The New Year is your opportunity to reset and renew, and cannabis is here to help.

As the clock strikes midnight on December 31st, people around the world celebrate the New Year and make resolutions with the best of intentions. From dropping weight to hitting the gym, lofty travel plans, to personal wellness goals, we start the New Year with only positive outcomes in mind—unfortunately, as the days progress, most of us run into roadblocks. Cannabis can help.

While people become more comfortable with mainstream cannabis and a new population of consumers discovers the variety of strains and their impressive range of effects, we continue to chip away at the couch-locked stoner stereotype.

We want to pause and make something clear: we mean no disrespect to consumers interested in the classic, couch-lock experience. There’s a wide range of consumers and an equally broad range of cannabis effects—we don’t discriminate.

Let’s get back to our resolutions.

Cannabis has proven benefits to those touched by a slew of issues, from tension and general pain relief, to more severe afflictions. Surprising to some, however, cannabis can provide motivation to keep you on track to hit your New Year’s goals.

Tackle your to-do list with a Sativa-dominant hybrid.

If you’re missing the energy or motivation to tackle a list of resolutions, a Sativa-dominant hybrid will be your best friend. Sativas elevate your mood, but in the case of a hybrid strain, a touch of Indica helps to keep you grounded and focused. That said, the impact of a strain depends on your body chemistry, and the strain’s unique terpene profile (click here to learn more about terpenes and how you can use them to predict your high). If you’re new to cannabis, as the phrase goes, start low and go slow. Test with low doses and experiment with various strains to find the right products to help you tackle your list.

Lightshade recommends:

Enliven Strains for an energizing experience: Durban Poison and Sour Joker

Inspire Strains if you prefer a more mellow effect: Lavender Jones and Pineapple Express

Elevate your workouts and stay on track this year.

Microdosing cannabis before a workout is a great way to prepare mentally for an intense sweat session (we published a blog about it last year). The awareness of your body grows, and each movement becomes a focused, moving meditation. Cannabis and yoga go hand-in-hand, and, yoga, as well as being an intense total body workout, is an excellent way to focus your mind and to cultivate a positive mental attitude. Set achievable goals, start slowly, and don’t hit the gym or studio with so much enthusiasm that you burn out instantly.

Pro tip: if you pull a muscle in the gym or yoga studio, cannabis can help with that too (be sure to visit your healthcare provider for anything more than a minor injury).

Lightshade recommends:

Enliven strains to elevate and energize  your workout: The White, Green Crack and Red Headed Stranger

Calm Strains for post-workout relief: Star Dawg, Mother’s Milk and Dalae OG

Make travel plans and unleash your creativity with a strain from our Inspire category.

While we never recommend traveling with cannabis (it’s illegal), we always encourage consuming to inspire creativity and to dream up lofty travel plans. Pull out the map, pin it to a wall, consume a strain from our Inspire category, and start throwing darts. Pick a dream destination and sit down to map out a strategy. No goal is too lofty when you strategize and build a roadmap. We recommend that you solidify your travel goal(s) and work backward, step-by-step, making notes at each juncture to bring your target to life.

We are biased, but in our opinion, cannabis is the ultimate catalyst for inspiration and creativity. With the right strain, you’ll find the focus and motivation to bring your lofty travel goals and creative resolutions to life.

Lightshade recommends:

Inspire Strains: White 99, Orange Herijuana and Sour Diesel

Optional: try a Rest strain to clear your mind and daydream about your next adventure: Bubba Fett

There is quite literally, a world full of resolutions, and, while most people will find themselves losing sight of their goals as the year moves forward, there are steps you can take each day to achieve and exceed your objectives in 2019. Cannabis can be your ally in this endeavor—your secret weapon.

A Look Back at 2018 With Lightshade’s Top 5 Blogs Of The Year

Prepare for the New Year with a look back at five of your favorite blogs from 2018.

The New Year is just around the corner, but we’re not quite ready to say goodbye to 2018. The last 12 months have been a whirlwind for the Lightshade family. We’ve won awards, including Best Dispensary For A Native, our staff continued to support a few of Colorado’s amazing charities, we saw our newest dispensary bring medical marijuana to Federal Heights and even helped put on a party at Red Rocks last winter.

