Cannabis Products Guide: Every Type, Explained

By Aja Shaw, Procurement Specialist · Cannabis Education · 20 min read

A Mississippi dispensary menu now runs to well over a thousand items: flower in four sizes, pre-rolls by the single and by the pack, cartridges, disposables, gummies, chocolates, tinctures, balms, syringes, infused this and live that. Most of it arrives with a number on the front and very little explanation behind it.

This guide is the explanation. It covers every product type sold in Mississippi's medical program: what it is, how it is made, how it is counted against your allotment, how quickly it works and how long it lasts, how to read its label, and how to store it. It does not tell you what any product will do for a condition. That conversation belongs with the practitioner who certified you, and we explain why on our choosing a product page.

The number on the front: THC, THCA and total THC

The living plant makes very little THC. What it makes is THCA, an acid form that is not intoxicating on its own. Heat knocks a small piece off the molecule (a carboxyl group, released as carbon dioxide) and turns THCA into THC. Chemists call this decarboxylation. It happens in the flame of a lighter, in the coil of a vape, and in the oven when a processor makes edible oil.

In a laboratory oven, THCA converts almost completely in about 30 minutes at 230°F, about 9 minutes at 266°F, or about 6 minutes at 293°F. Below roughly 212°F the conversion is still incomplete after an hour. That is why eating raw flower does very little, and why every edible is made from oil that has already been heated.

A lab report therefore lists THCA and THC separately, and the label shows a combined total THC:

Total THC = THC + (THCA × 0.877)

The 0.877 is not a fudge factor. It is the weight THCA loses when it gives up that carbon dioxide (THC's molecular weight divided by THCA's). Flower testing 22.4% THCA and 0.6% THC has a total THC of 0.6 + (22.4 × 0.877) = about 20.2%.

Mississippi's law uses the same formula and also adds in any other intoxicating THC isomers the lab finds. One caution: the formula assumes every bit of THCA converts, and in practice some is lost along the way, so the total THC on a label is a ceiling rather than a promise.

Mississippi's limits on every product

Mississippi sets potency caps by product type and counts every purchase in Mississippi Medical Cannabis Equivalency Units (the law abbreviates them MMCEU; you will also see MMECU, including on our own pages). The current numbers, from the Medical Cannabis Act and its rules:

Rule	What it says
Flower and trim	No more than 30% total THC
Concentrates, oils, tinctures and edibles	No more than 60% total THC
Edibles, per serving	No more than 10mg total THC, tested to within ±10%
Anything over 30% total THC	Must be labeled “extremely potent”
1 MMCEU equals	3.5g of flower, or 1g (1,000mg) of total THC in a concentrate or infused product
Purchase limit, Mississippi residents	24 MMCEU in any rolling 30 days (the old weekly limit was removed July 1, 2024)
Purchase limit, nonresident cards	6 MMCEU in 7 days, 12 in 15 days
Topicals	No possession limit in the law; sold to adults 21+ without a card

The practical consequence: flower is counted by weight, so a 3.5g jar is 1 MMCEU whatever its THC percentage, while everything else is counted by the THC inside it. A 100mg pack of gummies is 0.1 MMCEU. A 0.5g concentrate at 59% holds 295mg of THC, so 0.295 MMCEU. Your practitioner can also set a lower limit or restrict forms on your card, and we have to follow it. Every product page on our site shows its MMCEU value, and the allotment checker adds up a basket for you.

How fast each route works, and for how long

The single biggest difference between products is not potency. It is the route: whether the THC is breathed in, swallowed, held in the mouth or put on the skin. Published pharmacology gives these typical ranges:

Route	Starts	Peaks	Fades	Products
Inhaled	Seconds to a few minutes	About 15–30 minutes	Within about 2–3 hours	Flower, pre-rolls, vapes, concentrates
Swallowed	30 minutes to 2 hours	About 2–4 hours	Roughly 4–12 hours, dose-dependent	Edibles, beverages, capsules, swallowed tinctures
Held under the tongue	Not clearly faster than swallowing in studies	Much of a dose ends up swallowed anyway		Tinctures
On the skin	Stays mostly local; ordinary topicals are not generally associated with intoxication			Balms, lotions
Through the skin	Designed to reach the bloodstream; human data are early and vary between people			Transdermal patches

Two facts explain why swallowed cannabis behaves so differently. First, the liver processes THC before it reaches the rest of the body, and in doing so converts a larger share of it into a related active compound, 11-hydroxy-THC. Second, food changes absorption a lot: in the prescribing information for dronabinol (a pharmaceutical THC capsule), a high-fat meal raised total absorption about 2.5-fold and delayed the peak by hours. Edibles are not the same as that capsule, but the direction is a useful warning. The same gummy can land very differently on an empty stomach and after dinner.

