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More than Smoke: The Many Ways to Consume Cannabis

Not so long ago cannabis was something that you smoked…or perhaps ate, if you had a particularly industrious stoner friend.

But now it comes in a wide array of options to choose from! ‘Tis no longer relegated to bowls, papers, and butter – but a whole world of options to medicate with. For newcomers it can be overwhelming, where do you even start? We’ll go over some of the options as well as who they are good for:

Smoking Flower: “Flower” refers to the dried cannabis plant. Perhaps the most popular way to medicate is to pop in a joint or a bowl (of a bong or a pipe), light it on fire, and breathe it in. Using a bong, or water pipe, is a faster way to achieve desired results and is helpful for those with higher tolerances.

Vaping Flower: A vaporizer heats up the cannabis without causing combustion, or burning, while still getting it hot enough to extract beneficial compounds. This makes for a cleaner taste and smell and is also easier on the lungs. It also uses cannabis more efficiently; so even though vaporizers can be pricey up front, you save money on flower.

Vape Pen: These are pen-looking devices that you attach a cannabis-concentrate-filled cartridge onto. They have mouthpieces on the end, and you just draw your breath in to ingest. The smell is considerably less noticeable, making them great for on-the-go medicating.

Tinctures: Tinctures are a liquid form of cannabis that you can take orally, by mouth, by dropping or spraying it under your tongue or adding it to other drinks. You can also use them topically by putting it on your skin. Tinctures are great for people who want a precise dose, like those who don’t want to overdo it. These are also great for under-the-radar medicating. Edibles: They’re so much more than brownies! (Though “special” brownies are certainly a classic.) Edibles come in all kinds of delicious varieties, from infused dinners to medicated breath mints. Edibles are processed differently in the body and can take over an hour, or two even, to start doing their thing – be mindful of this before having a second helping.

Concentrates: Concentrates are very potent extracts, sometimes diluted (like in tinctures and edibles), but most widely known in ‘dab’ form. Dabbing is a form of vaporization in which potent cannabis concentrates are dropped on a heated nail, creating vapor that is trapped in a glass globe and inhaled. Hash and kief are other forms of concentrate. These are all great for people with higher tolerances.

No matter what you’d like to explore, our friendly and knowledgeable Budtenders will be happy to guide you to a wonderful experience. Our menu is here, feel free to explore!

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9 Best Movies to Watch Stoned

We all know that watching a movie after partaking in cannabis is a good time.

While following intricate plots may prove to be a challenge, funny things are even funnier and that couch is even comfier. These 9 films will complement your high and take advantage of your increased abilities to be amused.

Half Baked: This list is in no particular order, but I still had to move this to numero uno. After a kindergarten teacher goes to jail for accidentally killing a horse via sharing munchies, Dave Chappelle and his stoney crew set out to make bail. There is at least one dispensary in the LA area named for this flick!

Smiley Face: Ever eat too many edibles? Anna Faris feels your pain. After having far too many “special” cupcakes, her character proceeds to have zany misadventures all around town. (You’ll never look at Danny Masterson the same way again.)

Dazed and Confused: This Richard Linklater movie follows a faded crew through their last day of high school in 1976; through freshman hazing, pop culture debates, and an epic kegger. Rory Cochrane plays the ultimate stoner, delivering lines like, “Absolutely George toked weed, are you kiddin’ me, man?”

Fast Times at Ridgemont High: This film features Sean Penn as Jeff Spicoli, the show-stealing stoney surfer dude of Ridgemont High. Peak-level stoniness happens when Spicoli hits himself in the head with his shoe to demonstrate his level of wastedness.

Dude, Where’s My Car?: We’ve all forgotten where we parked, but this goofy comedy takes it to a whole new level. After a serious night of partying, Ashton Kutcher and Seann William Scott attempt to find their car and wind up messing with the wrong aliens.

Fantasia: This 1940 Disney flick visually interprets classical pieces of music with animated characters; for example “The Rite of Spring” tells the story of evolution, from single-celled animals to the death of the dinosaurs. Dee-frickin’-lightful. (Alice and Wonderland, too!)