Through the year, Lightshade continued to spread awareness around cannabis, educating our blog readers about various cannabis-related topics. It’s with this in mind we thought it would be fun to look back on some of our favorite entries. Here are our top five blogs of 2018!

1. Women In Cannabis

2018 saw a powerful surge in the push for gender equality and women’s rights. From the #MeToo movement to the millions across the country who participated in the Women’s March at the start of the year, women everywhere stood up for fairness. This blog entry from last March, National Women’s History Month, highlighted some of the achievements of the cannabis industry’s most notable and distinguished women, including Lightshade’s very own Shannon Brooks.

2. Cannabis: The Secret To Enhanced Athletic Performance and Recovery

Here’s one for those of you with fitness goals on your New Year’s resolution list. In this blog from April, we explored ways that cannabis is changing how people workout, train and recover while staying in shape or preparing for a competition. If you’re looking to take home the gold in 2019, check out this blog and see why cannabis and fitness go hand-in-hand.

3. Cannabis Vape Pens and Cartridges: Two Of Our Favorite Things

Since legalization in Colorado, vaping has become a preferred cannabis consumption method for many consumers, and 2018 saw this category of products grow even more. Maybe it’s the convenience of vape pens people enjoy, perhaps it’s the variety of unique CBD and THC cartridges available, whichever your reason, cannabis enthusiasts have proven this trend isn’t going anywhere. In this blog published last October, we got our staff involved and asked them to tell us about their favorite cannabis vape products.

4. Only The Good Stuff: The Wide World Of Cannabis Concentrates

This past July Lightshade celebrated Concentrates Month, and as part of the celebration, we published a blog explaining all things cannabis concentrates. In this entry, you can find out everything you need to know about the many different types of cannabis concentrates available at Lightshade. Wax, shatter, budder, resin and more. No matter what form you’re curious about, this blog has the answers.

5. CBD Explained

Sure, this is our most recent blog entry, but it covers one of our favorite topics so we had to include it! Last week we published a blog covering one of the most significant U.S. consumer trends of 2018; Cannabidiols, aka CBD. Even if you’re unfamiliar with this cannabis product category, chances are you’ve at least heard the term CBD. CBD has been popping up in products nationwide, but still, many Americans don’t know what CBD is or does. Here we address just that and more, including how marijuana-derived and hemp-derived CBD differ and what to expect when you consume CBD.

We are looking forward to 2019!

2018 was a big year for cannabis and Lightshade alike. We want to thank all of our AWESOME customers and friends for continuing to feel the Lightshade love, as well as our brilliant staff for making this past year a success. However, we’re all about the future—bring on 2019. We will see you next year!

An Exploration of This Years Hottest Cannabis Trend, Cannabidiol (CBD)

CBD is exploding nationwide, but mystery and misinformation are preventing consumers from realizing its benefits.

This year, cannabidiol products, more widely known as CBD, have taken the country by storm. Despite, or more accurately because of, the attention these products are receiving, a growing number of consumers are unsure of what CBD is (and does), and how it differs from the more commonly understood cannabinoid, THC.

As CBD becomes more widely known among a population of consumers, most of which are new to cannabis, it is essential to take a close look at this emerging category of products and lift the veil of mystery to eliminate confusion and misinformation.

Let’s dive in.

CBD: A Basic Definition

Let’s begin with the basics. What is CBD?

Cannabis is packed with hundreds of chemical compounds known as cannabinoids. These cannabinoids are responsible for the range of effects commonly associated with the plant. CBD is one of these compounds.

Most consumers, until recently, have been familiar only with THC, the chemical compound responsible for our favorite plant’s psychoactive effects. Our bodies absorb cannabinoids via the endocannabinoid system (ECS). The ECS is a group of receptors found within the brain and central nervous system that make it possible for us to realize its effects (psychoactive or otherwise).  

Other cannabis compounds include CBN, CBG, and THCV, to name a few. Each compound owns a unique set of properties and interacts with the ECS to produce a broad range of effects.

CBD alone, is not psychoactive, meaning it won’t get you high. This fact is the primary point of difference between CBD and THC. This is not to say CBD has no effect on the body, to the contrary, CBD has a range of effects that while different from those offered by THC, are equally impressive (we will get to those later).

