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As they grow bigger, stronger, older, they need more intense light. 

We change spectrums on the light, depending on the cycle that they're in. We
do so much.

[W]: So you're caring for the plants really throughout the day.
[R]: Checking the air quality and all that.
[A]: Constantly. The biggest thing too is there's so many environmental factors. Another reason why I love my job, what keeps it so exciting and fun, is there's constantly obstacles arising. We fix one thing or we figure out what this problem is, and we're like, “Yes!” We're rejoicing. Then as that's happening, there's something else going on that we soon realize, but it's fun. 

I've never done this before. I've always wanted to, ever since I was super young. This has always been kind of a passion and dream of mine.

[R]: You just wanted to grow weed. [laughter]

[A]: Yes, that’s all I ever wanted, all I ever wanted in life. [laughter]

That's another reason why I'm so grateful. It has been a dream and a goal for so long, and just to manifest it and to have people around me to support me to get me to this point. It's a dream come true.

[W]: Fantastic.
[R]: Do you want to tell us about one of your favorite strains that we grow [by] In The Flow? I know, we grow high terpene strains. Let me ask you that again. 

What is a high terpene strain?

[A]: Terpenes are the aromas, the repellents, or the attractants in a plant. There's lots that go into the nutrients you give them or the attention you give that will make those be more excessive. And genetics also is a great part of it. 

So they'll secrete oils, and you can visibly see that, but you can also, absolutely, physically feel that. Some strains if you're up pruning, which is picking the [dead] leaves off that are clogging up certain areas, your gloves or your hands will stick together at some point, quickly. Depending on the cycle too, and the stage that it's in, towards the end of flower, you touch one leaf, your fingers are sticking together. 

So coconut oil is a great way to immediately remove that and lubricate and nourish and moisturize your skin.

[R]: Perfect. 

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So which one is your [favorite strain]?

[A]:  My favorite strain so far — it changes, depending on who I am that day or how I'm feeling that day or my environment, my surroundings, but so far, I guess I have two. 

Donny; I love the sensation of Donny. Being super high THC, it kind of made me nervous at first. A lot of the time really potent, really high THC products can make me really shaky, a little jittery, and it's not my favorite type of feel. Even though overall I feel great, but just a physical symptom of that for me, I can get a little jittery. 

So I was a little nervous to try Donny, but it did the absolute opposite for me. I was just like, “whoa.” I'm not used to that. When you have low expectatio–, not even low expectations because I didn’t have low expectations, but going into it thinking, being a little anxious about it and getting a complete opposite result. It made it even better.

[W]: It took you by surprise.

[A]: Yeah, [it was] super relaxing, super social. I love indicas; they kind of work adversely for me than they do a lot of people so they make me energized and social and excited and happy.

Sativas tend to kind of, not bring me down but kind of make me lag or make me tired. 

[W]: Everybody's different.

[A]: That's something we stress, too, because I was a budtender for the first couple of years. 

That was something I always reiterated with patients is that we are all so unique. 

Our chemical makeup, our endocannabinoid system, are so unique to us; none of us are the same. At all. No one on this planet is the same, everything is different about us. So the way we react to these chemical reactions is a complete different experience than anyone you know, which is special.
[W]: So that's one of your favorites. And you have another one.

[A]: It is. I would say there's more sentiment, there's more emotion when it comes to the strain, Modified Grapes. That was actually the first strain I tried of ours. I chose to try that first for sentimental reasons. 

We had one of our plants in our first round, one of our first clones of Modified Grapes was a runt, and she would not grow. 

So we supervise; we veg for three months so we've got time to grow. And she was not growing. Everyone else was like, “Well, we don't necessarily need her; we could just toss her.” I was very adamant about why. I’m like, “We only have 50 right now, and we can only flower and harvest 50 plants at a time.” 

“There's no reason; we don't have to get rid of it. It's not like we have too many plants.” So I put my foot down. They're great at listening to me. [laughter] I’ve got those boys wrapped around my fingers. 

So she was a runt, and she didn't grow for two months in veg. 

She did not grow, but all of her sisters grew around her. So I would raise her higher and higher. I'd put pots underneath her to raise her because we still want her to meet the same par, the same light intensity. I would raise her as her sisters grew, and it was two months in, and she just flourished. 

