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tdubz



Registered: 02/26/12
Posts: 5,586
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The People Who Sell You Legal Weed Don't Know Enough About It
#23920904 - 12/12/16 08:19 PM (7 years, 1 month ago) |
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https://motherboard.vice.com/read/the-people-who-sell-you-legal-weed-dont-know-enough-about-it
When I first received my medical marijuana card, my visits to the local dispensary were generally long, drawn out affairs. The bud tenders on staff would meticulously walk me through each strain on display, describing in detail their psychoactive and somatic effects.
As someone prone to cannabis-induced anxiety I eventually learned that strains with low THC and high CBD counts were what I needed, but it took a lot of trial and error to find the right strain of medicine. Although the bud tenders spoke with authority about the effects of their medicine, I would often find that the effects of the bud recommended for me didn’t at all match what the bud tender had told me.
According to a new study published last week in the journal Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research, my dispensary experience is likely a common one.
Led by clinical psychologists at Stanford University, the new study found that many dispensary staffers have had little to no training that would allow them to recommend types of weed to their patients in a responsible and informed manner. It is the first study to systematically look at the characteristics and practices of dispensary staff, otherwise known as ‘bud tenders.’
“Although each state has created its own legislation to govern the cultivation and distribution of cannabis to individuals, there is currently little to no guidance or oversight of associated patient care,” the authors of the study wrote. “This is troubling, as cannabis comprises more than 400 chemical compounds and is associated with widely variable effects among humans.”
The study was based on a survey of 55 dispensary staffers from nine different states, although the majority of the participants were in Colorado, California and Arizona. The survey found that 94 percent of dispensary staffers would provide specific cannabis advice to patients, although only 55 percent reported having any sort of formal training. For 36 of the respondents, this training was limited to customer service and business practices. Only 11 respondents had any sort of medical training and 7 had some background in science.
The survey also asked the respondents to record the types of bud recommendations they would make for patients. It found that dispensary staff were more likely to recommend a 1:1 ratio of THC:CBD for anxiety, PTSD or trauma than high THC, and more likely to recommend high CBD for ailments like arthritis or Alzheimer’s.
As the study’s authors note, some of the recommendations provided by dispensary staffers were consistent with current medical understanding, such as recommending indica strains for chronic pain. The problem of course is that this medical information is often inconsistent itself.
For example, one recent study recommended indica for sleep disorders while another recommended sativa. Yet as the study notes, strains tend to make less of a difference in the effects experienced by a patient than the levels of cannabinoids such as THC and CBD.
Due to the relative lack of information about the medicinal uses of pot and practices at dispensaries, the study ultimately concludes that it is up to states to write cannabis legislation in such a way that continuous training is required for those providing advice to patients.
“While one might expect the most qualified individuals to provide specific recommendations of cannabis product to be trained physicians who are aware of a patient's medical history and other prescription medications that could interact with certain cannabinoids, it is dispensary staff who are the most likely to provide cannabis advice,” the study’s authors wrote.
“As each state is currently responsible for drafting and monitoring its own cannabis legislation, it is imperative for states to mandate some form of educational certification for any individual providing cannabis advice to patients, not just physicians.”
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tdubz



Registered: 02/26/12
Posts: 5,586
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Re: The People Who Sell You Legal Weed Don't Know Enough About It [Re: tdubz]
#23920946 - 12/12/16 08:32 PM (7 years, 1 month ago) |
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Not in a weed legal state here so no input, anyone got any good or bad experiences? Feel the article is accurate?
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Konyap

Registered: 06/30/07
Posts: 33,945
Loc: Planet Piss
Last seen: 4 years, 2 months
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Re: The People Who Sell You Legal Weed Don't Know Enough About It [Re: tdubz]
#23921268 - 12/12/16 10:35 PM (7 years, 1 month ago) |
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I agree sativa or indica is just what your plant looks like the thc:cbd ratio matters more
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tdubz



Registered: 02/26/12
Posts: 5,586
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Re: The People Who Sell You Legal Weed Don't Know Enough About It [Re: Konyap]
#23921332 - 12/12/16 11:00 PM (7 years, 1 month ago) |
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Yeah I agree marijuana actually being medicine...you should have some form of training at least to help the patient get the best weed for their symptoms.
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Murzelpfrumpft
pet donkey in a lucid dream