Cheech and Chong’s Up in Smoke: This classic 1978 flick follows Tommy Chong and Cheech Marin through Mexico and beyond as they attempt to make it to their concert in time, but get distracted by things like a ginormous joint that turns out to have a dookie special ingredient – and all whilst being chased by a doof of a cop. It’s a silly good time indeed.

The Big Lebowski: Jeff Bridges stars in this film as The Dude, who gets mixed up with the wrong characters and endures a dangerous series of events by maintaining a nice buzz. “Mind if I do a j?” is just one of many, many, quotable lines.

Monty Python and the Holy Grail: These guys are always funny, but between the brilliant one-liners (“What are you gonna do? Bleed on me?”), silly asides (the coconuts!), and visually vibrant transitions – this movie just kills it for a stoney night in.

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Our sparkling new sales floor!

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How Does Cannabis Provide Medicinal Help?

You’ve probably heard about the miracles of medical cannabis, but do you know why and how it works its magic?

Well, it all starts with the endocannabinoid system (ECS). This bodily system is common in mammals (like us!), birds, amphibians, fish, and many more nervous-system-having organisms. The ECS works to preserve homeostasis, or the stability and equilibrium between interdependent elements; like inside of one’s body.

Basically, maintaining homeostasis means that the body’s systems are working well together, that the body has a stable internal environment no matter what’s going on outside of it. Pain management, immune response, appetite, energy regulation, mood, and memory are just some of the many medical functions that are managed by the ECS. This wide array of functions is why cannabis is sometimes touted as a “miracle drug,” but it’s no miracle – it’s simply the ECS interacting with cannabis.

See, the ECS is made up of cell receptors and corresponding molecules that work like locks and corresponding keys. When the two fit and connect, functions of the ECS are engaged. Endocannabinoids are “keys” that are made by the body and are able to activate the ECS when they connect. Cannabinoids, on the other hand, come from the cannabis plant. (Which the ECS, endocannabinoid system, is actually named after.) Cannabinoids are shaped a lot like endocannabinoid “keys”, which is how the cannabinoids “unlock” the cell receptors, activating functions of the ECS.

The most well-known of cannabinoids are definitely THC and CBD, but there are several more known cannabinoids and scientists think that there are over 100 still to be discovered. These various types of cannabinoids are more powerful when they work together, a phenomenon known as “the entourage effect.” This effect is why isolated cannabinoids and synthetic forms of them aren’t as effective as whole plant medicine. There are also fewer side effects (like headache or dry mouth) when whole plant medicine is used.

In addition to stimulating the ECS to provide homeostasis (helping cure + prevent disease), using cannabis has also been shown to actually increase the number of cannabinoid receptors, or “locks.” This means that the body is able to utilize more endocannabinoids and cannabinoids “keys.” This is also why many people don’t get high their first time using cannabis – because they don’t have enough receptors, but then get more after medicating.

But getting high isn’t certainly isn’t required! There are several cannabinoids that are non-psychoactive, including the well-known CBD. Also, using very small doses of cannabis – often done in a liquid form (tincture) – has shown to be effective in producing medical benefits without getting the user high. This is called micro-dosing and it enables people to go about a normal active day whilst treating depression, stress, anxiety, pain, and improving focus.

So, in short, cannabis is medically effective due to its ability to engage the many functions of the endocannabinoid system, or ECS. It’s no “miracle,” it’s just that the ECS takes care of a lot of business. It’s wise to use the whole plant, versus just isolated cannabinoids. And a buzz is not necessary to enjoy the health benefits of cannabis. Be sure to tell your budtender your health objectives when you come in!

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Are You New to Cannabis?

Maybe you’ve never used cannabis, or maybe it’s just been awhile…a long while — but you’re ready to see what it can do.

The first item on your agenda should be to see how it affects you without overdosing. Overdosing on cannabis has never killed anyone, ever. But it can cause symptoms that aren’t desirable, like paranoia or cognitive troubles. These effects will be temporary, but they can lead to an unpleasant experience that may last several hours.

