Have you wanted to try cannabis, but have apprehensions? Plenty of Canadians are dabbling into the cannabis sphere for the first time (or the first time in a long time).
Back in the day, there was just your run-of-the-mill joint, but now there are hundreds of ways to consume weed. Edibles, gummies, beverages and topicals are just a few of the innovative ways to use cannabis.
Even though Canada legalized cannabis back in October 2018, plenty of folks are still curious about trying weed for the first time and educating themselves about the wealth of options out there.
It can be a bit overwhelming for someone new, that’s why it helps to have the guiding hand of an expert.
Benjamin Tran is the CEO and founder of The House of Cannabis, with stores in Barrie and Keswick. Every day, their budtenders help newbies find the right product for their unique situation.
“It’s only been four years since legalization and there are a lot of people who have questions, especially those who are canna-curious, and they want to come into a safe space to ask those questions,” Tran said.
The Ontario Cannabis Store is open to anyone of legal age, but it’s mostly a self-serve experience with little to no interaction with another party. That might be great for an experienced cannabis user, but for someone new, they might need a little more guidance.
“Rather than purchasing their own item, consuming it incorrectly and having a bad experience. That’s where I feel like the necessity of having a store or physical location lies, for people to come in and ask those important questions so they have a great experience.”
For first-timers looking to ease themselves into the scene, The House of Cannabis suggests people try a cannabis beverage or edible to start. Since these are controlled doses, everything is measured and regulated.
Tran advises folks to start with one low-dose cannabis beverage or a quarter to a half of an edible and go from there. It’s a lot easier to overdo it with other methods, whereas beverages and edibles are a better way for rookies to ease into the scene.
“Especially as a new user, edibles are a nice entry point,” Tran said. “The last thing we want to do is for someone to have a terrible experience and have a really negative stigma with cannabis. With an edible, you know how much each piece has in terms of dosage, and we can steer them in the right direction.”
A big demographic of their customers are experienced cannabis users, but the size of the canna-curious customer base is growing as they look to try something new or shy away from other vices like alcohol.
If you’re canna-curious yourself and looking to dabble into cannabis, one of the budtenders at The House of Cannabis can help you find what you’re looking for.
Visit their store at 66 Dunlop Street West, or place an online order for same-day delivery at TheHouseofCannabis.ca.