Not only did I give her attention every day, I would walk in every morning and be like, “You are a queen.” Comparison kills; you can't compare yourself to anybody else, and it's hard not to, just human nature. So I would constantly remind her that, “Your sisters, they are queens as well. But just because they've grown and they're robust and stronger doesn't mean that you don't have all these other values and virtues.” 

Every morning, we had affirmations together. And it wasn't just me. One of our co-workers, Brandy also completely nurtured her as well. She didn't work in the grow at the time, but she would make it a point to come back there, if not every day, every other day, just to join in on the affirmations. 

Then two months in, she flourished. 

It got to the point where she actually was, don't quote me, but I think she was the heaviest when harvest came, as far as wet weight, but she was also the tallest. I know that for a fact she was the tallest. Everyone was like, “This is crazy.” 

[W]: You should never underestimate the power of positive thinking and nurturing. The fact that she came in with more challenges, but she rallied.
[A]: As women do; women struggle through a lot. We know we go through a lot. I chose her to be the first strain of ours that I smoked, and it was just an overpowering, overwhelming experience. I smoked it at home by myself; it was just, we like to use the word, sentimental.

So is the grow organic? Can you say you're creating organic products?

All the nutrients we use are, as far as I know, as organic as you can get. We use really high grade nutrients. All the sprays we use are organically derived concentrates from other plants and such. There's a lot of rules and regulations about what you can spray and what you can't spray, and we do strive to be more organic, more sustainable, eco friendly kind of products because we all prefer that. The food we eat, we'd rather be organic, not sprayed with all these crazy pesticides. Similar thing. 

[W]: Yeah. People are ingesting this essentially. Right? 

[R]: And it’s medicine. 

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So Ari, I know, us, we at The Source, in the grow, we call ourselves a boutique grow; what does that mean?

[A]: Boutique cannabis allows us to grow on a more intimate level. We have less plants; we're not mass producing like most cultivations do in most states. We have the opportunity to grow to a smaller scale, and that kind of allows us to be more intimate, more hands on, more sentimental. [laughter]
[W]: You have time to nurture the runts.
[A]: We’re not rushed, so we do super veg. We've got three months in veg. An average normal way of growing: it’s two months veg, two months flower. We, three months veg, sometimes longer. If things need to be pushed back, we have that ability to do that, and it just grows stronger, bigger, happier plants. It's just a lot more one on one. We have that ability to build relationships with a smaller group of beautiful ladies.

Would you say we have better flower?

[A]: Well, yeah. [laughter] I think that we can all agree that that is the case.

[R]: I think so. I think Wendy will agree with you.

[W]: I agree.  

[A]: At the same time, going back to when you grow your own vegetables in your own garden, it's a different taste, a different nourishment.
[W]: It was so disappointing when the initiative with grow was not passed in Arkansas. But it really warms my heart to know that you're so nurturing and caring. Your team must be, as well.

So at least we know, when we go to The Source, we're getting something similar to what a home grow would be like, where you're really nurturing the plants and care about them and then using the medicine for yourself. 

I don't think that legislators really understand the value in that, the medicinal value. But at least we really have the next best thing with you running this grow.

[A]: Thank you so much. Yeah, I'm honored to be able to provide this experience for people I love and for our patients. I truly am honored.
[R]: I second that. I like to call our flower…, I tell people we do “farm to table,” right? We do farm to table, and we don't hold on to it for too long. We harvest; you're gonna get it soon.
[A]: I want to add one thing to Rochelle: I love you. You are my queen, and having you back there helping us, I'm so grateful for it. I know that our plants love you. We both agree that talking to your plants is important. 

My grandma told me that my whole life; she ingrained it in me. When I watch you in there, I watch you sing to them; I watch you dance with them. I love it, and I know that they do, too. I admire you and  it’s such joy to have you back there when you're able to.
[R]: Thank you, and I am so proud of you, just watching you grow in the grow. [laughter]

[W]: Well, do you have anything you'd like to add for our listeners that they might want to know about the grow process or the plants or anything that you'd like to add?
[A]: Just that we all put so much into this and to hear their feedback, it's really important to us. Come get on our website, post reviews, whether they're good or bad. We like the feedback. And we listen and we take that to heart. If there's something you're unhappy with, we want to know, so we can work around that or figure out how to fix a problem. Grow with you, for us, and as well as positive feedback because positive affirmation is good for all of us. 

