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No matter how you prefer your weed – smoking, vaping, edibles or topicals – the experience of buying cannabis has changed significantly in recent years. Gone are the days of back-alley deals, drop-offs in shadowy corners or innocuous “meetings” outside the local gas station. When Canadians need to get some weed, they do what anyone shopping for essentials does: they go online.
Just about anything you could possibly need is online, and it usually ships to your home within a couple days. Cannabis is no exception. Not only is it ultra-convenient for today’s stoners to continue chilling in their living rooms while their buds get delivered to them, online prices are usually even better than can be found at retail reefer outlets. Imagine if the guys from Workaholics could’ve just stayed home and had their weed delivered?! Of course, we’d all feel bad for Karl, but more importantly if Adam, Blake & Ders bought their weed online who knows… maybe they’d be running the show at TelAmeriCorp with all the money and time they’d have saved? Of course, they’d have to move to Canada to score these levels of convenience and affordable prices… But I’m sure I speak for all of us when I say: “Come shoot the show in the land of the Great White North (please!), and we’ll make sure your “bermu-dope-high-angle” needs are well taken care of.
Whether you’re a Workaholics fan, an actual workaholic, or just someone who appreciates a good bud, buying your weed online in Canada is the better way to satisfy your cannabis itch. Where should I shop? How much are the buds online? What should I look out for? We’ll be looking at these important questions and answering many more in our Complete Guide to Buying Weed on the Web.
THE GOLD STANDARD:
Cannabis Shopping Online
Why do you like consuming cannabis? The fundamental question, the philosophical conundrum, the core of every stoner’s journey through this hazy experience we call life. Marijuana is important to many people and for many different reasons: medicine, health benefits, healing, balance, support, fun, fantasy, frivolousness, relaxation, chill, escape, love. Cannabis is more than just a plant, and anyone who struggles with this concept probably isn’t much of a consumer; because when you have the gift of weed in your life, you start to see the world differently. Not only is cannabis an overly positive influence on most peoples’ lives, it can work to reduce or lessen the stress of other negatives. Depression, anxiety, heck even insomnia can be treated with cannabis.
The euphoria brought on by cannabis consumption is almost unlike any other feeling on Earth. Even the most content people on this planet can benefit from the thought-provoking, chill-inducing, calm-enervating experience of marijuana. If you’re already a savvy cannabis aficionado, then you know the pluses and minuses quite well, but for those new to the ganja game it’s crucial to understand your motivations for lighting up.
Health benefits aside, cannabis can be just a fun element to add to any social equation. Getting high with friends, family, coworkers, or even strangers can be rewarding and lead to new relationships & dynamics you might not otherwise have. Cannabis culture is notorious (if that’s even the right word) for proliferating “shared experiences” – i.e. getting to know one another, getting to know oneself, and sharing the literal highs and lows of experimentation.
For those of you who rely on cannabis for medicine, this unique plant is not only life-changing but it can be life-saving. People who suffer from Parkinson’s, epilepsy, dementia, insomnia, chronic pain & inflammation, and cancer have turned to cannabis for treatment, reduction of symptoms, or even preventative measures. Suffice to say, if you’ve got an ailment, just ask for Mary J – she can take care of just about any of your medical needs.
What kind of cannabis products do you like? This can be a more difficult question to answer if you’re new to cannabis; there’s so many ways to consume marijuana, buying it online can seem like you’re falling down the rabbit hole… But trust us when we say, too much choice is a good thing when it come to cannabis. Buds to smoke, shatters to dab, concentrates to vape, edibles to munch, beverages to sip, and topicals to soothe your every itch or injury. Cannabis is being manufactured into hundreds of different types of products, with varying effects and potencies to suit many different lifestyles. Don’t want to feel the “high” of THC? Try the thousands of CBD products surging across North America. Need to take the edge off but don’t like smoking? A few drops of cannabis oil under the tongue and you’ll be laughing (literally!). Or there’s our Canadian favorite: one part lawn chair, one part warm blanket, two parts Northern Lights strain weed, one part actual North Lights, equals one heck of a magical night.
How do you know what you like unless you try a whole bunch of different kinds? There’s no way you can smoke every strain, sample every edible, or apply every cannabis topical on the market, but you can keep your mind open to experimenting as much as you can. Finding the right genetics of cannabis that has the desired effect on you can be a lifelong pursuit. If you’re committed to dabbling whenever you come across some new flowers, a few tasty looking edibles, or some particularly potent concentrates then you’ll find the cannabis that works best for you.
