped badder and pressed rosin. People use them in a dab rig or electronic rig, in a dab pen, or sprinkled on flower in a bowl.
Because they're so strong, concentrates are rarely a starting point for new patients. Dabbing can deliver a large amount of THC very quickly, which raises the risk of unwanted effects. If you've built some tolerance and want to try them, start with the smallest portion you can.
RSO: swallowed, under the tongue and on the skin
RSO, short for Rick Simpson Oil, is a thick, dark, whole-plant cannabis oil named for the medical cannabis activist who created it. It's usually high in THC and often comes in a small oral syringe. Our RSO guide covers its history and how to read its label.
- Swallowed. RSO is often swallowed, on its own or mixed into food, and it acts like an edible: slow to start and long-lasting. It's so concentrated that even a tiny drop can hold far more than the 2.5 mg of THC suggested for a first edible, so check the label's THC content and ask your clinician how to measure a dose.
- Under the tongue. Some people hold a small amount under the tongue for a minute before swallowing. Timing varies, because some of the oil is still swallowed.
- On the skin. Some people apply RSO to the skin. Research on that use is limited, and RSO isn't the same as a topical made for skin.
You'll find big claims about RSO online. Strong human evidence for them is lacking, so talk with your clinician before relying on it for anything.
Tinctures and topicals
Tinctures are cannabis extracts in an alcohol or oil base, sold in dropper bottles. The label lists the THC and CBD content, and the dropper's markings help you measure small amounts. Many people hold a dose under the tongue briefly, then swallow. Whatever is swallowed behaves like an edible, so wait before taking more.
Topicals are lotions, balms and salves you rub into the skin. They're meant to act where they're applied rather than throughout the body. Transdermal patches are different: they're designed to carry cannabinoids through the skin into the bloodstream, so read their labels as you would an edible's.
Tinctures and topicals appear on some High Society store menus. Selection varies, so check your store before you visit.
Shopping as a patient at High Society
Medical patients 18 and older with a valid medical marijuana card are welcome at High Society. Bring your registry card and a valid photo ID, as Michigan requires at the time of purchase. Without a card, shopping is for adults 21 and older.
Order ahead online for in-store or curbside pickup, or browse in person with a budtender who can explain formats, labels and serving sizes. Members of The Society, our free loyalty program, earn points on qualifying purchases. Please consume responsibly, and store every product where children and pets can't get to it.