People come to cannabis for many reasons. Maybe you’ve heard of microdosing and would like to see if it can help your daily focus. Maybe you’d like to have physical symptoms alleviated, like nausea or pain, but don’t want any psychoactive effects. Or maybe you’d just like to get a buzz on and relax a bit. Or perhaps you have mental health troubles, like depression or anxiety, cannabis can help you there too! Ask yourself why you’re wanting to check it out, be ready to tell our knowledgeable budtenders what you’d like to experience.

Once you arrive at Green Cross of Torrance, our receptionist will check you in; and you might have to wait for other patrons to leave, or you might get to head right up to the counter. You’ll have a budtender dedicated to you once you’re inside, ready to answer all of your questions and to help you have a great experience. Cannabis comes in much more than the dried plant that’s customarily been available. (Now referred to as “flower.”) It’s now available in vape pens, discreet batteries that you can buy cannabis cartridges for; creams that you apply to your skin; edible treats in many flavors and varieties; tinctures that you can take alone or add to food and drinks; and other means of consumption.

Once you’ve picked out your goodies, it’s time to pay. Since cannabis is now legal, it’s taxed at all compliant dispensaries. (See the taxes and limits here.) Your purchases must be put in a reusable exit bag so you don’t get a DUI ($1 + tax), and then it’s time to partake. You’ll have received instructions from your budtender on how not to overdo it, be sure to adhere and be extra careful with edibles. Enjoy!

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Our Chad and Aaron in our improved digs.

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Our spiffy new digs from the view of our lovely wallflowers.

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Why does cannabis give people the munchies?

It’s more than hunger. It’s a taste-obsession that cannot go unquelled.

We’ve all been there: combining things like Pringles and Cool Whip, eating the questionable noms from the back of the pantry, waiting on pizza like it’s water in a desert wasteland…ah, the munchies. While most cannabis enthusiasts or even dabblers are familiar with the experience, knowing why they happen is less common.

It’s probably apparent to you that cannabis affects how the brain functions. It does this because our brains have cannabinoid receptors that cannabis’s cannabinoids, like the popular THC and CBD, interact with. (Our bodies also make endocannabinoids which work with the same receptors.) These receptors do all kinds of things, including controlling one’s appetite. According to Smithsonian, a team of European neuroscientists found that THC fits into these receptors in the olfactory bulbs of mice, which increased their ability to smell food.

So, at least partially, cannabis could cause the munchies simply because it increases one’s ability to smell; and as a result, taste. And there’s more. In addition to making our ability to smell and taste more acute, cannabinoids also affect on what chemicals are released in the brain – to put it simply, it flips the hormone from the one that ought to make mice (or humans) aware that they’re full, to telling them they’re H-U-N-G-R-Y.

It’s fascinating stuff and research is really just getting started. But why would a plant evolve to make an eater hungrier? Is this specific function flipping because of other functions having also been switched by cannabis? The questions are still far more numerous than answers, but scientists are excited. Let’s celebrate over some Funyuns!

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Hurry Up and Wait: July’s Compliance Dilemma

You might be aware that compliance in the cannabis industry is no simple thing, especially during this transition to legal recreational marijuana.

Where some states implicated compliance standards from the get-go, like Colorado, California has been operating as a medical market for more than 20 years. Change is more complicated with an already-flourishing market, and everything is changing.

June 30th was the last day that dispensaries could sell cannabis without child-proof packaging or without having been tested. Everything on the shelves must be child-proof and tested, starting July 1st. Any product that was leftover had to be destroyed. So hopefully you were able to take advantage of the perk: June cannabis discounts! We had some bonkers sales, with everything being basically half off by the end.

And now we wait for product. We are happy to have several new brands in-house that are fully compliant – we aren’t in any kind of dry spell or anything scary like that – but we don’t have the choices that you might be used to. This will improve day by day as the month goes on and our regular brands get their testing and compliance down. So keep stopping by or checking our menu for fun new products.