Marijuana CBD vs. Hemp CBD

There are two primary types of CBD; marijuana-derived and hemp-derived. To understand the difference between the two, we need to first understand the difference between marijuana and hemp. Both are varieties of the cannabis plant, however; they have very different attributes, both chemically and visually.

Looking at the two plants side by side, you’ll see the hemp plant has thin leaves with tall, slender stalks. Marijuana, on the other hand, has broader leaves with a shorter stalk and large buds. The most significant difference between hemp and marijuana, however, isn’t in appearance, but in the make-up of their cannabinoids. Marijuana typically has very high levels of THC and lower percentages of CBD, while hemp, as you may have guessed, contains high levels of CBD and low levels of THC.

When looking at the difference between marijuana-derived CBD and hemp-derived CBD, it all has to do with the percentages of each cannabinoid the plants produce. While each plant will have percentage of both THC and CBD, hemp plants will have an extremely low percentage of THC, which is why hemp-derived CBD is legal in most of the U.S. and marijuana-derived CBD products still remain legal only in medical and recreational states, such as Colorado and California.

If it doesn’t get you high, what does it do?

CBD on its own may not produce any psychoactive effects, but it makes up for that with many other qualities. CBD has a therapeutic effect on the body and has been shown to help with nausea, inflammation, stress, pain and anxiety relief. Many consumers actually prefer CBD to THC for this reason. They can get many of the benefits of cannabis without having to have the head-high that comes along with THC so they can consume throughout the day while remaining alert and focused on their routines.

Further research is needed on CBD, but there have been many studies that suggest CBD can be helpful in the treatment of illnesses such as cancer and epilepsy.

Why get CBD products at a dispensary?

If CBD is legal in nearly every state (be sure to check your local laws), why bother going to a dispensary to purchase CBD products when you can just order them online? There are multiple reasons why a dispensary is the way to go.

First and foremost, you have the option of buying cannabis-derived CBD products. As we mentioned before, cannabis-derived CBD products also contain different levels of THC in addition to CBD, and here is where things get really interesting.

By many accounts, THC and CBD work best when they are utilized together. What is known as the “entourage effect” in the industry, this concept suggests that cannabinoids work better together, with THC and CBD enhancing one another’s characteristics and benefits while downplaying adverse side effects of the other, such as CBD reducing paranoia symptoms that could be brought on by THC, for some people. This is something you just won’t be able to get from CBD-only products sold online.

The confusion around CBD has grown as more products find their way to market, sold online (as we’ve mentioned above), and at local farmers markets and boutiques. CBD purchased outside of a dispensary has been known to include chemicals which could be harmful when consumed. Additionally, in countries like China, where a large percentage of the world’s CBD-only products are produced, dubious testing practices and vague regulations increase the chances that your purchasing products with unhealthy additives. You can rest assured that products purchased at a licensed Colorado dispensary, have been through rigorous testing for chemicals, microbes, and other potentially harmful additives.

Dispensaries offer a wide range of products, with varying ratios of THC to CBD. Whether you want a 10 to 1 ratio of ‘CBD-heavy’ gummies, an even ratio of 1 to 1 THC/CBD bath soak, or a 20 to 1 CBD/THC tincture, these are all options you’re only going to find in a dispensary.

At Lightshade, we carry a full offering of the highest quality CBD products available, from full CBD vape pens to THC/CBD edibles, we’ve got it all. Our knowledgeable budtenders are trained and ready to answer any questions you have about CBD or any and all things cannabis related. Stop by any of our eight Denver-metro locations and discover what the CBD movement is all about.

The Lightshade 30-Day Challenge, Continued

Elevate the season with our Autumn-focused recipes and ideas.

Last month, we challenged you to make a switch from alcohol to cannabis at least one evening a week, for 30 days. We’ve since received a flood of positive feedback from Lightshade customers, who have discovered for themselves, the transformative impact making this change can have.

From the miraculous to the mundane, customers have reached out to share inspiring stories and significant results—our budtenders have heard it all. Everything from people who have dropped an inch from their waistlines to one customer, new to cannabis, who realized an incredible personal transformation after only a handful of positive experiences, and has since made the decision to eliminate alcohol completely.

