an Full-Spectrum Dabs Replace Flower? The Answer Might Surprise You

I thought I had found the perfect way to simplify my cannabis routine: ditch most of the flower, grab some cold cure, and let the dabs do all the heavy lifting.

What could possibly go wrong?

Well… apparently my body had some opinions.

I started using more cold cure concentrates and less flower. And don’t get me wrong—I was getting high as hell. The concentrates were potent, flavorful and packed with terpenes. I was getting plenty of THC and definitely wasn’t sitting around wondering whether I was high.

But something was missing.

The overall medicinal effect I personally get from flower just wasn’t there.

That’s when I started asking a question that I couldn’t get out of my head:

Could a truly full-spectrum dab give me everything I get from flower—including the cannabinoids and terpenes I’m looking for—or would I still need to keep flower in the rotation?

After digging into the science, I found my answer.

And it wasn’t the answer I was hoping for.

THC Isn’t the Whole Story

Here’s something every cannabis consumer should understand: cannabis isn’t just THC.

The plant contains a huge variety of cannabinoids, including THC, CBD, CBG, CBC, CBN and many others. It also contains terpenes and other natural compounds that contribute to the plant’s chemical profile. Researchers have identified hundreds of compounds in cannabis, with significant differences between varieties.

That’s important because two strains can have similar THC numbers and still feel completely different.

I’ve experienced that myself.

Sometimes I’ll smoke one strain and think, “That’s nice.”

Then I’ll smoke another and think, “Ohhhh… THERE you are.”

And sometimes I need more than one strain to get the overall effect I’m looking for.

That’s what got me thinking about full-spectrum concentrates.

So What Does “Full Spectrum” Actually Mean?

In simple terms, a full-spectrum concentrate is designed to retain a broader mixture of the compounds naturally found in cannabis, rather than stripping the plant down primarily to THC.

That can include multiple cannabinoids and a variety of terpenes.

Sounds perfect, right?

Not so fast, Professor Puff.

Full spectrum does not mean “every single molecule that was in the flower is now sitting inside my dab jar.”

Extraction and processing change the chemical makeup of cannabis. Even products made from the same starting material can end up with different chemical profiles depending on how they’re processed. Research also shows that commercial cannabis products can vary considerably in their cannabinoid and terpene profiles.

So a full-spectrum dab can be broad-spectrum cannabis goodness without being an exact liquid photocopy of the flower it came from.

What About the Entourage Effect?

You’ve probably heard cannabis people talk about the entourage effect.

The basic idea is that cannabinoids and terpenes may interact with each other, potentially creating effects that are different from isolated THC or another single compound.

There is some interesting research supporting the possibility, including preclinical research involving full-spectrum extracts and pain or inflammation. But the scientific evidence isn’t strong enough to say that the entourage effect is a guaranteed medical phenomenon or that full-spectrum products will always work better. Researchers are still debating exactly how much of this effect exists and how important it is.

In other words:

The entourage effect is interesting science—not a magic sticker you slap on a jar and suddenly everything is medically superior.

So Can Full-Spectrum Dabs Replace My Flower?

For me, the answer is no—not completely.

And here’s why.

Even if I use a genuinely full-spectrum concentrate, I’m still getting one particular chemical profile from that particular cannabis product.

But when I smoke different flower strains, I’m changing that chemical profile.

One strain may have one combination of cannabinoids and terpenes. Another strain may have a completely different combination. Research has demonstrated substantial chemical diversity among commercial cannabis samples, even when they’re marketed using familiar strain labels.

That’s exactly what I experience.

I don’t necessarily want more THC.

I want more variety.

That’s why my personal routine has evolved into a combination of flower from different strains along with cold cure concentrates.

I’m basically making myself a cannabis chemical playlist.

Track one: “Let’s Get This Party Started.”

Track two: “Where Did My Pain Go?”

Track three: “Why Am I Standing in the Kitchen?”

You know the album.

More Strains, More Variety

Here’s the big realization I came away with:

There probably isn’t one magical cannabis product that contains every cannabinoid and terpene my body may respond to.

And there certainly isn’t enough evidence to say that one full-spectrum dab can reproduce everything a person gets from multiple different flowers.