[W]: Thank you so much for joining us. 

[A]: Thank you so much for having me. This was a lot of fun. 

[R]: Thank you so much. 

May The Source be with you!

It's time for a truth nug.

Is my information private with the Arkansas Department of Health in the medical marijuana section? 

Yes, it is. Your information is protected, medical information. It is private, 100%. Not even law enforcement can obtain this information. They only are able to see that you have a card, not what you've bought, not how much you've spent. None of that; Everything is private.

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Rochelle, I think it's time to go to work.

[R]: Is it time to smoke?

It's time for a strain review.

[R]: I think I want to try this one with Ari. I know you have some sentimental connections to this strain in particular, and we want to get into that as we toke.
[W]: Yeah, so it's called Modified Grapes, and this was one of the plants that you nurtured, right? The runt. 

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[A]: The runt, yes. The baby in the group. 

[W]: So Modified Grapes has caryophyllene, limonene, and myrcene. It's an aromatic blend of grape, honey, and berries, and delivers an uplifting, creative, and social high. Should we do it?

[A]: Let's do it. 

[R]: Let’s get social guys. 

[W]: Hmm, that's a really light flavor. It's funny because it says it's really aromatic, but I'm getting a very light flavor that I can't fully describe really. What do you think, Ari? 

[A]: So you're gonna like this answer because I have this, I don't know, “condition,” where it all tastes like pretzels to me. 

[R]: Whoa. Do tell.

[A]: It has always been like that, since the moment the first time I smoked. I just don't get the flavor. So I guess I'm not a connoisseur because I don't taste it. I don't know. I can't smell very well either so I think that correlates with taste. I mean, I can definitely smell our strains because it's undeniable.
[W]: I really taste the limonene, but it's very light.What do you think, Rochelle?
[R]: I agree with you that the limonene stands out to me, like a super light citrus undertone. But I’ll  tell you what, when we're harvesting the Modified Grapes, which we did a few days ago… the fragrance. This thing smells grapey.
[W]: I do not taste grape. Do you taste grape?
[R]: Maybe it's the paper. I just did. Pull a little harder. 

[W]: When I put my tongue on the roof of my mouth, I get more flavor. Probably because I'm getting the aroma from my nose, right? When I press my tongue up there. When I do that, I do get a hint of grape. Just a hint. It's interesting, though, because they're so aromatic when they’re growing. 

[R]: Yes, they are like that. And this one is an indica-dominant hybrid, 80/20 I believe. But tell us about… you mentioned your story about a little runt. What was her name? I’m sure you gave it a name. 

[A]: So her name is and will always be Susie. I don't take credit. It's actually Brandy, one of my co-workers. And it's spelled “S-I-O-U-X-I-S-E.”

[R]: Like the Sioux. Did you smoke, Siouxise?

[A]: I did. [laughter]

[W]: You cut her down and you smoked her.

[A]: She was honored to give herself to us.
[R]: She was wonderful. So to get to our delightful, lightly flavored Modified Grapes, we crossed Purple Punch with GMO, and GMO cannabis is not what you think; it's not genetically modified. It is garlic, mushroom, onion or GMO cookies. Or garlic cookies. 

[W]: You learn something new every day. I did not know that, and when I ever would see GMO on a strain, it was a turnoff to me.
[R]: Same here because I just assume that it was genetically modified, which beer are genetically modified strains, but this is not one of them. Because, In The Flow, we don't grow like that. 

Common symptoms of consuming too much THC are anxiety, increased heart rate, nausea, and paranoia.

The first thing to remember is that you are okay. You cannot overdose on cannabis or use too much THC. Drink water, preferably cold, or splash some on your face to shock your endocannabinoid system and help ground you. Staying hydrated will also allow your body to flush the cannabinoid tetrahydrocannabinol (THC for short) from your system, while getting rid of the cotton mouth you're most likely experiencing, allowing you to relax.

Take a run or a walk

One great way for your body to detox THC from your system quickly is through sweating. If you can, go outside for a run or walk; activity will help tremendously! If you cannot do physical activity to detox the THC quickly from your system, another option is through hot baths or showers; this will work just as well.