Have you tried all the different kinds of cannabis (Sativa, Indica, Hybrids)? What’s your preferred cannabinoid concentration? THC? CBD? Each person’s relationship to cannabis is unique and colorful, just like the buds themselves! That’s one of the most important advantages of buying cannabis online: the variety of products. If you’re sticking with only local sources, how do you know if you’re even getting the right strain for you? As that old saying goes: “you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take”… well the same goes for missing out on all the amazing buds you don’t smoke, not to mention the myriad health benefits you could be experiencing.
The all important first step to any cannabis journey is often the most overlooked: information. Do your research, ask your friends & family, talk to your doctor or naturopath, look online for useful blogs (just like this one you’re reading right now!), and always stay up-to-date on the latest and greatest in cannabis. Knowledge itself can be healing, but do you know what’s an even more potent remedy? You guessed it: Marijuana.
HOW TO BE A CANNABIS PRO
Like with all competition, the price is often determined by the number of competitors fighting for dominance within the limited space of the market. For cannabis in Canada, this is true but with a Canuck twist – since we’re the only country who’s put our money where our marijuana is and Federally legalized, there’s no foreign competitors influencing price. To some, this has meant that prices are ‘too high’, and that the monopoly on market value wrests solely in the hands of licensed producers. In reality, this is a narrowed scope of vision, and all one has to do is look on the Canada-wide web to find the right deals.
As we’ve repeated several times in this article already, variety is at the core of cannabis e-commerce in Canada. The choices of cannabis available at many brick-and-mortar retailers is often limited and the supply can sell out faster than you can say “where’s the white widow?“. When you shop online for your weed, you get to avoid these two pesky problems because most of the online dispensaries have tons of strains, and they have access to many sources of inventory across the country. So, when the consumers say “We want to try that Northern Lights + Northern Lights combo!”, the online shops listen, and they make sure they have what the customers want.
We’ve all heard the phrase “the customer is always right“, but it seems to hold extra weight for online cannabis shops because if you’re not smoking it, they’re not going to carry it. This can seem counter intuitive because everybody has their own personal preferences, but it just means that the online weed outlets have to keep inventory of lots of varieties to make sure they’re competitive. So, how can you ensure you’re staying on top of all these choices of cannabis? It’s time to break out your glasses, roll up your sleeves and study up because there’s a lot to know about cannabis strains and how they can impact your purchase decision.
Strains, strains and more strains… Yes, we know what you’re thinking: “How on Earth do you keep up with all the strains? They multiply like rabbits!“. It’s true that it can seem like a new strain pops up every day, and it’s often difficult to really know the differences between the latest flavors of the month. If you’re someone who already has your favorite go-to, like a good ol’ dependable GCG, then why would you care about the newest batch of “Pink Sugar Mountain Kush OG Gangsta Ganja”?! The answer is simple: you don’t have to; but like we said, it’s important to keep experimenting, because you never know what’s out there for marijuana until you try it.
So what’s the best way to tackle this mountain of information? We think our friends over at Leafly have already done the heavy lifting and moved many mountains for the cannabis community. With comprehensive guides for hundreds of strains at your fingertips, all you have to do is pick a starting point and let the experts at Leafly take you on an epic quest to find the perfect cannabis for you.
Now that you know what kind of cannabis might be right for you, how’re you going to take it? It’s not as daunting a task as figuring out what genetics you might benefit from, but determining what kind of cannabis product is for you can be a journey full of ups and downs. Smoking cannabis flowers is undoubtedly the most common way to consume, but what are the drawbacks? What are the benefits? Let’s look at the pros and cons of each cannabis product category.
CANNABIS FLOWERS
Smoke ’em, roll ’em, grind ’em, pack ’em, eat ’em, bake ’em, shake ’em, bong ’em. Cannabis flowers are the most popular, most convenient method of getting high or medicating on the fly. We’ve just touched on what makes marijuana buds such a favorite around the world: convenience. You can carry them with you wherever you go (except across state lines!), smoke them almost anywhere and with relative ease; all you need is a source for heat/fire and something to smoke out of. Cannabis flowers are also among the most cost-friendly cannabis products, so for those of you on a budget you might want to invest in a grinder, a good lighter and a reliable pipe (and some quality weed, of course).