This month, as the temperatures drop and you begin to spend more time indoors, Lightshade encourages you to continue to challenge yourself and perhaps add an additional day (or more) each week where you swap the booze for the bud. To help support you in this endeavor, we’ve come up with a handful of ideas specific to this transitional time, as the heat of summer subsides, and we changeover to the season of cold.

It can be difficult to keep clear of the whiskey or wine on a cold Colorado evening. The recipes and ideas below will help you stay the course.

Transform your Broncos game-day experience.

When imagining game-day parties, most Coloradans see images of wings, dips, and beer—lots of beer. The thing is, when you’re surrounded by carb-heavy treats, inserting extra calories in the form of a beverage isn’t ideal. Adding the threat of a possible post-game-day hangover (made worse by a loss), is equally unappealing. This football season, try swapping out the brews for cannabis. Your guests might make jokes, they may seem shocked, and a few might call you crazy, but they’ll appreciate the restful sleep, dropped calories, and hangover-free morning, post game-day.

Everyone loves Mac N Cheese—try this enhanced recipe at your next game-day gathering.

Hunker down for a chill afternoon at home.

It’s getting cold—in comparison with our string of 90+ degree-days in September, some might say frigid. Throughout summer we advocated taking advantage of Colorado’s outdoor activities, but there’s nothing wrong with spending a guilt-free afternoon at home on a cold fall day. Self-care is a must in this fast-paced digital age, and sometimes a quiet afternoon, reading, listening to music, or revisiting your favorite movie is just the thing to recharge your batteries. Cold weather is the perfect excuse to stay inside.

Enjoy a dose of liquid sunshine on a cold Colorado afternoon.

Host a cannabis-themed dinner party and/or happy hour.

Fall is the season of small gatherings and reflection. There’s no better way to stay warm than by inviting a few of your closest friends over for a cannabis-themed happy hour and/or dinner party. Invite your friends to join early, whip-up a delicious cannabis-infused mocktail–or leave the cannabis out, place a few tinctures nearby, and have guests dose themselves. As an alternative, set out a plate of edibles for everyone to enjoy–remember, ‘start low and go slow’.

Take a short break from cannabis while you and your guests enjoy dinner, and instead of a cocktail or dessert after the meal, indulge in a post-dinner cannabis-infused chocolate. We recommend Bliss Cups from 1906, or Coda Signature’s ‘Coffee & Donuts’ 100mg THC chocolate bar (to be shared).  

Couples, after your guests leave for the evening, keep the fun going with High Love Beans from 1906 or wind down with Midnight, also from 1906.

Find Your Balance

Whatever the occasion, you can find the right product and strain to fit the moment for both you and your guests. Enliven, to find focus, euphoria, and energy. Calm, to elevate your mood or to relax. Inspire to boost your pre-dinner appetite, enhance creativity, or discover bliss. Rest, to relieve tension and to help your guests go home and enjoy uninterrupted sleep.  

We realize the transition from summer to fall can be rough. We also realize, for many people, making a switch from alcohol to cannabis can be equally challenging. The unnecessarily checkered past of our favorite plant, mischaracterized both pre and post-prohibition, only adds to the challenge new consumers face when integrating cannabis into their lives. Lightshade is here to guide your journey—visit us today and begin your transformation.  

Colorado has long been the destination of choice for savvy outdoor travelers, and legal cannabis has added an extra layer of attraction for visitors.

Is Cannabis Tourism a Game Changer for Denver and Colorado?

Mile High Numbers:

Colorado tourism is booming. Last year saw a record-breaking 86 million visitors to the Centennial State. The numbers are still out on 2018, but it will likely be another banner year for out-of-state visitors. And while the cannabis industry can’t claim all the glory for this influx in tourists, it has undoubtedly played a significant role, particularly in Denver.

For many cannabis tourists, Denver is seen as the epicenter of the weed industry revolution, and for a good reason. Of the 1,000+ medical and recreational dispensaries in Colorado, Denver dispensaries account for over half of these, making it one of the most ‘dispensary dense’ cities in the world. And our hometown is happy to welcome domestic and international visitors to enjoy the offerings. With these tourists adding close to $21 billion to our economy last year alone, it’s easy to see why. And there’s certainly no shortage of reasons to visit.

From East to West, Your Bases Are Covered:

Fall is on the horizon, but there is still time to squeeze in the last little bit of Summer vacation, and if you’re one of the many people planning on coming through Denver there are plenty of ways to soak up the last few drops of Summery goodness.

