9 cannabis product types you can buy in New Jersey
Cannabis flower
A cannabis classic. Flower is the dried and cured part of the cannabis plant that’s used for smoking. It can also be used to make your own infused butter, oil, or topicals at home. Dried and cured flower is the way cannabis has been enjoyed for millennia in societies around the world, whether for spiritual, medical, or religious purposes. And in today’s modern adult-use cannabis market, flower is still the most popular product.
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Cannabis flower package sizes
Flower is sold in varying quantities. In New Jersey dispensaries like Queen City, you’ll most commonly see flower sold in “eighths,” equivalent to 3.5 grams of flower, and in “quarters,” equivalent to 7 grams of flower.
Shake and trim
Shake and trim are what’s left over after cannabis flower buds have been trimmed, manicured, and packaged for sale. But there’s nothing “leftover” about this form of cannabis flower. You can use it to easily roll your own joints, fill your own cones, or pack your own bowls without ever touching a grinder. It’s also great if you like to make your own infused products at home.
Premium flower
The best of the best, premium flower is chosen for its incredible cannabinoids and terpene content, beautiful manicuring, vibrant colors, and unforgettable smell.
Cannabis prerolls
Skip the grinder, rolling, and all the prep associated with flower. Cannabis prerolls wrap up your next sesh into a neat package, simplifying consuming cannabis flower. Prerolls come in varying sizes and weights, and some are infused with cannabis concentrate for an extra kick. Each preroll is equipped with a filter at the end for easy handling.
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Preroll package sizes
You can find prerolls in single packs and multi-packs. Depending on the size of the joints, you may find two-packs, five-packs, or seven-packs at the dispensary.
Vape carts
Convenient and discreet, vape carts are among the easiest ways to inhale cannabis. There’s no preparation required, and very little smell, too. Each cart comes with a mouthpiece for easy inhaling and connectors that make contact with your vape pen battery. Just attach the cart to a charged battery, which you can buy from Queen City or any vape shop, and you’re ready to go.
Most vape carts come in 1-gram sizes, although some may contain 0.5 grams of cannabis extract. Vape carts are typically filled with distillate, but some contain other types of concentrate, like liev resin. Take a look at the menu or the package to confirm the type of cannabis extract your vape cart contains.
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Vape cart models
There are three major types of vape carts that you’ll find at a dispensary:
- 510-thread: These are the standard cartridges that attach to any standard battery. Nearly all vape pen batteries you see at vape shops and online are 510-thread unless specified otherwise.
- Disposable: This is the whole unit — both the extract and the battery — in one. There’s nothing to attach or replace. Just open the package, and you’re ready to go. In some cases, disposable vapes are rechargeable, but they are not reusable once the extract is consumed.
- Systems: Similar to a coffee “pod”system, some vape brands only work with specially-designed cartridges and vapes. This allows for more quality control. Airo is an example of a vape system you can buy in New Jersey.
Concentrates
Unforgettably potent cannabis concentrates contain higher levels of THC and other cannabinoids than flower or prerolls. These extracts can contain anywhere from 50% to 90% or more THC. Compare that to the THC content of flower, which can clock in as low as 10% or as high as 30% or more.
Concentrates go by many names and come in a vast array of forms. The thin and glass-like shatter, thick wax, and airy badder are only a few of the types of cannabis concentrates you’ll find at the dispensary.
Edibles
Edibles are foods and drinks infused with cannabis. Divided into serving sizes for easy measuring, edibles are a discreet way to enjoy the effects of THC, CBD, and other cannabinoids.
You may see edibles called “soft lozenges” or “soft chews” when you shop at Queen City. These are other terms used for cannabis edibles in New Jersey. Gummies and lozenges are among the products that fall under this category in New Jersey. Cookies, brownies, and similar types of infused foods are not yet allowed in New Jersey’s adult-use cannabis program.
Beverage enhancers
A beverage enhancer is a liquid additive that you can put into any drink of your choice to make it an infused delight. These enhancers allow you to measure out a precise dose and mix it into tea, seltzer, soda, water, juice — name the beverage, and you can elevate it with a beverage enhancer. THC-infused mocktails, anyone?
Topicals
From infused balms to buttery lotions, the “topicals” label refers to a wide variety of products that you put on your skin. Uniquely, topicals are only felt locally, so you’ll experience their effects right where you apply them. With the exception of transdermal topicals, regular topicals won’t enter your bloodstream. This means you won’t feel the heady or intoxicating effects of THC when you put topicals on your body.
Tinctures
These liquid products are discreet to take and easy to dose. Simply measure the amount you want to take with the dropper top, place the product under your tongue, hold it there for a bit, then swallow.
Tinctures are made by mixing cannabis extract with a carrier oil, often MCT oil from coconut. These products are unique in that they enter your body in two ways: Some cannabinoids enter your bloodstream directly through your mouth tissues, while the rest is digested like an edible. This means tinctures take effect quickly and last longer than other product types.
RSO
Tinctures have been a staple in herbal remedies for centuries. In the cannabis world, this tried-and-true method infuses cannabis extract with a carrier oil, like MCT oil. Tinctures are unique in that they’re biphasic, which means they’re processed by your body in two ways. Part of a tincture is absorbed in your mouth, while part is digested. They come in small dropper bottles for easy storage, portability, and measuring.
How to choose which cannabis product type is best for you
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How long do you want to wait?
Generally, inhaled forms of cannabis take effect much quicker than ingested forms of cannabis. There are some exceptions to this rule, but you can typically expect joints, flower, and concentrates to take effect within 15 or so minutes once you’ve inhaled. With ingested products, the effect can take hold as quickly as 30 minutes or as long as two hours after you take them. A long list of factors, including your tolerance level, metabolism, and body chemistry, influence your personal cannabis timer.
What do you plan to do after your session?
Consider how long, on average, your chosen product is expected to last. If you don’t want to be high six hours after your session, an inhaled cannabis product would be a better option over an edible. On the contrary, if you want to feel THC’s effects for several hours, an edible or a tincture may be just the right product.
How much work do you want to put into your session?
Some products are grab and go, while others take time to set up. You might be the type of person who loves the ritual of grinding and rolling flower, or setting up your dab rig with some sauce. Maybe you prefer the streamlined vaporizer, or the no-mess, no-fuss setup of a vape cart. Keep this in mind when scrolling through the Queen City menu.
What do you not want to do?
Just as important as what you want is what you don’t want. For example, you might not want to combust your cannabis with a lighter, or you might not like the taste of a tincture. This gives you a clear direction on which products are best saved for another time.
