Education · New York edition
Cannabis, in plain English
Everything a curious adult needs to walk into a shop, read a label and follow the law, with jargon explained the first time and never a promise about what anything does.
Start here
Four reads, 11 minutes, and you’re ready for a first visit.- 1The lawIs Cannabis Legal in My State? A State-by-State Guide to Marijuana Laws
A plain-English guide to cannabis legal by state: what adults 21+ should know, how to think about it, and where to go for the next level of detail.
2 min - 2The visitFirst Time at a Dispensary: What to Expect and How to Prepare
A plain-English guide to first time dispensary what to expect: what adults 21+ should know, how to think about it, and where to go for the next level of detail.
2 min - 3The formatsCannabis Consumption Methods Compared: Smoking, Vaping, Edibles, and More
A plain-English guide to cannabis consumption methods: what adults 21+ should know, how to think about it, and where to go for the next level of detail.
4 min - 4The labelHow to Read a Cannabis Product Label: Lab Results, Potency, and More
A plain-English guide to how to read cannabis label: what adults 21+ should know, how to think about it, and where to go for the next level of detail.
3 min
Cannabinoids & Terpenes
11 guides- Full-Spectrum vs. Broad-Spectrum vs. Isolate CBD: Which Is Right for You?
- Delta-8 THC vs. Delta-9 THC: Legal Status, Effects, and Safety
- What Are Terpenes? How They Shape Your Cannabis Experience
- What Are Cannabinoids? A Deep Dive into THC, CBD, CBN, CBG, and More
- The Complete Guide to Cannabis Strains: How to Choose the Right One
- Sativa vs. Indica vs. Hybrid: What's the Real Difference?
- Cannabis Plant Anatomy: Flowers, Trichomes, and What Each Part Does
- Myrcene, Limonene, Linalool: A Guide to the Most Common Terpenes
- THCA Explained: What It Is and Why It's Trending
- The Entourage Effect: Why Whole-Plant Cannabis May Work Better
- How Cannabis Works in Your Body: The Endocannabinoid System Explained
Glossary, the short version
All 30 terms- OCM
- OCM is the New York Office of Cannabis Management — the state regulator that licenses every legal adult-use dispensary in New York. Every licensed shop displays an OCM QR code at the entrance; scan it via cannabis.ny.gov to verify the shop's license is current. We only link to OCM-licensed retailers.
- Terpene
- Terpenes are the aromatic compounds responsible for cannabis's scent and flavor — and a piece, but not the whole, of how a strain reads in session. Cannabis carries dozens of terpenes; in our library we surface the seven that show up most frequently as dominant or secondary.
- Flower
- Flower is the dried, cured cannabis bud — the format most people picture when they hear 'cannabis.' Onset via smoking or vaporizing is fast (5-15 minutes) compared to edibles. THC and terpene content are reported as a percentage of dry weight on the label.