9 Massachusetts Cannabis Products To Buy and Try from Altai Alternative Care

From locally grown craft flower to vapes beloved throughout Massachusetts, the best cannabis products in the Pioneer Valley are staples at Altai Alternative Care.

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Cannabis flower

What is cannabis flower?

Cannabis flower is the classic smokable form of cannabis: the dried and cured buds of the cannabis plant.

Craft. Craft flower is grown locally in small batches with far greater emphasis on quality than quantity.

Top-shelf. Top-shelf flower is of considerably greater quality than typical dispensary options. Cannabinoid and terpene content, bud size, appearance, aroma, and flavor all contribute to the top-shelf designation.

Shake. Shake is the loose, tiny pieces of flower that inevitably fall to the bottom of the container as you move it around. It’s lower-quality than whole flower but still useful.

Trim. Trim is a product comprising sugar leaves, stems, and other plant parts that a cultivator snips from cannabis buds while harvesting.

Pre-ground. Pre-ground flower is packaged after being ground, so it’s ready to add to a joint or pipe. It’s convenient, but it may be less potent and more challenging to handle.

Popcorn buds. Popcorn buds are named for their small, round appearance. This type of flower provides a middle ground between more cut-rate and top-shelf flower.

When consuming cannabis flower, use a high-quality grinder to break down your buds. Then, use rolling papers and mouthpiece tips to roll a joint, or skip rolling and pack a glass pipe instead. Finally, light your cannabis, inhale deeply, and exhale.

If you’re new to cannabis, wait 15 minutes before inhaling again. If you’ve consumed correctly, you’ll feel the effects within this time. If not, or if you have a high tolerance to cannabis, take another puff or two.

Pre-rolls

What are pre-rolls?

Pre-rolls are a ready-to-go product that lets you skip the rolling and get straight to the smoking. All you have to do is light up and enjoy.

Joints. Joints comprise ground flower, rolling papers, and a mouthpiece tip that keeps everything together.

Blunts. Blunts are rolled with a cigar wrap or tobacco wrap, so there’s more space to pack flower into, and your pre-roll may burn slower.

Infused. Infused pre-rolls are enhanced with cannabis concentrates for an extra potent experience.

Minis. Mini pre-rolls are designed to last just a walk around the block.

Pre-rolls may be available as singles, two-packs, five-packs, or eight-packs. Multi-packs may come in slim rectangular boxes to keep things organized.

Pre-rolls themselves vary in size too. Minis are typically 0.35 grams, with other pre-rolls commonly coming in at half a gram, a full gram, or two grams.

Vaporizers

What are vaporizers?

Vaporizers, commonly known as “vapes,” are devices that heat cannabis oil or concentrate to produce an inhalable vapor. Vaping concentrates delivers more potent effects than flower.

Vape cartridges. Vape cartridges, often called “carts”, screw onto standard rechargeable 510-thread vape batteries. They often come in half- or one-gram options.

All-in-one vapes. Also known as “disposables” since you discard them once used up, all-in-one vapes typically come in half-gram, one-gram, and two-gram varieties.

Live carts. “Live” carts are made from fresh frozen flower, which means they offer top-notch potency and a flavorful experience.

Liquid diamond carts. These carts are infused with pure THCa diamonds extracted from the plant, resulting in an exceptionally potent experience.

Vape carts contain oil, but you can also vaporize flower. For that, you’ll need a dry herb vape, such as Lookah’s Ice Cream Dry Herb Device. Dry herb vaping is more discreet than smoking flower and pre-rolls. It also generates a byproduct called “already been vaped” (ABV) weed that you can use to make homemade edibles, topicals, and tinctures.

Concentrates

What are concentrates?

Concentrates are cannabis products with exceptionally high levels of THC, making for a highly potent experience. They come in many varieties including kief, hash, and extracts like oil and wax.

Kief. Kief is the powdery material that accumulates at the bottom of your flower grinder. It’s made of the trichomes that fall off cannabis buds during grinding.

Live rosin. Live rosin is an extract made from the solventless concentrate called bubble hash. It’s squeezed from the bubble hash using a rosin press, which applies heat and pressure.

Sugar. Sugar is a concentrate that looks and feels like wet, amber-colored sugar. To make it, manufacturers use a solvent to extract cannabinoids and terpenes, then crystallize both.

You can use a dab rig to consume sugar or live rosin, or for something more portable, try a concentrate-compatible vape like the Lookah Seahorse Pro Plus. To consume kief, add it to the flower in your joint or pipe. With any concentrate, you can expect effects to kick in almost immediately and last one to three hours.