With Denver’s abundance of dispensary locations, you’ll be set from the moment you land at Denver International Airport. Just past our beloved “Blucifer” (do a quick Google search, you won’t be sorry) on your way into town, you’ll have plenty of Denver dispensary options to choose from to get your trip started off on the right foot. The I-70 corridor between downtown and the airport is packed with both medical and recreational dispensaries, including Lightshade’s Dayton location.

No matter what brings you to Colorado, be it our beautiful National Parks, the picturesque campgrounds, one of the many music and beer festivals, or maybe just to hang out and experience everything Denver has to offer, your cannabis needs will be covered. Even smaller mountain towns like Breckenridge, Crested Butte and Winter Park offer medical and recreational dispensaries. Tax revenues from marijuana sales drive both state and local education, public health, and other beneficial social programs. Additionally, cannabis fuels the local economy by providing jobs to a large percentage of industry professionals.

Elevate Your Vacation:

Maybe you’re looking to indulge in a more cannabis-forward experience on your trip to Colorado. Don’t stress, there are plenty of weed-friendly adventures available to Denver tourists and locals alike.

Summer is the season of Red Rocks in Denver. With near nightly concerts and events, there’s always something ready to drop at the most scenic venue in the country. The music hall of the gods is a 20-minute drive from downtown Denver, but there are stiff penalties for driving while high in Colorado (it’s simply not smart or safe). Not to worry though, just take your favorite rideshare to the show. Get the full Red Rocks experience without worrying how you’ll get back home. As a reminder, it is not legal to publicly consume cannabis so pre-game in the comfort of your home.

After the concert, you might need a little Zen in your life. A cannabis-inspired yoga class is just the thing. Denver based companies like Marijuasana and Twisted Sister offer private CBD and marijuana focused yoga classes and workshops to add a mellow “vacation-from-your-vacation” to your Colorado visit.

What’s a vacation without indulgence? Before heading back to DIA, make an appointment to pamper yourself at one of Denver’s CBD friendly spas. From cannabis-infused oil massages to facials with CBD-based skin products, many spas throughout Denver are taking a holistic approach to self-care and elevating spa-days to the next level.

This is just a small sampling of the cannabis-centric activities Colorado has to offer. From private multi-course weed dinners to creative art classes and everything in between. There’s something for every visitor to the Centennial State.

No matter what brings you to Colorado, we’re happy you’re here. Lightshade has four Denver-metro dispensaries ready to serve you. So if you’re just here for a quick layover, have a work meeting downtown or need a quick pit stop on the way to your mountain getaway, we have the goods to make your stay in Colorado one you’ll never forget. Stop by and see why the difference is night and day!

July was concentrate month here at Lightshade and in honor of it we’ve been exploring the often-misunderstood world of oils and concentrates, not to mention running some great specials as well. In our last blog, we took a deep dive into oil cartridges, but now let’s take a look at the other side of the cannabis extraction equation, concentrates.

Let’s Talk About Marijuana Concentrates

How It’s Made: Solvent-based and Solventless Extraction

Marijuana concentrates can come in many different forms. Ultimately, your end product will depend on the extraction method used to create your concentrate. It wasn’t long ago when there were not many options on the market for these products, but in recent years new developments in technology and advancements in extraction processes has made this genre one of the most varied and exciting forms of consumption.

The two most common types of extraction are solvent-based and solventless extraction. In layman’s terms, solvent-based involves using chemical and organic solvents to dissolve the trichomes of the marijuana plant to separate the plant material from the cannabinoids and terpenes, leaving you with highly concentrated product. Some of the most popular solvent-based methods include butane, propane, ethanol, and CO2. CO2 is particularly popular as it doesn’t require any addition of chemicals throughout the process, which typically results in the purest and safest products. However, it is also by far the most expensive and complex method, so only the most cutting-edge manufacturers are able to utilize CO2 extraction.

Solventless extraction methods do not utilize any chemical or organic solvents, except water, in the extraction process and are strictly mechanical in nature. Many consumers prefer solventless concentrates for this reason as there is no chance of intaking any undesired residual solvents, although this isn’t a huge concern if you’re purchasing concentrates from trusted and reliable manufacturers. Solventless extraction implements different combinations of applying water, heat, and pressure to achieve the final products, the specific methods of which depend on the concentrate you are looking to achieve. Common forms of solventless extracts include kief, hash, and rosin.