Try CBD

We offer several products high in CBD, including seltzer, sub-lingual troches, and gummies.

An excellent option for mellowing your high from too much marijuana use is consuming the cannabinoid CBD. Keep CBD products on hand for those times when you ingest too much cannabis. Getting CBD into your system is the surest thing you can do to even out your high. CBD will decrease the euphoric effect caused when you consume marijuana while increasing the medical benefits of the plant, creating homeostasis in the body and mind. 

If you notice you may be too medicated from THC and only have CBD edibles (edibles are processed through the liver, therefore taking longer to take effect) on hand, don't worry. Chewing an edible longer and allowing the CBD to absorb through the sublingual glands in your mouth will make the effects onset quicker.

Explore terpenes derived from botanicals too

Eat foods with balancing terpenes

Other options are available to help balance your high besides the cannabinoid CBD. The aromatic oils you smell off your cannabis, known as terpenes, are also helpful in combating the sensation of being too high.

The terpenes found in cannabis can also be found in other everyday things. When searching for a calming, uplifting effect, the main terps to look at are caryophyllene, limonene, and pinene.

They terpenes caryohpyllene, limonene, and pinene can help bring you down when you are over-medicated.

Caryophyllene is found in natural ingredients such as black pepper, clove, oregano, and cinnamon. This terpene interacts with the same cannabinoid receptors as some antidepressant medications. If you have any of these items with caryophyllene, eating them will help provide anxiety relief and a more clear mind.

Limonene is found in citrus, such as lemon and orange rinds. Studies show limonene affects the brain’s serotonin system, giving you a more elevated mood and decreased anxiety. Drinking lemon water or fresh orange juice can help give some stress and anxiety relief.

Pinene is a terpene found in pine needles, rosemary, dill, basil, and parsley. Researchers found that pinene can counteract THC-induced anxiety. With these items, you can eat or just smell them to combat the overwhelming feelings you are experiencing. Taking a deep breath of pine needles, or even a pine essential oil, will help you feel calmer, with a clearer mind. 

Take a nap

If none of these options do the trick, napping for a few hours is a great way to help yourself calm down. Being too high from smoking cannabis can be scary and overwhelming, but you are not alone. We have all been there, and I promise you, you will get through it and be okay.

What to do when you cannot get medicated enough

Be sure to check out the strains that we grow in house, like Donny Burger and Peach Crescendo.

Many cannabis consumers feel it doesn't matter how high the THC content is; they just can’t seem to get high like they used to. Although the THC content of the plant is not the only thing that gives you the euphoria and effects you receive, THC does tend to be the deciding factor for individuals who have grown a tolerance to most of their cannabis consumption. Losing the ability to get high is a common occurrence for several reasons. Luckily, there are numerous ways to help keep your THC level low for as long as possible.

Begin with low THC levels

If you are new to consuming cannabis, have just undergone a detoxification process, or just want to keep your tolerance low, you do not need to be searching for the cannabis strain with the highest THC percentages. Start with cannabis strains with lower THC percentages, like 12%-16%. Low-testing THC strains provide just as much relief as high-testing strains, like 25% or above, because of the entourage effect, meaning when you get something lower in THC, you are gaining medical assistance from all properties the cannabis plant has to offer, giving cannabis users a better effect of each terpene and cannabinoid.

Mix up your timing and strains

Try and mix up your cannabis use schedule from day to day. Studies have shown that consuming cannabis at the same time every day will increase your tolerance, especially during that time. Since cannabis use is connected to your endocannabinoid receptors, every aspect of your life while consuming it will have something to do with how your high affects you.

For example, you can experience two different highs with the same cannabis strain based on whether you woke up feeling sluggish, skipped breakfast, and consumed inside versus if you woke up feeling good, ate breakfast, and consumed outside.

Let's say you have a cannabis strain that you love, and you exclusively consume that strain. Consuming the same strain, particularly at the same time of day, will cause your tolerance level to build very quickly to that specific strain. Your tolerance level builds quickly to that strain because your CB1 and CB2 receptors can grow a tolerance to the specific terpene profiles of a cannabis plant.

