Education · Reference
Glossary
Every term used across the Strain Library, the dispensary directory and our guides: formats, terpenes, labels and the law. Plain English, jargon explained once, and never a claim about what anything does.
Cannabinoids
- THC
- It's what reviewers usually mean when they talk about a strain feeling 'strong.' THC potency isn't the whole story — terpene profile, format (flower vs edible vs tincture), and individual tolerance shape a session more than the headline number.
- BrowseCBDChemovarEdiblesTolerance break
- CBD
- CBD (cannabidiol) is the second-most-prevalent cannabinoid in cannabis, and the one users most associate with a gentler, more even-keeled session.
- BrowseTHCSativaIndicaHybrid
- Chemovar
- Chemovar (short for 'chemical variety') is the science-aligned alternative to the sativa/indica/hybrid taxonomy. It groups strains by their actual chemical profile — cannabinoid ratio plus dominant terpenes — rather than by historical lineage labels that have been blurred by decades of crossbreeding. Most of our strain library uses the colloquial type labels because they're what reviewers, budtenders, and consumers still use day-to-day.
- SativaIndicaHybridTerpene
Strain types
Terpenes
- Myrcene
- The aroma reads as earthy, musky, and slightly herbal — the same compound that gives mango and hops their signature notes.
- BrowseIndica
- Limonene
- Limonene is the citrus terpene — bright, peelable, the same compound that gives lemons and orange peels their signature aroma.
- BrowseSativa
- Caryophyllene
- Caryophyllene is the most prevalent terpene in our library and the only one currently understood to interact with the body's CB2 receptor — a genuinely interesting biochemical fact, not one we extrapolate into medical claims. Aroma is peppery, spicy, woody, the same compound that gives black pepper and cloves their bite.
- Browse
- Pinene
- Pinene is exactly what it smells like — the pine-and-rosemary terpene found in conifer needles and fresh forest air.
- BrowseSativa
- Linalool
- Linalool is the lavender terpene — soft, floral, slightly sweet. Most often a secondary terpene rather than dominant.
- Browse
- Terpinolene
- Terpinolene is the least common of the major cannabis terpenes but a distinctive one when it dominates — fresh, piney, herbal, with a faint floral edge.
- Browse
- Humulene
- Humulene shares its name with humulus — the hop plant — which carries the same terpene and is the reason cannabis and beer share an aromatic family.
- BrowseMyrcene
- Terpene
- Terpenes are the aromatic compounds responsible for cannabis's scent and flavor — and a piece, but not the whole, of how a strain reads in session. Cannabis carries dozens of terpenes; in our library we surface the seven that show up most frequently as dominant or secondary.
- BrowseMyrceneLimoneneCaryophylleneChemovar
Flavor families
- Citrus (flavor)
- Citrus-flavored strains carry tags like citrus, lemon, orange, tangerine, or grapefruit. They skew sativa and sativa-leaning hybrid in our library and frequently carry limonene as a co-dominant terpene.
- BrowseLimoneneSativa
- Diesel (flavor)
- Diesel-and-gas is the loud end of the menu — pungent, fuel-leaning, sometimes sour. Includes some of the most iconic cuts in modern cannabis (Sour Diesel, NYC Diesel, Chemdog). Perceived intensity tends to correlate with potency in reviews, though that's not a clinical claim.
- BrowseSativaHybrid
- Dessert (flavor)
- Dessert-flavored strains read more like a bakery than a flower — sweet, vanilla, creamy, chocolate, cookie, cake notes. The dominant flavor family in the modern menu since the GSC and Wedding Cake era. Heavy on hybrids and indica-leaning hybrids.
- BrowseHybridIndicaCaryophyllene
Products + formats
- Flower
- Flower is the dried, cured cannabis bud — the format most people picture when they hear 'cannabis.' Onset via smoking or vaporizing is fast (5-15 minutes) compared to edibles. THC and terpene content are reported as a percentage of dry weight on the label.
- VapePre-rollTHC
- Pre-roll
- A pre-roll is a pre-made joint sold by a dispensary — flower (sometimes blended with concentrate) packed and rolled at the production facility. Convenient for visitors and a common entry point for people who don't want to roll their own.
- Flower
- Edibles
- Edibles are food and drink products infused with cannabis — gummies, chocolates, beverages, baked goods. Onset is much slower than smoked cannabis (30-120 minutes) and the felt experience reads differently. Start low (5mg or less for new users) and wait at least 90 minutes before taking more.
- THCDoseTolerance break
- Vape
- Vapes deliver cannabis as inhaled vapor rather than combustion smoke — typically via cartridges containing concentrate, or via dry-herb vaporizers that heat flower without burning it. Onset is fast like smoking; lung impact is generally lower per session.
- FlowerConcentrate
Concepts
- Decarboxylation
- Decarboxylation is the chemical process of converting THCA (the acid form found in raw cannabis) into THC by applying heat. Edibles makers decarb cannabis before infusing it into oil or butter.
- THCEdiblesFlower
- Dose
- Dose is the amount of THC (in milligrams for edibles/tinctures, or by inhalation count for flower/vapes) consumed in a session. New consumer floor for edibles is generally 2.5-5mg; experienced users land in the 10-25mg range; tolerance breaks reset where the curve sits. 'Start low, go slow' is the universal advice for any new format or strain.
- EdiblesTolerance break
Compliance + safety
- OCM
- OCM is the New York Office of Cannabis Management — the state regulator that licenses every legal adult-use dispensary in New York. Every licensed shop displays an OCM QR code at the entrance; scan it via cannabis.ny.gov to verify the shop's license is current. We only link to OCM-licensed retailers.
- Licensed (retailer)Public consumption
- Licensed (retailer)
- A licensed cannabis retailer is one that holds a current state-issued license to sell adult-use cannabis. In New York that's via the OCM. Licensed retailers display their license number; products are tested and tracked through a regulated supply chain. We don't link to unlicensed sellers.
- OCM
- Public consumption
- New York state law prohibits cannabis consumption on state-owned land and in public spaces — that includes parks, beaches, sidewalks, and most outdoor venues. Consumption is generally permitted in private residences and (where designated by the venue) at private 21+ events. Verify each venue's policy before consuming.
- OCM
Adults 21+ only. New York state law prohibits cannabis consumption on state-owned land and in public spaces. Verify licensed retailer status via the OCM QR code at cannabis.ny.gov.