REFLECT: Spectrum Spotlight
Welcome back, Cannabi-nerds!
If you are here, it can only mean one thing: you want us to drop some knowledge on you. I can dig it. If this is your maiden voyage into our “blogosphere” (I’m bringing it back), I would suggest checking out our Spectrum of Effects blog post before delving in here. The post is a general overview of Mosaic+’s Spectrum of Effects while each of the upcoming Spectrum posts will be Spotlights of the individual effects.
The next stop on our Spectrum of Effects tour du jour: REFLECT.
A wizened sage once said, “We spend so much of our life looking but never seeing”. For some that may mean employing pattern recognition to complete mundane tasks; for others it could mean feeling frustratingly tethered to those same tasks. The passage of time never slows and stepping back to take in the bigger picture can seem like a luxury that we simply cannot abide. As a modern-day human, I feel this hard. And so did that aforementioned sage, Bob Ross. And so do we all. So, what do we smoke about it? What will help us bring out our own inner wizened sage, the one who grins and sees all mistakes as happy little accidents?
The REFLECT profile on our Spectrum of Effects can be summed up in two words: anxiolytic and introspective. Patients managing anxiety will be fast friends with strains that fall under the REFLECT umbrella. This terpene profile usually has dominant concentrations of beta-caryophyllene, limonene and myrcene. You’re also likely to find some nerolidol present in these strains. You may notice some familiar terpenes on REFLECT’s terpene profile. It is similar to REST’s but the difference can be found in the terpene ratios and the expression of secondary cannabinoids. In the REFLECT profile, terpene ratios are more likely to be balanced and strains can often express some CBG (cannabigerol), the “stem cell cannabinoid” or the cannabinoid from which all other cannabinoids develop. CBG is becoming a popular strain trait among patients with GI distress, glaucoma, and nervous system disorders. There is, of course, no set algorithm to predict experience unequivocally for every patient but with the help of the spectrum and a little information about a patient’s needs, our budtenders can provide several wonderful options.
Sit down and let yourself heal!
Our budtenders are likely to recommend REFLECT strains to patients managing anxiety (especially anxiety induced by external/environmental stimuli like driving, large crowds, wasps, being mocked for irrationally fearing wasps, etc…), patients seeking respite from moderate pain or nausea (like sore feet from a 12-hour shift or motion sickness), patients seeking a stillness of mind without drowsiness, artistic patients in the brainstorming phase of their project, and patients just beginning their medical cannabis journey.
Popular “Reflect” Strains at Mosaic:
MINT CHOCOLATE CHIP
(Mystery Cookies x Green Ribbon):
THC: 22.8%;
limonene, myrcene, beta-caryophyllene
Staff Notes:
Devin: I cannot leave this strain alone. It is my go-to without a doubt. I have yet to find flower that can bring me to homeostasis quite like MCC. The head change is subtle, but there. The body high is the selling point: it makes me feel still.
Bradley: Definitely one of my go-to nighttime varieties. I’ll usually smoke it once I get home from a shift. It has a subtle heaviness behind the eyes coupled with a relaxing body high. It helps relax my mind, so I can just focus on unwinding after a long day.
Lauren: I like to refer to this strain as a reset variety. It never leaves you like it found you. I found the high to be velveteen and… silken.
BLACK CHERRY PIE
(Black Cherry Soda x 501st OG):
THC 20.2%;
myrcene, limonene, beta-caryophyllene
Staff Notes:
Lauren: This particular variety stopped my thoughts and gave me a substantial neck band. Although the high itself was heavy, I didn’t find myself staying put. This variety I would not recommend using a lighter. The terps take the experience far. The high was better when I used organic wick.
STRAWBERRY PIE
(Strawberry Cookies x Black Cherry Pie):
THC: 18.7%;
myrcene, nerolidol, beta-caryophyllene
Staff Notes:
Devin: Lychee and sweet rosemary on the nose, potting soil and bay leaves on the tongue, very balanced high, little bit of a crinkly birthday balloon high: helium depleted just enough to float on calmly through your day.
When to Consider a “Reflect” Strain:
Relieving Muscle Tension
Mild Nausea
Resting with less Discomfort
Managing Anxiety
Anything involving Legos
Staring wistfully out to Sea
Reading your 23&me Results
Dad Jokes.
Terpene Profiles for “Reflect” Strains
Myrcene, B-Caryophyllene, Limonene
Myrcene
malty, musky, mangoes, muscle relaxer
The first and most abundant terpene that manifests in cannabis is myrcene. Myrcene can be found in lemongrass, eucalyptus, mangoes and herbs like thyme, basil, and hops. Cannabis high in myrcene concentration may smell musky, earthy or slightly sweet with a pepper-y punch. It’s therapeutic values include: muscle relaxation, pain relief, anti inflammatory and anti carcinogenic. It may also act as a neuroprotective agent and antioxidant. Myrcene also has the distinction of being a synergistic compound with THC meaning that each makes the other more efficacious when consumed together.
Caryophyllene
clove, cinnamon, CB2 receptor, crazy therapeutic
The second most abundant terpene that appears in cannabis is beta-Caryophyllene, also called simply Caryophyllene (carry-OFF-uh-leen or CARRY-oh-fye-leen). Caryophyllene’s claim to fame is its ability to interact with the CB2 receptors in our bodies, making it a very effective anti-inflammatory. It is a wonderful anxiolytic and can be found in hops, cloves, oregano, cinnamon, rosemary, allspice, fig and Roman chamomile. Strains high in Caryophyllene tend to have a warm, peppery nose and sometimes even an organic funkiness.
Limonene
lemon, lime, level up, laugh and the world laughs with you
And so we’ve arrived, here she is: the veritable poster child of cannabis terpenes; the Saturday morning cartoons of our top contenders: limonene! If any terpene on this list could pull down it’s Ray Bans and give the double finger guns, it would be this one. Easily the most recognizable terpene and arguably the most approachable, limonene’s claim to fame is its immediately familiar aroma and its ability to interact directly with our serotonin and dopamine receptors resulting in euphoria and a generally more positive outlook. These effects, as well as laughing at a cat playing the piano on the internet, are all high on the list of possibilities for your day. Although it remains unclear how limonene achieves this effect, be it simple olfactory stimulation or actual central nervous system interaction, if all is sunny in the garden, why meddle?
There are seven “effects” on our spectrum: Rest, Reflect, Casual, Balance, Focus, Inspire, Active—and every medicated item at Mosaic+ falls somewhere on that spectrum.
Next time on Spectrum Spotlight: Now we venture out! If REFLECT is a set of your favorite PJs, then CASUAL is definitely your good yoga pants: simple, comfortable, socially acceptable. Join us next time for a deeper look into CASUAL on our Spectrum of Effects. Our special guest today was Bob Ross’ folksy, infectious positivity and from all of us here, I'd like to wish you happy painting, and God bless, my friend.
Rest
Pain Relief
Sleep
Reflect
Stress Relief
Mental Decompression
Casual
Social
Day off
Balance
Harmony
Homeostasis
Focus
Getting your head right for work
Inspire
Begin your next big project
Active
Let’s. Get. Hyped!
Stay tuned for a more in-depth breakdown of our Spectrum of Effects in coming posts, or just come see us at Mosaic+ Dispensary to hear it right from the source!
Visit us in-store and ask a budtender for more information on our spectrum, or simply order online for a quick pick-up today!