Mixing up what strain of cannabis you consume is an excellent way to keep your THC tolerance low. Even if it is a similar strain, having a slightly different terpene profile will allow your receptors to open up to these other cannabinoids.

Experiment with a new consumption method

Another great way to keep your tolerance low is by using different consumption methods. There are many different ways to consume cannabis nowadays, making mixing up your consumption methods easier. You can change how you consume medical marijuana however you want to because each individual’s body is so unique and processes differently that there is no right or wrong way. It is a trial and error process until you find what works for you, whether with edibles, topicals, trans-dermal patches, and sublingual products, or dabs, flower, and cartridges.

Take a break to reset those receptors

If you’ve been smoking for years with no break, unfortunately, sometimes a tolerance break will be the only way to reset those receptors. Typically, your THC tolerance level takes around 48 hours to decrease. For a complete THC detox, however, the average person needs to take at least a 21-day break from consuming cannabis with THC.

Be sure to check out the strains that we grow in house! Click to shop In The Flow Boutique Cannabis!

About The Source cannabis dispensary in Northwest Arkansas

The Source Cannabis – Arkansas is a craft cannabis company located in Rogers, Arkansas just off Exit  85 on Interstate 49. We produce and dispense In The Flow Boutique Cannabis and Wavelength Extracts vape cartridges. We value education, quality, friendliness, and inclusivity.

Our favorite cultivator growing this strain is Natural State Medicinals, located in White Hall, AR. With their dedication to cultivating high-quality, pharmaceutical grade cannabis, NSM’s Lemon Berry Candy has started to make waves amongst Arkansans with its invigorating effects and enticing citrus aroma.

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Lemon Skunk by In The Flow

Lemon Skunk

A sativa-dominant hybrid strain like no other, Lemon Skunk is a highly potent strain great for any time of day. With intense cerebral effects that uplift and focus the mind and its soothing body-high that doesn’t couch-lock, Lemon Skunk is the perfect pick for helping relieve symptoms of chronic pain, depression, fatigue, and nausea.

At The Source, we began cultivating a high-testing cut of Lemon Skunk provided to us by In The Flow in 2023. With multiple batches testing at over 30% THC and a strong terpene profile, it’s clear that this sativa-dominant hybrid is one of our small grow’s best performers. Lemon Skunk is the loudest, skunkiest strain in the building! Trust us — you won’t want to miss this sativa strain each time a new harvest drops, because it sells fast!

Lilac Diesel

With a slight sativa dominance, Lilac Diesel is a fragrant cannabis strain that induces a powerful cerebral high immediately upon exhale. An intense focus overcomes the mind, while a warm tingle spreads throughout the body, inducing hunger in its users. Lilac Diesel is not for inexperienced cannabis users and may help in treating chronic pain, depression, insomnia, migraines, and nausea.

Lilac Diesel is another sativa-dominant hybrid by In The Flow that we grow in-house in our own boutique grow at The Source in Rogers. Another high tester, this strain of weed shows off in our touchy-feely, craft batch grow room. 

Alleviate stress with these hybrid strains

Hybrid strains are perfect for the cannabis consumer who loves the properties of both indica strains and sativa strains. 

Desert Lime by Carpenter Farms

Desert Lime

Considered to be a balanced hybrid, Desert Lime is excellent for uplifting and motivating the mind. Although it can produce a heavy relaxation in the body, users of Desert Lime report feeling giggly, social, and energized, making it an excellent strain for relieving symptoms of anxiety, depression, and fatigue.

Interspecies Erotica by Carpenter Farms

Interspecies Erotica

Interspecies Erotica is another balanced hybrid with all the best parts of indica and sativa genetics. Users of this highly potent cannabis strain report feeling an increase in appetite and tingly euphoria that hits both mind and body, making this hybrid strain beneficial in treating chronic pain, depression, fatigue, and nausea.

Both Desert Lime and Interspecies Erotica were brought to Arkansas by Carpenter Farms located in Hot Springs. Our budtenders are huge fans of these exotic hybrid strains! 

Luxar Dos

Fairly new to the cannabis scene, Luxar Dos shows a slight sativa-dominance and is a great weed strain for a lazy day as it produces a heavy euphoric effect that quickly progresses into a powerful body high. With its intense effects and tendency for high THC levels, Luxar Dos is beneficial for helping medical cannabis patients with anxiety, chronic pain, depression, insomnia, and stress. 