The Many Faces Of THC Concentrates

Some of the most popular concentrate products include wax, shatter, budder, live resin, sauce, and diamond. Each of these have their own unique characteristics and effects, allowing consumers to find the perfect product for their individual needs. It’s important to note that concentrates typically have extremely high THC concentrations (hence the name), sometimes achieving levels upwards of 99%. This makes them better suited for more experienced consumers and are not recommended for beginners, without instruction. Just like with any new form of cannabis consumption, start low and go slow, if you are new to a product or a consumption method.  

So let’s take a look at some of these forms and what makes them unique:

Wax

Wax is a solvent-based concentrate that is typically created through Butane extraction. Wax gets its name from its physical appearance, which is often compared to ear-wax. We know, not the most appetizing of images, but wax is an incredibly popular form of concentrate. Wax is fairly versatile as you can consume the product with a bong, vaporizer or dab rig. Wax is highly potent and can be felt almost immediately when consumed, so make sure to plan ahead when enjoying this product.

Shatter

Shatter is created in a very similar manner to wax, most often utilizing solvent-based Butane extraction. Shatter is considered one of the more visually appealing concentrates available with its honey-like, translucent coloring. When cooled, shatter has a glass-like consistency, giving it the ability to break apart, which is where it gets its namesake. Like it’s cousin wax, shatter can be consumed through dabs and vaporizers, or even placed in a joint hit for an extra intense hit. Dabbing shatter also produces very potent effects, so start off small and go from there, even if you’re a more experienced consumer.

Budder

Also a part of the wax/shatter family, budder is created through either CO2 or butane extraction. Consumers prefer budder mainly for its user-friendly consistency. Not quite a solid and not quite a liquid, budder is a creamy, pliable concentrate that can be scooped and dosed with great accuracy for a consistent and reliable consumption experience. This consistency is achieved by utilizing different temperatures and purging processes during extraction. Like shatter and wax, dabbing and vaporizers are the most common ways to consume budder.

Live Resin

Live resin also utilizes the same solvent-based extraction methods that wax, shatter, and budder use, but instead of extracting from dried or cured buds like these aforementioned concentrates, live resin uses cryogenically frozen plants. Freezing live plants preserves the oils, cannabinoids, and terpenes that are typically lost with other extraction methods. As a result, the aromas and flavors of live resins are much more noticeable and intense, which is the biggest reason live resin fans choose this product. Live resin is typically on the higher end of the price spectrum for concentrates as the extraction process is more expensive, however, many users consider the rich flavor profiles well worth the cost.

Terp Sauce

Like live resin, terp sauce is all about the flavor and effect spectrum. Terp sauces utilize THC distillates, which are essentially concentrates that are distilled further to achieve even higher concentration levels of THC. Distillates do not contain any odor, flavor, or strain-specific attributes as the distillation process removes every compound other than THC. Enter terp sauce. Terp sauce is created with terpenes that have been extracted from flower and reintroduced into distillates, allowing for highly customized flavor and effects that span the entire cannabis line up. Unfortunately, terp sauce tends to be similar to live resin in the higher cost category, due to the extra steps involved in its creation.

Diamond

Fairly new to the concentrate universe, many experienced consumers consider weed diamonds, or THCa diamonds, to be the holy grail of concentrates. These diamonds pack a punch and are the strongest form of concentrate available, often reaching between 99%-100% potency.  On it’s simplest level, these diamonds are made by extracting the non-psychoactive THCa compound from the cannabis plant, then isolating and concentrating it to create the “diamond” crystal. Because TCHa is not psychoactive in nature, combustion is required to turn the THCa into THC, most frequently by dabbing the crystals. THCa diamonds also contain no terpenes, which is the reason many manufactures choose to add terp sauce drizzles or coating to the diamonds. The result is a high flavored, super intense dabbing experience that is not for the inexperienced consumer, or the faint of heart.

At Lightshade, we carry the full range of concentrate options, so no matter what your preferred product is, we’ll have you covered. Our knowledgeable budtenders are well versed in all aspects of cannabis concentrates and are happy to guide you toward the right purchase. Stop by today to see why the Lightshade difference is night and day.