Because swallowed products take so long, the most common mistake is taking a second dose before the first has arrived. Public-health guidance from the CDC and Health Canada is consistent: start with a small amount, and wait at least two hours before taking more. You may see “5mg” quoted as a standard dose. That figure is a research reporting unit, adopted by the National Institutes of Health in 2021 so that studies can be compared with each other. It was not set as a recommended dose.

Flower

Flower is the dried and cured bud of the female cannabis plant: the oldest form and still the largest part of any Mississippi menu. After harvest the plants are dried slowly, trimmed, and cured in sealed containers for weeks so moisture evens out and the aroma settles. Good curing is most of the difference between flower that smells of the strain and flower that smells of hay.

What you will see on the menu

Sizes. 1g, 3.5g (an eighth of an ounce), 7g (a quarter), and 14g (a half). Every 3.5g counts as 1 MMCEU.
Whole buds, “smalls” and shake. Smalls (also called popcorn) are smaller buds from lower on the plant: same plant, same lab results, less visual appeal, lower price. Shake is the loose material that breaks off in handling.
Strain name and type. The indica/sativa/hybrid label is a starting point, not a prediction; our indica, sativa and hybrid guide explains where it holds up. The strain library shows each strain's lab history in Mississippi.
Terpenes. The aromatic compounds behind the smell. Mississippi labels list them when the lab tested for them; our terpene guide covers what each one is.

Mississippi flower is sold sealed, in opaque child-resistant packaging, and the law does not allow a dispensary to open a package for you to smell or inspect it. Ask us for the lab results, the harvest information or the grower instead. Those tell you more than a sniff would.

You need something to use flower with, whether a pipe, papers or a dry-herb vaporizer; the accessories guide covers every option. See what flower we have today.

Pre-rolls

A pre-roll is ground flower already packed into a paper cone and twisted shut: a joint you do not have to roll. Mississippi counts a plain pre-roll exactly like flower, by weight, so 1g is 0.286 MMCEU.

Singles are usually 0.5g or 1g.
Multi-packs hold several small joints, often 0.35g to 0.5g each, sometimes sold as “dogwalkers.” A pack listed as “7 × 0.5g” is 3.5g in total, so 1 MMCEU.
What is inside varies by brand. Some use whole flower, some use smaller buds and trim. The label and the producer can tell you; price is often a fair hint.

Pre-rolls remove the need for equipment but not the smell, and like any flower they keep best sealed and away from heat. See today's pre-rolls.

Infused pre-rolls and infused flower

An infused pre-roll is a pre-roll with concentrate added: distillate, kief, hash, rosin or THCA crystals, painted on, mixed in, or wrapped around the outside. Infused flower applies the same idea to loose buds. The best-known style, often called moon rocks, is buds coated in oil and then rolled in kief, the powdery trichome dust that collects at the bottom of a grinder.

Two things change once concentrate is added:

Potency. Totals well above plain flower are normal. Read the lab-verified total THC on the label rather than any claim on the front, and expect anything over 30% to carry the “extremely potent” warning.
How it is counted. Infused products are counted on their THC content, not their weight. A 1g infused pre-roll at 40% holds about 400mg of THC, so 0.4 MMCEU, compared with 0.286 for a plain 1g joint.

Infused products also burn hotter and slower than plain flower, and they leave sticky residue in pipes and on fingers. If you are moving over from plain pre-rolls, this is a real step up.

Vape cartridges and all-in-ones

A vape heats cannabis oil in a small coil or ceramic element until it turns to vapor, without burning it. There are two hardware formats:

510-thread cartridges screw onto a separate battery that you buy once and keep. “510” is the name of the standard screw thread; the accessories guide covers batteries, voltage and care.
All-in-ones (disposables) combine the battery and the oil in one sealed unit. Nothing to charge or screw together; when it is empty, it is done.