Indica-dominant strains that induce relaxation

Time to go to bed! Enjoy these indica-dominant hybrid strains that allow the mind and body to relax, soothing it into a peaceful, sedative state.

Afghan Kush

The real OG. Afghan Kush is a Mazaar landrace weed strain, meaning cannabis would not be the same today without it and other landraces like it. A classic indica strain, Afghan Kush produces the typical effects that have come to be known for indicas and is extremely sedative, affecting more of the body than the mind. It is a perfect strain for helping relieve symptoms of anxiety, chronic pain, insomnia, loss of appetite, and PTSD.

Glitter Bomb

A delicious cannabis strain that is quickly gaining a following, Glitter Bomb produces an uplifting high that relieves the mind of racing thoughts before settling in the body, making its users completely immobile. Perfect for a late night smoke sesh, Glitter Bomb may help relieve symptoms of anxiety, chronic pain, depression, and insomnia.

Glitter Bomb was first brought to Arkansas by TICAL when they partnered with BOLD Team from Plant City, AR. Since its debut, it has enticed cannabis consumers, with other cultivators like River Valley Relief also producing the popular indica leaning strain. 

Royal Wedding by Revolution Cannabis

Royal Wedding

A mood-boosting indica-dominant hybrid, Royal Wedding is a popular strain of weed amongst budtenders for its euphoric and couch-locking effects. Best for use in the evening or at night, Royal Wedding may help medical marijuana patients suffering from chronic pain, depression, insomnia, and lack of appetite. 

A favorite of several of our budtenders, Revolution Cannabis cultivates this sweet, cake-y strain to perfection, with it consistently producing a higher than average THC level. This is one indica strain you won’t regret buying.

Blackwater by Natural State Medicinals

BONUS Indica Strain — Blackwater

Beloved for its fruity dankness, Blackwater is an indica-dominant hybrid strain that slowly creeps up on its users before melting down the entire body for a classic head-to-toe euphoric high. Medical cannabis patients who suffer from appetite loss, chronic pain, insomnia, and multiple sclerosis may find Blackwater beneficial in relieving their symptoms caused by these conditions. With its heavily sedating effects, Blackwater is recommended for late-night consumption as it can cause mental cloudiness and detract from productivity.

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Natural State Medicinals is currently the sole producer of this fragrant strain of weed in Arkansas. It’s no surprise that they hit the ball out of the park with this one, as well.

Start 2024 on a high note, and try these awesome cannabis strains for a truly elevated year!

ICYMI: Most popular weed strains of 2023

In 2023, most cannabis consumers stayed consistent with wanting marijuana strains that are high testing in THC and the best bang for their buck. But for the many who look at more than THC when shopping for weed, they stayed true to the classics. 

Take a quick look back at some of the most popular cannabis strains of 2023 that you don't want to miss!

Scott’s OG

A highly potent strain, Scott’s OG is an indica-dominant strain recommended for consumers with a high tolerance. Known for its powerfully sedating effects, Scott’s OG produces a strong body-high and has shown potential therapeutic benefits in helping with chronic pain, insomnia, and PTSD.

Cookies

Known in most states as Girl Scout Cookies, Cookies is a cannabis strain that is beneficial to medical patients suffering from headaches or migraines, nausea, and a lack of appetite. It produces a cerebral effect that invigorates the mind along with full-body relaxation that is body-numbing and hunger inducing.

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Donny Burger

A powerful indica-dominant hybrid, Donny Burger produces an uplifted, giggly effect in its users, with mild sedation. Perfect for use any time of day, medical cannabis patients find Donny Burger to help with anxiety, chronic pain, depression, and inflammation. 

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Blue Dream

Extremely popular amongst cannabis users worldwide, Blue Dream is a sativa-dominant strain whose effects hit both body and mind. A motivating cerebral high sparks focus and creativity while a mellow physical-high work its way through the body making it an excellent strain to help relieve symptoms of ADD/ADHD, anxiety, headaches or migraines, inflammation, mood disorders, and PTSD.