Full-spectrum concentrates may give you a broader chemical profile than highly refined THC products, and that makes them very interesting for people who want more than just THC. But they don’t eliminate the natural chemical diversity found across different cannabis varieties.

That’s why, for me, the answer isn’t flower versus concentrate.

It’s flower AND concentrate.

My Takeaway

I started this whole experiment thinking I might discover that full-spectrum dabs were the answer to my problem.

Instead, I discovered something much more useful:

Cannabis isn’t a one-size-fits-all plant.

The more I learn about cannabinoids and terpenes, the less interested I am in simply chasing the biggest THC percentage on the label.

I’m much more interested in the whole chemical profile.

And for my personal experience, that means keeping multiple strains of flower in the rotation and using cold cure concentrates alongside them.

Could somebody eventually make a full-spectrum concentrate that gives a particular person everything they personally get from flower?

Maybe.

Could it replace flower for some cannabis consumers?

Absolutely.

But does “full spectrum” automatically mean I can throw my flower in the trash and live happily ever after with my dab rig?

Not for OG Strain.

At least not yet.

Because apparently my cannabis routine needs to be less like ordering a single entrée and more like hitting the buffet.

And honestly…

I’m perfectly okay with that.

• OG Strain

They warned me that cannabis could ruin my life. What nobody warned me about was that it might actually help save it.

For years, people have asked me some version of the same question:

“Why is cannabis so important to you?”

The short answer?

Because it changed my life.

The longer answer is that cannabis has helped me sleep, helped me eat, helped me deal with pain and discomfort, helped me function, helped me meet incredible people, helped me build a career around something I genuinely love—and, most importantly, helped me get away from opiates after many years of addiction.

So when people tell me cannabis is nothing but a problem, I can’t help but laugh a little.

Because my life tells a very different story.

THE PART OF MY STORY THAT MATTERS MOST

For many years, I was addicted to opiates.

That was a major part of my life.

And addiction is no joke.

It can take your time, your energy, your peace, your relationships, and sometimes even your hope.

I’m not going to tell anyone that cannabis is some magical cure or that my experience will be the same as everybody else’s. This is not medical advice.

This is my testimony.

Cannabis helped me get away from opiates.

And that changed everything.

It helped me move in a different direction. It became part of a better life—a life where I could think, create, connect with people, and actually look forward instead of feeling trapped by where I was.

I truly believe cannabis was a gift from God that helped save me.

You don’t have to believe that.

But I do.

And after everything I’ve been through, I’m not afraid to say it.

MORE THAN JUST “GETTING HIGH”

Some people hear the word cannabis and immediately think about getting high.

I think about getting through the day.

Cannabis has helped me sleep when sleep wouldn’t come. It has helped me eat when my appetite disappeared. It has helped me deal with pain and discomfort while still allowing me to function.

And function is important to me.

I don’t want to spend my life staring at the ceiling waiting for the day to end.

I want to write.

I want to research.

I want to create videos.

I want to meet people.

I want to learn.

I want to live.

Cannabis has helped me do those things.

That doesn’t mean cannabis is perfect. It doesn’t mean everybody should use it. And it certainly doesn’t mean every cannabis product is right for every person.

It simply means that for me, the benefits have been real.

CANNABIS INTRODUCED ME TO PEOPLE I WOULDN’T HAVE MET OTHERWISE

One of the biggest surprises cannabis brought into my life was community.

A plant can be a pretty good conversation starter.

You can meet someone you know absolutely nothing about, start talking about strains, terpenes, rosin, growing, or legalization—and before long, you’re laughing like you’ve known each other for years.

Cannabis has opened doors to friendships, conversations, interviews, events, and relationships that I genuinely value.

Some people came into my life through my writing.

Some through my videos.

Some through the cannabis industry.

Some simply because somebody passed something over and said, “You’ve got to try this.”

And suddenly, there’s a conversation.

Cannabis has connected me to people.

Good people.

Creative people.

Funny people.

Passionate people.

People who became more important to me than I ever expected.

IT ALSO KEEPS MY BRAIN WORKING

Getting older doesn’t mean I plan on shutting my brain off.

If anything, cannabis has given my brain a full-time job.