What is in the oil

Oil	How it is made	What to expect
Distillate	Extract refined until it is nearly pure cannabinoid, then flavored with terpenes	High THC, consistent, usually the lowest price
Live resin	Solvent-extracted from plants frozen at harvest	More of the plant's original aroma; some carts blend it with distillate
Live rosin	Solventless: ice-water hash pressed with heat	The most aromatic and the most expensive

The terpenes added to distillate come in two kinds. Cannabis-derived terpenes are taken from cannabis itself; botanical terpenes are the same compounds sourced from other plants. No independent study has shown one to be better than the other, so treat claims either way as marketing.

Under Mississippi's rules a vape cartridge counts as an infused product: capped at 60% total THC, and counted on its THC content. A 1g cart at 85% would not be legal here, which is why Mississippi carts test lower than the numbers you may see from other states.

What the research says about vape safety

The 2019 outbreak of lung injuries known as EVALI was traced primarily to vitamin E acetate, a thickener found in THC cartridges from informal sources such as friends, dealers and online sellers; the CDC found it in every lung-fluid sample it tested. Separately, peer-reviewed studies have found small amounts of metals such as chromium, nickel and lead in cart oil and vapor, coming from the cartridge's metal parts rather than the oil, with older and hotter-running hardware leaching more. Mississippi tests every batch, including for heavy metals, before it can be sold, and researchers are still actively studying hardware. Running a battery at a lower voltage is a reasonable habit whatever you buy. See today's vapes.

Concentrates

Concentrates are cannabis with the plant material taken away: rosin, resin, badder, shatter, sugar, sauce and diamonds. In Mississippi they are capped at 60% total THC and counted on their actual THC mass. The vocabulary is big enough to need its own guide, so we wrote one: cannabis concentrates explained. You need specific equipment to use them (a dab rig, a nectar collector or a concentrate vaporizer), all of which are in the accessories guide. See today's concentrates.

Edibles, beverages and capsules

An edible is any cannabis product you eat or drink: gummies, chews, chocolates, baked goods, mints, beverages and capsules. Processors make them from cannabis oil that has already been heated (so the THCA is now THC), most often distillate, sometimes rosin for a “solventless” label.

How Mississippi regulates them

10mg total THC per serving at most, tested to within ±10%. A 100mg package therefore holds at least ten servings. Larger packages simply hold more servings.
The label must show THC per serving and per package, the number of servings, how long the product typically takes to work, ingredients, allergens and a nutrition panel.
Shapes are restricted. Molded edibles must be geometric shapes, never animals, cartoons or toys, and packaging may not resemble candy brands. Edibles carry Mississippi's standard cannabis symbol.
Counted on THC. 1,000mg = 1 MMCEU, so a 100mg pack is 0.1.

Using them sensibly

Edibles are the most precise format, since a 10mg serving is 10mg every time. They are also the easiest to overdo, because the effect arrives late and lasts long (see the timing table). Many gummies are scored so you can take half a serving. Some products are sold as “fast-acting” or “nano”: these use emulsions designed to absorb sooner, but the human evidence so far comes mainly from the manufacturers, so plan as if any edible could take the full two hours. Store edibles exactly like medicine, locked away from children and pets; a gummy looks like a gummy to a child, whatever its shape. See today's edibles.

Tinctures

A tincture is cannabis extract dissolved in a liquid carrier, usually MCT oil (a refined coconut oil) and sometimes alcohol, sold in a bottle with a measured dropper. The label gives the THC (and often CBD) per milliliter and per dropper, so doses can be measured more finely than with any other format.

You will often read that holding a tincture under your tongue works much faster than swallowing it. The human studies do not clearly support that: in controlled comparisons, much of a dose held in the mouth is swallowed anyway, and blood levels look similar to oral dosing. Plan on edible-style timing unless you learn otherwise from your own experience. Tinctures can also be added to food or drink, which makes them behave like an edible.

Topicals and transdermal patches

Topicals are balms, creams, lotions, salves and roll-ons applied to the skin. The skin's outer layer is a strong barrier, and conventional topicals are applied to a specific area and are not generally associated with the intoxicating effects of other formats. Mississippi handles them differently from everything else on the menu: there is no possession limit on them in the law, adults 21 and over can buy them without a card, and the label must say “For Topical Application – Do Not Eat or Smoke.”