Registered: 08/09/12
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Re: The People Who Sell You Legal Weed Don't Know Enough About It [Re: tdubz]
#23921828 - 12/13/16 07:27 AM (7 years, 1 month ago) |
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Can someone elaborate on what ratio is good for which condition and why?
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Sk8nshram
pigskin footballs



Registered: 11/01/13
Posts: 1,084
Loc: PNW
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Re: The People Who Sell You Legal Weed Don't Know Enough About It [Re: tdubz]
#23921839 - 12/13/16 07:37 AM (7 years, 1 month ago) |
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Having medical training to dispense marijuana to patients is a pipe dream right now. Legalization was just the first step, its going to take years to get anything setup correctly. We need more scientific research on marijuana for starters. We also need to find ways to protect medical. Washington state is pretty much trying to kill medical. I can forsee other states doing the same as Washington and trying to combine medical and recreational to oust the medical people. So many conservative asshats still think weed is the devils lettuce. When medical was around I got much better advice for medicine than I ever have from a rec shop. It's pitiful. I've had bud tenders say some pretty ignorant shit like, "that's what I'm on right now" as they pointend out a grapefruit flavored co2 cartridge. My personal favorite or should I say not favorite was when a guy told me that the oil he recommended made him feel "like a dumb blonde, but in a good way." These are the same fucks that used to work at Zumiez, Pac Sun, or any other cool retail place in the mall. Dammit now I'm all worked up.
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my3rdeye



Registered: 08/10/12
Posts: 4,354
Loc: Canada
Last seen: 2 years, 8 months
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Re: The People Who Sell You Legal Weed Don't Know Enough About It [Re: Sk8nshram]
#23924557 - 12/13/16 10:39 PM (7 years, 1 month ago) |
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Wow real serious complaints. Smoke different strains and find out which one works, how is some minimum wage dispensary loser going to know what strain to smoke for your illness? How much you want to bet the writer of this article wants the cheapest meds and wouldn't pay to have a doctor on staff or have them get a bunch of training anyway? It is all cbd/thc ratio if they have those numbers you should be able to determine what is right for you on your own like a big boy. Its a fucking herbal medicine its the same as all the other herbal remedies, doctors don't know and for sure the people at the health food store don't know either. You aren't going to die from smoking the wrong strain go out and find the right one.
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durian_2008
Cornucopian Eating an Elephant



Registered: 04/02/08
Posts: 16,693
Loc: Raccoon City
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Re: The People Who Sell You Legal Weed Don't Know Enough About It [Re: my3rdeye]
#23926378 - 12/14/16 02:56 PM (7 years, 1 month ago) |
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I am being 100% speculative, here, but imagine, in my mind, that there may have been more-distinct, chemical profiles, before so much crossbreeding.
Or, growing conditions may have resulted in different chemistry.
I don't consider it mindblowing, that two distinct populations, from very different conditions, might have caused different effects, maybe. 
I know how the conventional wisdom goes but don't feel dogmatic about it.
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ReposadoXochipilli
Here, there, inbetween



Registered: 08/30/05
Posts: 7,501
Loc: Sand and sunshine
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Re: The People Who Sell You Legal Weed Don't Know Enough About It [Re: my3rdeye]
#23927708 - 12/14/16 09:18 PM (7 years, 1 month ago) |
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Quote:
my3rdeye said: Wow real serious complaints. Smoke different strains and find out which one works, how is some minimum wage dispensary loser going to know what strain to smoke for your illness? How much you want to bet the writer of this article wants the cheapest meds and wouldn't pay to have a doctor on staff or have them get a bunch of training anyway? It is all cbd/thc ratio if they have those numbers you should be able to determine what is right for you on your own like a big boy. Its a fucking herbal medicine its the same as all the other herbal remedies, doctors don't know and for sure the people at the health food store don't know either. You aren't going to die from smoking the wrong strain go out and find the right one.
the place i go grows everything on site, test for everything, and have a nice selection of cbd stuff. everyone not only handle the product differently the is a bunch of new people trying it. first timers usually don't do it right unless someone is helping them.
there are definitely a bunch of places that are more casual about that they are actually doing.
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