More and more countries around the world are legalizing the use of medicinal and recreational cannabis. One of them is Germany, where recreational cannabis use is meant to be legalized on April 1st, 2024. There are also many places globally that still criminalize the use of the drug – yet there are equally as many people that consume cannabis regardless.
For this article, we have interviewed an anonymous cannabis consumer on their consume behavior, on the experiences they have had with the drug and on questions about quality control and the benefits of testing devices.
Do you consume cannabis for medical reasons? If yes, how does it help you?
“I mostly consume cannabis for recreational purposes, but it also really helps with my headaches.”
Where do you source your cannabis and how to you perceive the quality of the product?
“I’m sourcing my cannabis from a number of private sellers and the quality has always been good to extremely good.”
How do you determine the quality of the cannabis?
“Mostly based on its effects, but also based on its smell, appearance and price.”
Have you ever had concerns about your safety when buying cannabis from unknown sources? If so, what exactly were these concerns related to?
“Yes, I have had concerns in the past. The effects when I consumed the cannabis in question were a very bad cough, a scratchy throat, and a very fast heartbeat.”
Have you ever had a bad experience that was likely due to poor quality of the cannabis? If so, what exactly happened?
“I once purchased cannabis that was laced with lead. The effects were those I described before. When cannabis is laced with lead, you can actually tell by the ash from the joint. It turns into a slightly slimy ash film when crushed between two fingers. In addition, I also found out that lead-laced cannabis was being distributed in the exact place where I purchased the cannabis.”
Is it problematic for you not to know exactly how much THC and CBD is in your cannabis?
“Not necessarily. When it’s not strong enough, I simply use more cannabis and if it’s too strong I don’t smoke the joint all at once or counteract the effects by eating some sweets. Plus, I usually smoke in company and so there is people with a lot of knowledge that help me to consume mindfully.”
© [Victor Moussal] / Adobe Stock
How would it influence your buying and consuming behavior if you could determine the THC and CBD content yourself?
“I feel like the higher the THC content, the faster my thoughts are racing. So, if I knew the THC content, I think I would be inclined to purchase cannabis with a low to medium THC content. But I have obviously no way of confirming this theory without a test device.”
In your opinion, what would be the greatest value a device to determine THC and CBD levels would offer you?
“The measuring device gives consumers the opportunity to test another quality criterion before consumption and before the actual purchase. This gives consumers a better basis for deciding whether the price and purchase are justified. It generally allows for much higher transparency and a THC measuring device gives consumers a tool to act more responsibly.”
What do you think would be other helpful features a cannabis analysis device for consumers should have?
“For me personally the terpene profile is of greatest interest. Furthermore, it would be super helpful if cutting agents such as lead, sand, synthetic cannabinoids, etc. could be detected.”
In some countries cannabis is already legal. and in many others there are concrete plans to legalize it. As a consumer, how do you feel about this development and what are possible concerns?
“I have no concerns as it works well in many countries and an open drug policy is better than prohibition. Of course, the disadvantages of cannabis consumption should not be ignored (especially at a young age), but as is with alcohol, everyone is responsible for their own consume behavior.”
© [Syda Productions] / Adobe Stock
In your opinion, would a device to determine THC and CBD levels contribute significantly to consumer safety?
“I personally see a low to medium increase in consumer safety, as it seems more important to recognize cutting agents rather than the CBD and THC content. But of course, the THC value helps with selecting the right dosage.”
Is there anything else that comes to mind that you would like to share?
“One thing to note is that knowing the CBD content is rather irrelevant for me, because CBD has a calming effect, and it vanishes extremely quickly. There is no cerebral high when consuming CBD.”
We would like to thank our interviewee for their time and willingness to answer our questions. And if you are interested in our novel pocket device for cannabis analysis, you can email us at contact@senorics.com for more information.