Transdermal patches and gels are a different design. They are built to carry cannabinoids through the skin into the bloodstream, and the first human study confirmed that they do, with large differences between individuals. Treat a patch more like an ingested product than a lotion, and ask us which kind a product is before you buy. Human research on both formats is still thin, so be cautious with anyone who speaks about them with certainty. See today's topicals.

RSO, FECO and dab syringes

RSO (named after Rick Simpson, who popularized it) and FECO (full extract cannabis oil) are thick, dark, whole-plant extracts. Neither name has a formal or regulatory definition, and sources disagree on whether they are the same thing, so the lab results tell you more than the name does. They are usually sold in an oral syringe and can be swallowed, which gives edible-style timing.

A dab syringe looks similar but usually holds distillate or another concentrate meant for dabbing or refilling hardware. The label and the product category tell you which you have; if it is not clear, ask before using it.

The other cannabinoids on a label

THC is not the only compound a lab measures. Here is what the others are. What they do is still mostly studied in laboratories rather than in people, so we will not make claims about that.

Name	What it is
CBD	The second major cannabinoid, not intoxicating in the way THC is. Mississippi labels must show lab-verified CBD alongside THC.
CBG / CBGA	CBGA is the precursor the plant turns into THCA, CBDA and CBCA; CBG is its heated form. (Often called the “mother cannabinoid,” though strictly that is CBGA.)
CBN	Mostly a breakdown product: THC slowly becomes CBN with light, heat, air and time.
CBC	Another cannabinoid formed from CBGA, usually present in small amounts.
THCV	A close chemical relative of THC with a shorter side chain, made by a parallel pathway in the plant.

Ratios and “spectrum”

Ratios such as 1:1 or 20:1 compare CBD to THC. A 20:1 product has 20mg of CBD for every 1mg of THC. Always check the actual milligrams per serving.
Full-spectrum means a whole-plant extract with nothing removed. Broad-spectrum has had the THC removed. Isolate is a single cannabinoid at over 95% purity.
The “entourage effect” is the idea that cannabinoids and terpenes work better together than apart. It is a hypothesis: a 2024 systematic review concluded it remains unproven in people.

Reading a Mississippi label and a COA

Mississippi's rules spell out what a dispensary label must carry. Once you know the list, any product can be decoded in a few seconds:

Product name and batch number. The batch ties the package to its lab test.
The Metrc tag (unique identifier). Mississippi tracks every package from plant to sale; the tag is that package's ID.
Net weight or quantity.
Lab-verified total THC and CBD, and the terpene profile if it was tested.
For edibles: THC per serving and per package, number of servings, the time it typically takes to work, ingredients, allergens, nutrition facts, and the standard cannabis symbol.
“Extremely potent” on anything over 30% total THC.
“Keep out of reach of children” and a notice of potential harm.

Behind every label is a certificate of analysis (COA) from a state-licensed lab, headed “Regulatory Compliance Testing.” Every batch is tested in its final form for potency, pesticides, heavy metals, mycotoxins, microbial contamination, foreign material and moisture, and solvent-made concentrates are also tested for residual solvents. Nothing can be sold without one. You are entitled to ask which lab tested a product, and we keep the results on file. Ask us at the counter and we will show you.

Storage and shelf life

Every cannabis product degrades the same way: light, heat and air slowly turn THC into CBN, and terpenes evaporate. A four-year study of stored cannabis found light and room temperature drove most of the THC loss, while samples kept frozen and dark held almost all of theirs. In practice:

Flower and pre-rolls: airtight, dark and cool, around room temperature or a little below. The industry standard for dried flower is a humidity range of about 55–65%; above that, mold becomes a risk. Humidity packs help in a sealed jar.
Vapes: out of hot cars and direct sun. Heat thins the oil and can make carts leak.
Concentrates: sealed, cool and dark; warm concentrate quickly becomes hard to handle.
Edibles, tinctures and topicals: follow the package's best-by date, keep the cap closed, and keep chocolate away from heat.
Everything: in its child-resistant package, locked or out of reach, away from children and pets.