In honor of oil month at Lightshade (don’t forget to check out our awesome specials) we thought it would be great to explore one of the most popular forms of cannabis consumption: oil cartridge vape pens.

A Deeper Look Into Oil Cartridges

The use of oil cartridges is on the rise. While flower still remains the consumption method of choice for the majority of consumers, every year the market share of oil cartridges is increasing as oil extraction methods continue to create purer products and consumers look towards cartridges for their ease of use, discreetness, portability, and style.

What Are Oil Cartridges and What’s Inside Them?

Oil cartridges are essentially the “product” part of a vape pen. These pre-filled cartridges are filled with THC and/or CBD oils and distillates and then attached to the ‘pen’ which is actually a battery that powers the heating element. Cannabis-derived or food-derived terpenes can also be added, not only for flavor, but also because ‘terps’ can affect the type of experience vaping the product will provide. The vape pen, or battery, uses a hot coil system to heat the oil at low temperature to produce vapor, which is consumed by the user when inhaled. In modern pens, this is most commonly done simply by pulling through the mouthpiece to activate the coil, however, some pens are fitted with custom temperature settings and activation buttons.

The oil within the cartridge is where the main event takes place. There are many ways of extracting the active ingredients from marijuana plants, namely THC and cannabinoids, to convert them into an oil form. Oil cartridges utilize what is known as solvent-based extraction. Without going too much into the science behind extraction, which can be highly complex and even dangerous, essentially the solvent will dissolve the solid form of the plant, leaving a highly concentrated oil. Some of the most common solvent extraction methods include CO2, BHO (Butane), and EHO (ethanol) based processes. Since all the plant material has been removed, what you are left with is a compound that can be upwards of 90-100% THC, compared to the original flower that usually falls between 15%-25%.

Additives: The Good and the Bad

Depending on the type of extraction method used, some manufacturers choose to use ‘cutting’ agent additives in their oils. Controlling viscosity is essential in creating cannabis oil. If the oil extract is too thick, it will not be able to burn within the pen and turn into vapor. These agents are used to thin out oils to achieve proper viscosity for smoother burning. Some common cutting agents include coconut oil, vegetable glycerin, and polyethylene glycol. As advancements in extraction technology continue to make leaps and bounds, manufacturers and oil producers are beginning to steer further away from the use of such additives as they have come under a great deal of scrutiny for potential health concerns. A good rule of thumb: the purer, the better.

However, not all additives are created equal. Take terpenes for example. Extracts from cannabis plants are raw, stripped oils, meaning in their purest form they no longer have unique strain specific effects and flavors. Enter terpenes. Strain specific cannabis terpenes can be added to oil cartridge extracts to achieve desired effects, whether it’s the energy of a sativa strain or the mellow of an indica, and everything in between making oil extracts highly customizable. It doesn’t stop with effects either. Natural terpenes from fruits and other plants can be added for flavor, such as blueberries. While some manufactures may choose to add synthetic terpenes for flavor and effect enhancements, its best to always choose a cartridge with natural additives and fewer cutting agents.

If you’re unsure about what ingredients are in any oil cartridge, just chat with one of Lightshade’s experienced budtenders. We’re always happy to explain our product line and we strive to provide a consistently excellent shopping experience.

Oil Cartridges Are Taking Over. But Why?

As for why cannabis consumers are turning to oil cartridges over other methods, there are plenty of reasons why vape pens are a great alternative to traditional flower, edibles, or dabs.

For one thing, oil cartridge vape pens offer easy functionality. As mentioned before, many pens only require the user to pull, or breath in, on the mouthpiece or simply press a button to activate the coil. And since the pen heats the oil at lower temperatures, you’re inhaling vapor and not smoke, unlike the combustion process of smoking flower in joints or bowls. This results in a less harsh inhalation experience for the user, often making oil cartridges the perfect choice for more novice users or beginners. Variable voltage batteries, or pens, are becoming the standard for many popular cartridge brands and usually provide 3 levels of heat, which can vary the ‘robustness’ of the hit.