I’m constantly researching new information, learning about strains, terpenes, products, laws, science, businesses, and the people shaping the cannabis community.

Then I write about it.

I talk about it.

I make videos about it.

And by the time I finish researching one subject, somebody has invented a new product or crossed two strains and named it something that sounds like a rapper, a breakfast cereal, and a cartoon character had a meeting.

Cannabis keeps me curious.

And curiosity keeps me engaged.

THERE’S ALSO A WHOLE WORLD OF OPPORTUNITY

Cannabis is not just a plant anymore.

It’s an industry.

And that industry has created opportunities in cultivation, processing, retail, media, marketing, photography, videography, events, education, advocacy, and entrepreneurship.

Cannabis has opened professional doors for me that I never expected.

It gave me stories to tell.

It gave me people to interview.

It gave me a reason to create.

It helped turn an interest into something much bigger.

Through Strain’s Strain Reviews, my writing, and my involvement with the cannabis community, I found purpose in sharing information and telling the stories of the people behind this industry.

And I’m not done yet.

“BUT YOU’VE LOST PEOPLE BECAUSE OF CANNABIS”

Yes.

I have.

I’ve lost some friends.

I’ve lost relationships with some family members.

And I’m not going to pretend that never hurt.

But eventually, I had to ask myself a question:

Did cannabis ruin those relationships—or did it simply expose them?

Because if someone decides they no longer want to know me as a person simply because they don’t approve of cannabis, what exactly were they valuing about me in the first place?

I’m more than cannabis.

But I’m not going to hide cannabis from my life either.

I’m not going to apologize for something that helped me sleep, eat, function, create, meet people, build opportunities—and helped me move away from opiate addiction.

If someone wants to walk away because of that, that’s their choice.

But I’m not going to destroy something positive in my life just to make someone else comfortable.

YES, I’M A CHRISTIAN—AND YES, I STILL FEEL THIS WAY

This might be where some people really start shaking their heads.

That’s okay.

I’m used to it.

I’m a Christian.

And cannabis has not taken me away from my faith.

If anything, it has encouraged me to think more deeply.

It makes me ask questions.

It makes me reflect.

It makes me think about life, creation, purpose, and the things we sometimes rush past without really considering.

And when I ask those questions, I include Jesus.

Why wouldn’t I?

My faith is part of who I am.

Cannabis didn’t erase that.

For me, asking questions and believing in God are not opposites.

Thinking deeply does not mean losing faith.

And no, I’m not claiming cannabis gives me a direct phone line to Heaven.

You can’t call Heaven’s customer service department and ask for Jesus at extension 420.

But I do believe God can work in ways we don’t always understand.

And I believe God knew exactly what I needed when I needed it.

For me, cannabis became part of the road that helped lead me away from opiates and toward a better life.

That’s why I believe it was a gift.

SO, IS CANNABIS GOOD FOR MY LIFE?

For me?

Absolutely.

Cannabis helped me medically.

It helped me psychologically.

It helped me socially.

It helped me creatively.

It helped me professionally.

It helped keep my mind active.

It introduced me to people I value.

And it helped me get away from opiates after years of addiction.

That alone changed my life.

I’m not here to tell you cannabis is the answer for everyone.

I’m here to tell you what it has been for me.

It has been part of my answer.

People are free to judge it.

They’re free to disagree with me.

They’re free to tell me their horror stories.

But nobody gets to rewrite my life and tell me something that helped me was secretly destroying me.

I know where I was.

I know where I am.

And I know what helped me along the way.

Cannabis didn’t ruin my life.

It helped me leave a life of opiate addiction behind.

It helped me find purpose.

It helped me build relationships.

It helped me keep moving forward.

And, from the bottom of my heart, I truly believe it helped save me.

So if you want to know what cannabis is worth to OG Strain, the answer is simple:

It’s worth a lot.

I’m still here.

And I thank God for that.

Why a Growing Number of Athletes Are Pairing Cannabis with Weightlifting, Judo, and Other High-Performance Sports

⸻

“The workout doesn’t begin when I grab the barbell… it begins when I take one hit.”

That’s a quote you’ll hear surprisingly often these days.

Not from stereotypical stoners lounging on the couch.