Pineapple Express

Pineapple Express is a sativa-dominant strain that produces a chill, enjoyable high that sparks creativity and laughter in its users, while relaxing them with a mellow body-buzz. A great weed strain for social gatherings, Pineapple Express may help relieve symptoms of anxiety, chronic pain, depression, fatigue, and nausea.

Chemmy Jones

A potent, sativa-dominant strain, Chemmy Jones is not for the faint of heart. This In The Flow cult classic produces an uplifting, functional high that sparks focus and creativity, making it the perfect choice for a daytime smoke sesh. Chemmy Jones may help patients find relief from depression, chronic pain, headaches or migraines, and stress.

What is Terpli?

Terpli is an artificial intelligence budtending software that helps medical patients find the best cannabis products for their needs currently in stock at our dispensary. With the use of this application, customers have the option to shop for their cannabis products based on what type of effects they want to experience and what symptoms they are trying to relieve. Customers can also select the type of product they wish to consume and the level of potency desired; they can even choose specific terpenes they are looking for. 

According to Eric, Terpli takes the terpene and cannabinoid content from the cannabis products' COAs (certificate of analysis), customer reviews from public platforms such as Leafly and iHeartJane, as well as our online menu, and “[marries] them with the underlying chemistry of that product.” With the underlying chemistry and the reported effects, Terpli pulls our live inventory through the point of sale and bases its recommendation on all the information gathered.

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Terpli offers a quick quiz for online shoppers to take in order to target cannabis products specifically for their needs.

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Through a quiz available to the online shopper on our menu, Terpli has the customer answer questions like, “What kind of effects are you looking for?” “How potent of a product do you want?” “What is your price range?” etc., and then recommends cannabis products currently in stock at our dispensary based on the answers you provided.

Conceptualizing AI: The Intelligence Behind Terpli

The idea behind Terpli came from Eric’s best friend and college roommate, Peter Kasper, founder of Terpli. Peter founded the Marshall Cannabis Institute, the first business of cannabis organization at the University of Southern California (USC). During his time at USC, Peter took a terpene workshop and started learning about the entourage effect and how terpenes and cannabinoids work together to produce particular effects.

Information regarding a cannabis product’s chemical makeup is not readily available to the everyday consumer. Peter went to retailers, who are required to retain the COAs, obtained the terpene and cannabinoid information of the marijuana products he was consuming, and began manually keeping track of how he was affected. Eventually, he built the information he gathered and put it into a predicted analytic, creating the first generation of Terpli.

Initially, Peter's ideology was a recommendation engine that was a mobile app. However, according to Eric, when COVID-19 hit in 2020, many dispensaries went from zero to one hundred for online sales. 

“It was illegal in many states to sell weed online, at least to have your menu available. Now, all of a sudden, because of Covid, it was an essential business. So many of these retailers basically just took whatever they had and turned it on, which de facto was either Dutchie or [iHeart] Jane.”

Eric and Peter looked at what the online menu experience was for the cannabis consumer when using these iframe eCommerce marketplaces and determined, “It kind of sucks.” Eric explained how shopping on these market platforms was like shopping on a “glorified inventory listing with a bunch of made-up names, and customers didn’t have any guidance.”

Eric stated nobody knew what they were consuming as there was no benchmarking or anything to trace, especially in new markets. With Terpli, they wanted to cut through that misinformation.

Benefits of an AI Budtender

Terpli helps find the best product for your body and budget through a quiz available online on our menu

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Though many are skeptical about artificial intelligence, AI budtending applications like Terpli benefit the cannabis industry in more ways than one.

Eric spoke about how Terpli allows online customers to have a more personalized, “guided experience” while shopping, just like they would if they had shopped with one of our employees. “It’s the same level of soft touch and personalization that you get from a budtender in a store.”

“Rather than focusing on indica, sativa, [and] hybrid, we’re focused on what experience would you like to have?”

He states, “You can go in, and you can ask it for what product types you’re looking for, what effect you want, so rather than focusing on indica, sativa, [and] hybrid, we’re focused on what experience would you like to have? People use [cannabis] for different reasons, and we want to focus on the underlying ailments that they’re looking to relieve [rather] than just the ‘Hey, I want to get high.’”