Speaking of vapor, oil cartridges make consuming cannabis discreet and easy when you’re on the go. The vapor produced typically has little or no odor, dissipates quickly and doesn’t require major rigs or flame to be able to consume.Cartridge vape pens are becoming quite sleek and stylish. Companies like PAX are taking pen design to the next level, making carrying a vape no more noticeable than holding an actual pen or USB drive.  

Oil cartridges also make dosing very simple–another plus for those new to cannabis consumption. With quick onset times and mid-level duration, oil cartridges allow users to gauge their intake to match their desired effect, much the same as smoking or vaping flower.

Top Brands

At Lightshade, we carry a full array of your favorite cartridge brands. We expertly curate to make sure only top manufacturers make their way to our shelves, including brands such as PAX, O.PenVape, Willies, LucidMood, The Lab, Craft, and Spherex. So whether you’ve never tried oil cartridge vaping and are looking for a discreet consumption method – or you want to learn the latest and greatest battery/cartridge combination, we’ll have you covered. Stop by one of our eight Denver-metro locations and see why the Lightshade difference really is like night and day.

Elevate your summer fun with the perfect strains from Lightshade.

There’s no shortage of things to do outdoors in Colorado. From amazing hikes to open-air concerts, hot pool days to cool mountain evenings, there is an activity for everyone to enjoy during the long and meandering summer months, here in the Centennial State.

Each Lightshade dispensary stocks a selection of medical and recreational cannabis strains that will enhance your favorite summer adventure. And while choosing between mountain biking or rock climbing can be difficult, thanks to our Balance categorization system, selecting the right strain to match your plans isn’t. The proprietary system breaks all of our strains into four categories: Enliven for energy and focus, Inspire for creativity and concentration, Calm to help you wind down, and Rest for general stress relief and deep relaxation.

To celebrate the season, we’ve put together a list of our favorite activities and paired them with strains from the Lightshade balance categorization system to help you elevate your summer adventures.

Enliven

Our Enliven strains are perfect for getting you motivated and ready for outdoor adventure. Lightshade customers look to this strain category to get the focus and energy they need to make the most of each sun-soaked day. When you lace up your hiking boots and hit the hills, consider bringing along Green Crack or Durban Poison. Green Crack is a seasonal favorite, known for its energizing characteristics that will keep you invigorated regardless of how steep your hike is, while Durban Poison gives most consumers a motivated and positive feeling that is sure to make your trail a happy one. As always, please use cannabis products with caution when embarking on any outdoor adventure—safety always comes first.

Inspire

There’s nothing quite like a summer outdoor concert, and in Denver, we are lucky enough to have the holy grail of venues in our backyard. The next time you’re heading up to Red Rocks consider adding one of our Inspire strains to your pre-show ritual. Blissful and creativity-inducing effects are a highlight of our Inspire strains. Orange Herijuana, for example, gives users an uplifting feeling that takes any concert to the next level. Or maybe give White 99 a try. This hybrid strain, known for its almost tropical aroma, delivers the perfect balance of relaxation and happiness that will keep you dancing all night.

Calm

As we all know, it’s been a hot start to summer in Denver, making pool days an essential part of the weekend routine. If you find yourself poolside, make the most of your day by adding one of our Calm strains to the mix. Blueberry Headband helps you settle into a state of sublime relaxation. GG#4, on the other hand, is known for its strong head high, so even if you don’t have access to a pool, you’ll still find yourself floating.

Rest

As Coloradans, we love being in nature, and no summer in our state is complete without at least one camping trip. Nothing beats sitting around the campfire with friends, but trying to fall asleep in a tent while thinking about bears… isn’t exactly pleasant. If you need a little extra help relaxing before bedtime, try one of our Rest strains. Fruity Pebbles and Bubba Fett are two of our most popular strains within this category, and both are known to give cannabis lovers full body, relaxing effects that will warm up the coldest of sleeping bags and help to put you on the fast track to sweet slumber.

Colorado summers are legendary. Enhance your time spent outside with the perfect strain to fit your activity.  

*Lightshade is not able to guarantee the availability of strains mentioned above, but fear not, we have plenty of alternatives to make your summer unforgettable. And while we love outdoor adventures in Colorado, be sure to respect local and state laws regarding the public consumption of cannabis and as always, make safety your first priority.

Strains may affect individuals differently and this article is not meant to provide medical advice for treatment of any ailment or medical condition.