Understanding the potency of THC or CBD in a particular flower strain is obviously important, but what about all the details that make up the experience of smoking? The aromas, flavors, the colors of the bud, the textures (the terpenes and flavonoids) are each an important part of the overall experience. Certain flowers have distinct – often crafted – characteristics, and thanks to the advancements in plant breeding the strains of today are far more potent and specific than ever before. Remember to check out Leafly for the latest on all the strains available online in Canada.
CANNABIS CONCENTRATES
Need a more potent high than your average joint can provide? For many medical patients of cannabis, concentrates are a must-have. As it suggests in the name, cannabis oils, extracts and distillates are concentrated forms of certain marijuana properties (like THC or CBD). Multi-faceted products like cannabis oil are a staple among many cannabis users because it can cover a lot of bases: ingest under the tongue or include it in food/drink, apply it topically to affected areas of the body, or use it to make cannabis products of your choosing (cannabudder, creams, capsules, etc). Concentrates really are a customizable product and their popularity is quickly gaining on cannabis flowers, particularly in the field of medicinal marijuana.
Concentrates are not usually the most pleasing flavors or textures, but they can be combined with almost anything to hide their unsavory taste. Like many medicines, chasing them with juice or even putting them in your morning smoothie are great ways to fret less about the after-taste and focus more on being at your healthiest. As is true for any potent cannabis remedy, you have to start your dose low, start taking it slow when trying concentrates; the risks of experiencing potent psychoactive effects are the highest with this product type. Make sure you’re in a safe place, with people you trust when you try concentrates for the first time if the product has high volumes of THC (high CBD with little-to-no THC, you’re out of the woods because Cannabidiol does not have psychoactive effects).
PRO TIP: Have a tincture of high-CBD content nearby at all times – CBD in larger doses can help to counteract the “high” of THC when taken together. In case you’re looking to get a little stoned but you accidentally get “rockslided”, take a high dose of CBD and try to relax – the Cannabidiol will help to bring you back to normal in a short time.
CANNABIS CONSUMABLES
The term “Consumables” is definitely not as sexy or eye-catching as “Edibles”, but we know that some people find the latter verbiage confusing because not all consumable cannabis products need to be eaten. Cannabis-infused food, beverages, treats, and supplements are all considered “edible”, but in this case we’ll buck the trend and start calling them CONSUMABLE. So what cannabis products fall under this category? If you eat it, swallow it, or if a combination of decorated and delicious then it’s probably a cannabis consumable. Cookies, brownies, candies, lollipops, gum, mints, gummies, CBD or THC beverages, cannabis oil or distillate capsules, and even cannabis protein powders… That’s just the popular options for this definite ‘crowd pleaser’ cannabis product category.
Buying cannabis edibles online means you don’t have to chop, bake, prep or cook it yourself; an obvious advantage to anyone who’s never tried an edible in the first place. You might want to experiment with a few consumables before trying to make your own. Ask any homebrew beer maker, and they’ll tell you that “You need to do a lot of R&D, as in Research & Drinking, before you can even think about brewing your own”. The same goes for cannabis consumables. There’s so many kinds of goodies, drinks, even fitness supplements with cannabis content that you’ll have no problem experimenting.
In the same vein as concentrates, be careful when trying consumables for the first time – the effects can be overwhelming if you’re not careful. If you buy a bag of cannabis gummy bears, eat half of one, not a handful! And remember, if you do over do it, just relax, stay safe and take some high-doses of CBD if you have it. Be extra careful when experimenting with cannabis edibles because the psychoactive effects can last hours and hours (as the consumable is digested through your body). The important thing is to keep yourself and those around you safe, and sometimes all you can do is to wait-it-out.
MEET YOUR WEED NEEDS WITH HAUTE
When you need another batch of medicine, you’re just looking to try a fun looking new edible, or your family is hoping you can help them get started on the wonderful world of weed, Haute Health has all your cannabis products covered. The best prices online ($3-$8 per grams) can be found at Haute, and they’re always stocked with the best buds, the tastiest edibles, and all the potent concentrates. Haute Health even has a wholesale option for the bulk shoppers of the weed world: Shatters, Resins, Hash, even Phoenix Tears, it’s all online with Haute.
Haute also has a great rewards system (because who doesn’t like to build points towards free stuff?!). Haute Health is known for its incredibly fast shipping, and they often have promotions for FREE SHIPPING all across Canada. Haute is the perfect example of why buying weed online in Canada is so much better than relying on other sources of cannabis.
Need weed? Go to Haute Health now and try their lineup of quality flowers, edibles and concentrates.
How To Buy Weed Online?