And now you’ll be able to see the test results on every package you buy, no questions about it! Another perk is that you no longer need to carry your products out of our store in a child-proof bag, as the items themselves are child-proof. (We will still carry the bags though, if you’re looking to turn down the smell!) Thanks for hanging in there with us in these changing times; and be on the lookout for other upgrades we’ll be doing down the line, we’re even talking about pre-order and delivery… Stay tuned!

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About Us

The Green Cross of Torrance was established in 2006 as a medicinal dispensary and is now happy to be serving recreational customers as well. We’ve got all of your cannabis needs covered, from flower to concentrate, rolling papers to vape pens, and everything in between.

We’re a Pre-ICO collective that is proud to be legally compliant. As such, we have a few rules of the house: nothing covering your face (like the bill of a hat), no weapons, backpacks, or cellphone use. We’ll also have to charge you the required taxes, but remember that they go right back into our community!

In addition to serving cannabis from area growers, we also grow our own under the name De la Mota. We’re passionate about cannabis and love serving our community’s needs, please let us know if you’re after something that we don’t carry. And if you’re not sure what you want, we’ve got friendly and knowledgeable budtenders that’ll help you figure out how cannabis can best serve you. We’re open from 10am to 10pm every day — but if it’s your first visit, be sure to get here before 9:30pm so we can answer all of your questions.

We appreciate you and your business, thanks for choosing Green Cross!

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Blue Dream is back, and tastier than ever! Come in and try some today! #dank #herb #cannabiscommunity #ganja #blue #dreams #cannabis #weed #bluedream #torrance #greencross #hybrid #sativadominant #cloud #smoke #alternativemedicine #fresh #flowers #sanitary #control #legal #thc #420 (at Green Cross of Torrance)

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Starting today ALL EDIBLES OVER 100MG are now buy 2 get 1 free until the end of the year! Come in and get your favorite thc infused snacks! #deals #holidayspecial #munchies #420edibles #edible #chocolate #kushypunch #cheeba #tko #kanehco #kiva #breeze #sprig #habit #cannabiscommunity #medicated #holistic #healthyalternative #food #mmjfood (at Green Cross of Torrance)

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Season's greetings! Here are our holiday hours! Remember to stop in for a free Christmas gift! #happy #holidays #christmas #seasons #greetings #hours #time #collective #torrance #new #year #gifts #free #marijuana #cannabiscommunity #best #wishes (at Green Cross of Torrance)

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It's a beatiful day outside! Enjoy a balanced life with Treatwell Tinctures! Today @greencross_torrance is Tincture Thursday! Where all tinctures products are buy 2 get 1 free! #tincture #thursday #treatwell #cbd #thca #cbda #holistic #healing #cannabinoids #health #treatment #thc #calinforina #torrance #love #losangeles #homeopathic #homeostasis #balance (at Green Cross of Torrance)

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Let us help you get through hump day with wax Wednesday! Buy a full gram of wax and recieve a half gram gor free! All of our quality shatter is made in house, and prepared for your shopping convenience in top sanitary conditions! #waxing #wax #waxaddict #waxwednesday #shatter #shatterday #shatter #shatterhead #clear #clean #quality #sanitary #special #sale #deal #save #humpday #wednesday #love #peace #cannabis #mmj #weed #pot #ganjia (at Green Cross of Torrance)

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Join't us this Triple joint Tuesday! All joint products are buy 2 get 1 free! We stock all your favorites plus house strains pre-rolled starting at just $5! #prerolls #joint #cannabiscommunity #clean #house #triple #tuesday #strain #specific #love #heart #cannabis #sale #deal #day #getit #lit (at Green Cross of Torrance)

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Check out Kaneh Co. Superfood Granola Bar! A healthy way to medicate this Munchie Monday! All edibles are buy 2 get 1 free! #healthyalternative #vegan #250mg #100mg #munchiemonday #edible #kanehco #alternative #medicine #wellness #glutenfree #organic #granola #coconutoil #gojiberries #chiaseeds #agave #labtested #gourmet #superfood (at Green Cross of Torrance)