At The Source, we strive to educate our patients about how the whole cannabis plant is beneficial to the healing process and not just the THC. By implementing Terpli’s AI budtender software into our online menu, we are able to advise our patients during their online shopping experience.

Terpli also allows us to educate more patients as our friendly AI budtender (who we call Leafy Bud) can assist more than one patient at a time, at any time of day, whereas shopping in-store, we are limited to the number of budtending stations available, and the dispensary’s hours of operations.

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The Source Cannabis dispensary's AI budtender, Leafy Bud, is here to help online shoppers navigate our menu

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While online consumers navigate through Terpli’s quiz, they have the ability to learn about the specific components in the cannabis plant’s chemistry that may be beneficial to their specific ailments, such as terpenes and other cannabinoids like CBD. Customers are then able to make a more knowledgeable decision when selecting a product off the website as they are provided with recommendations tailored to their needs.

Once patients have shopped initially with Terpli, they can come back and leave reviews, and with that information, our artificial intelligence budtender, Leafy Bud, will be able to “hyper-personalize their future recommendations.” Eric explains, “If I consume a low-THC flower and rate it highly for sleep, the next time I come back, even if it’s out of stock, instead of giving me a random indica, it’s gonna match me to a product that’s chemically the same or similar as a previous experience I’ve already rated highly.”

Terpli’s expansion across the cannabis industry 

Terpli launched its beta version in April 2022 in a small, single-location mom-and-pop cannabis dispensary in Oklahoma. After a few months in beta, the software company began expanding across the country. Today, Terpli is implemented in 100 locations across 13 states, quite a success in just a year’s time.

Eric spoke of the company’s goals and how they would rather have 100 locations nationwide versus 100 locations in one state if and when cannabis becomes legal federally.

“It’s the beauty of 1) selling a software and 2) having a system that’s designed to be leveraged at any state. We have so much information across every state inventory that we’re able to provide recommendations anywhere.”

“It’s about the accessibility of information fueling the model.”

Terpli is constantly pulling live information, unlike other forms of artificial intelligence software such as ChatGPT, where the data available needs to catch up because it's based on statistics from 2021, for example. “It’s about the accessibility of information fueling the model,” he continues.

Though Terpli has grown across the United States, the company remains a small team of six in order to maintain its quality service. Eric explains how the software uses a machine learning model, meaning it “takes a grouping of data sets and has triggers to [say], if this happens, then modify it this way,” allowing the team at Terpli to perform quality analysis and ensure the program is working as it’s supposed to with accurate information.

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The Source Cannabis dispensary's AI budtender, Leafy Bud.

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Expect to see our newest budtender, Leafy Bud, soon when we launch Terpli on The Source website!

Also, a big thank you to Eric Mercado, co-founder of Terpli, for sitting down with me and sharing Terpli’s story.

About The Source cannabis dispensary in Northwest Arkansas

The Source Cannabis – Arkansas is a craft cannabis dispensary located in Rogers, Arkansas, just off Exit 85 on Interstate 49. We produce and dispense In The Flow Boutique Cannabis and Wavelength Extracts vape cartridges. We value education, quality, friendliness, and inclusivity.

Lower THC, higher CBD strains are also good for PTSD sufferers, especially those who aren’t experienced cannabis users, as they will rule out the potential anxiety of feeling too high. Great options would include Slurricane, Cannatonic, or Trop Fetti.

SLEEP

An additional benefit of any kind of cannabis consumption for PTSD sufferers is that it seems to limit REM sleep, greatly reducing or even stopping any kind of dreaming, including nightmares.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT PRODUCT

When it comes to consumption methods, flower, edibles, concentrates, and cartridges can all work for PTSD sufferers, and Full Extract Cannabis Oil is a great option for sleep aid and anxiety relief.

Here at The Source, our budtenders are eager to help you find the perfect product to fit your needs.

TAKE BACK YOUR LIFE

With the plethora of great options out there, help is on the way. Thanks to cannabis and its ability to heal PTSD symptoms, we can celebrate Memorial Day and Mental Health Awareness knowing that trauma and loss don’t have to control our lives!

Want to learn more? Visit or call The Source nearest to you to speak with someone. Our budtenders are well-informed on products to fit your specific needs. Let’s just say, we live for this stuff!