Types of Cannabis Products
A general guide to the formats and terminology you may come across. This is background information only — your prescriber decides which product, if any, is right for you.
Product formats
A plain-language overview of the common forms medicinal cannabis can take.
What is dried flower?
Dried flower is the cured bud of the cannabis plant. It is typically used with a vaporiser rather than smoked. Your prescriber decides whether a flower product is appropriate for you.
What are oils and tinctures?
Oils are liquid preparations measured with a dropper or oral syringe and taken by mouth. They allow measured, consistent dosing as directed by your prescriber.
What are capsules and wafers?
Capsules and oral wafers are pre-measured formats taken by mouth. They can offer convenience and consistent dosing compared with measuring a liquid.
What are topicals?
Topicals are applied to the skin. They are one of several formats a prescriber may consider depending on individual clinical needs.
Spectrum: full, broad and isolate
How the range of compounds in a product is described.
What does "full-spectrum" mean?
Full-spectrum products contain a range of naturally occurring cannabis compounds, which may include THC. The label and your prescriber will confirm what a product contains.
What does "broad-spectrum" mean?
Broad-spectrum products contain multiple cannabis compounds but are formulated to reduce or remove THC. Composition varies by product.
What is an isolate?
An isolate contains a single purified cannabinoid, such as CBD on its own, without other plant compounds.
Extract terms explained
You may see terms such as resin, live resin, rosin and live rosin. Here is what they describe.
What is resin?
Resin is a general term for concentrated cannabis extract. Different manufacturing methods produce different textures and compositions.
What is live resin?
"Live" refers to plant material that is frozen shortly after harvest before extraction, rather than dried first. The word describes the process, not a measure of quality or strength.
What is rosin?
Rosin is an extract made using heat and pressure rather than a chemical solvent. It is a solventless production method.
What is live rosin?
Live rosin combines the "live" (fresh-frozen) approach with the solventless rosin method. As with the other terms, this describes how a product is made.
Understanding the label
What the numbers on a medicinal cannabis product mean.
What do THC and CBD percentages mean?
These figures describe the concentration of each cannabinoid in the product. Your prescriber uses them, alongside your clinical needs, to select and dose your medicine.
Does a higher percentage mean a better product?
No. A higher concentration is not "better" — the right product is the one your prescriber selects for your individual situation. Never choose based on percentage alone.