Edibles

What are edibles?

Edibles are ingestible products intended to be eaten. Edibles come in a variety of flavors, sizes, and types, and are known for their slow onset of effects and long duration.

Gummies and candies. THC gummies and candies are chewy, fruity options that are the most common edible on the market.

Chocolates. THC chocolates are a rich, indulgent type of edible associated with a somewhat deeper experience.

Capsules/tablets. THC capsules and tablets are edibles designed to be swallowed whole instead of chewed.

Edibles often contain significant amounts of minor cannabinoids alongside THC. Your edible’s cannabinoid ratio tells you the proportion of one cannabinoid to the others and what to expect from your experience. 

Edibles with a high ratio of cannabidiol (CBD) to THC, such as 2:1, are known for reduced “heady” effects. Edibles may also contain other minor cannabinoids such as cannabinol (CBN), a cannabinoid associated with sleepiness.

THC drinks

What are THC drinks?

THC drinks are brightly flavored canned beverages (typically seltzers) infused with water-compatible THC. This THC is often nano-emulsified within the drink for even mixing and so that the effects kick in after just 15 minutes. The effects may last two to five hours.

As with edibles, THC drinks may be infused with more cannabinoids than just THC, and the ratio of these cannabinoids best tells you what to expect. More often than not, though, THC drinks in Massachusetts contain a modest 5 mg THC per can with no other cannabinoids.

Sip gradually at a party, down a can at home, or pour your THC beverage into your favorite insulated water bottle and take it on the go. However, consuming cannabis in public is illegal in Massachusetts, so don’t sip on your THC seltzer until you arrive somewhere private.

RSO

What is RSO?

RSO is a highly potent, full-spectrum cannabis extract, meaning it contains the whole range of cannabinoids and terpenes found in the plant. RSO is especially popular among consumers prioritizing medicinal potential.

Yes, but you’re more likely to find it infused into other types of cannabis products than sold as a standalone extract. At Altai Alternative Care, you’ll find RSO capsules and gummies.

Swallow RSO capsules whole. With RSO gummies, chew thoroughly, then swallow.

Topicals

What are topicals?

Cannabis topicals are intended to help soothe or hydrate the skin. They may also help lessen muscle soreness at the site of application. Their effects are localized, not systematic, meaning they’re non-intoxicating.

Some topicals contain only THC, whereas others contain THC and CBD. Unless a topical is labeled “transdermal,” though, the THC won’t enter your circulation and cause intoxicating effects.

Clean your skin where you’re applying your topical, then firmly rub the recommended amount into the skin as per the packaging. Don’t apply to open wounds or broken skin.

Tinctures

What are tinctures?

Tinctures are suspensions of cannabinoids in a carrier oil, usually coconut-derived MCT oil. You swallow them as with edibles, but first, you hold them under your tongue. This dual sublingual and ingested administration is one of tinctures’ advantages — the effects arrive quicker than with edibles and may last just as long.

Tinctures are often infused with multiple cannabinoids to target specific effects. A sleep tincture, for example, may contain a 1:1:1 ratio of THC, CBD, and CBN. The THC and CBD may help you feel relaxed, and the CBN may promote sleep. With higher amounts of CBD to THC, the effects may be lighter but still relaxing.

Use the demarcated dropper that comes with your tincture to measure out a dose. If your tincture doesn’t come with a dropper, the cap on the bottle may have measurement lines that indicate how much to pour per dose.

Place your tincture under your tongue, then hold it there for 15 to 30 seconds. Then, swallow the tincture. Wait 15 to 45 minutes for effects to arrive, and expect them to last two to five hours or longer.

About the Brands We Carry at Altai Alternative Care

Alongside cannabis brands popular not just in Massachusetts but nationwide, we spotlight local craft cannabis brands you won’t find at nearby dispensaries. Folks head our way from all over Western Mass to get their hands on rare flower and pre-rolls from High Ledges, Hazel, and Morning Dew. And if you’re seeking something more familiar, there’s always our vapes, edibles, and more from brands like Fernway, incredibles, and WYLD.

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Shop all product types at Altai Alternative Care

Our robust selection is only part of what we’re known for. Sunderland residents and out-of-towners alike often wind up sticking around to chat when they shop with us. Although we’re owned by two brothers, we’ve proudly cultivated a mom-and-pop vibe: warm, welcoming, and a joy to return to time and again. Visit Altai Alternative Care to see for yourself!

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