Risks, side effects and poison control

Every cannabis product carries risks, and the potency of modern products makes them worth taking seriously. Commonly reported effects include:

Impaired coordination, reaction time and judgment. Never drive, boat or operate machinery after using cannabis; it is also illegal in Mississippi.
Dizziness, a racing heart, dry mouth, red eyes and changes in appetite.
Anxiety, panic or paranoia, especially with high doses or too much too quickly.
With heavy, long-term use: dependence (cannabis use disorder), withdrawal symptoms when stopping, and in some people a condition of repeated severe vomiting (cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome).
Interactions with other medications and with alcohol. Tell your practitioner and pharmacist what you use.
Cannabis is not recommended during pregnancy or while breastfeeding.

Signs that use has become a problem include needing more for the same effect, using more than you intended, and continuing despite harm to work, health or relationships. If that sounds familiar, talk to your practitioner or call the free, confidential SAMHSA National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357.

Poison control: 1-800-222-1222

Free, 24 hours a day, and it connects you to the Mississippi Poison Control Center at UMMC. Call if a child or pet gets into cannabis, if someone has taken far more than intended, or if you are unsure. Children are especially at risk from edibles. For severe symptoms such as trouble breathing, a seizure or loss of consciousness, call 911.

Where you may use it

Mississippi law does not allow smoking, vaping or any other inhaled use in a public place or in a motor vehicle. “Public place” includes churches, any area open to the public, and government property such as streets and sidewalks; it does not include a private home. Property owners and landlords may set their own rules, employers may act on use or impairment at work, and no product may be used at the dispensary. And never share your medical cannabis: it is for the cardholder only.

A sensible first purchase

If you are new, the honest advice is the same for every format: buy the smallest size, start with a small amount, and wait before taking more, two hours for anything swallowed. Our first visit page explains what to bring, and the team will walk you through any product's label and lab results before you buy.

Common questions

What are the main types of cannabis products?

Flower, pre-rolls, infused pre-rolls and infused flower, vape cartridges and all-in-ones, concentrates, edibles (including beverages and capsules), tinctures, topicals and transdermal patches, and whole-plant oils such as RSO. They differ most in route: inhaled products work within minutes, swallowed products take 30 minutes to 2 hours and last much longer, and ordinary topicals stay mostly local.

How is total THC calculated on a label?

Total THC = THC + (THCA x 0.877). The plant makes THCA, which turns into THC when heated; 0.877 accounts for the weight THCA loses in that conversion. Flower with 22.4% THCA and 0.6% THC has about 20.2% total THC. Mississippi's formula also adds any other intoxicating THC isomers the lab finds.

What are the THC limits in Mississippi?

Flower and trim may contain no more than 30% total THC. Concentrates, oils, tinctures and edibles may contain no more than 60%. Edibles are limited to 10mg of total THC per serving, and anything over 30% total THC must be labeled extremely potent.

How do Mississippi's MMCEU allotment units work?

One MMCEU is 3.5g of flower, or 1g (1,000mg) of total THC in a concentrate or infused product. Mississippi residents may buy up to 24 MMCEU in any rolling 30 days; the old weekly limit was removed on July 1, 2024. Flower is counted by weight, everything else by the THC inside it, so a 100mg pack of gummies is 0.1 MMCEU.

How long do edibles take to work?

Usually 30 minutes to 2 hours, sometimes longer, and the effects can last roughly 4 to 12 hours depending on the dose. Food changes absorption a lot. Public-health guidance is to start with a small amount and wait at least two hours before taking more.

What is the difference between a topical and a transdermal patch?

A conventional topical (a balm, cream or lotion) is applied to an area of skin and is not generally associated with intoxication, because the skin is a strong barrier. A transdermal patch is designed to carry cannabinoids through the skin into the bloodstream, so it should be treated more like an ingested product.

Is live resin better than distillate?

Neither is better in every way. Distillate is refined nearly to pure cannabinoid and flavored afterward, so it is potent, consistent and inexpensive. Live resin is extracted from plants frozen at harvest and keeps more of the original aroma, usually at a higher price. Live rosin is the solventless version and costs the most.

Sources

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Cannabis affects individuals differently. Consult your healthcare provider regarding cannabis use. Mississippi MMCP card required for purchase; must be 21 or older.

The Complete Guide to Cannabis Products