From dedicated weightlifters.

From Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioners.

From judo competitors.

From rock climbers.

From endurance athletes.

From people who train five, six, even seven days a week.

For many of them, cannabis isn’t viewed as an escape from exercise—it has become part of the ritual that prepares them for it.

Spend enough time browsing fitness forums, Reddit communities, YouTube comments, and cannabis discussion groups, and you’ll discover thousands of athletes describing nearly identical experiences. They aren’t claiming marijuana turns them into superheroes. Instead, they say it transforms how they experience training.

So why has lighting up before working out become so common?

The answer lies somewhere between psychology, neuroscience, and one of the most fascinating systems in the human body.

⸻

The Search for “The Zone”

Athletes have been chasing “the zone” for decades.

Sports psychologists call it a flow state—that rare mental condition where everything seems to click. Time slows down. Movements become automatic. The outside world fades away, leaving only complete focus on the task at hand.

Ask cannabis users why they enjoy exercising after consuming THC, and one answer appears again and again:

“I lock in.”

Many describe becoming intensely focused on every movement. Weightlifters say they feel each muscle contract with greater awareness. Judoka describe becoming deeply engaged with balance, timing, grips, and body positioning. Others say distractions disappear, allowing them to stay completely present throughout their workout.

Whether that heightened focus translates into better athletic performance is still debated, but for many users, the experience itself becomes dramatically more enjoyable.

⸻

The Mind-Muscle Connection

One phrase appears repeatedly in online discussions:

“The mind-muscle connection.”

Bodybuilders have talked about this concept for generations. It’s the idea that consciously focusing on the muscle you’re training can improve technique and help maximize each repetition.

Cannabis users frequently report that THC amplifies this awareness.

Instead of simply curling a dumbbell, they describe feeling every inch of the movement—from the stretch at the bottom to the contraction at the top. They become aware of posture, breathing, joint position, tempo, and muscle tension in ways they don’t always notice while sober.

Many lifters say lighter weights suddenly feel more challenging because they’re moving with greater control rather than relying on momentum.

⸻

Pain Doesn’t Disappear… It Just Changes

Let’s be honest.

Heavy squats hurt.

Deadlifts hurt.

Judo throws hurt.

Hours on the grappling mats hurt.

Training hard means becoming comfortable with discomfort.

Many cannabis users say THC doesn’t eliminate pain—it changes their relationship with it.

Instead of fixating on sore knees, aching shoulders, or burning muscles, they report becoming less emotionally bothered by those sensations. The discomfort is still there, but it becomes easier to accept and work through.

Scientists believe this may involve the body’s endocannabinoid system, a complex network of receptors that helps regulate pain perception, mood, stress, appetite, and movement. THC interacts with this system, which may help explain why so many users report feeling more comfortable during physically demanding activities.

⸻

Exercise Becomes Something to Look Forward To

One of the biggest reasons people continue exercising has nothing to do with discipline.

It’s enjoyment.

Across countless online discussions, athletes consistently describe cannabis making workouts feel less like a chore and more like an experience.

Music sounds richer.

Breathing becomes rhythmic.

Repetitive movements become almost meditative.

Instead of counting down the minutes until they’re finished, many users say they become completely immersed in the process itself.

That psychological shift may be one of cannabis’s greatest contributions—not by improving physical performance, but by making people excited to return to the gym tomorrow.

⸻

Why Combat Sports Seem Especially Compatible

If you’ve ever visited a Brazilian jiu-jitsu academy, you may have noticed cannabis conversations are surprisingly common.

The same goes for many judo clubs.

Why?

Unlike sports that rely purely on explosive speed, grappling arts demand patience, body awareness, leverage, timing, and precision.

Many practitioners report that cannabis encourages slower, more deliberate movement. They say it helps them think several steps ahead instead of relying on brute force. Others describe becoming more sensitive to balance, weight distribution, and subtle changes in pressure during grappling exchanges.

Some even compare rolling after a small amount of cannabis to playing a strategic game of chess—where every movement feels intentional.

Of course, not everyone agrees. Higher doses can slow reaction time, impair judgment, and reduce coordination, which could become liabilities during live sparring or competition.

⸻

The Online Conversation Is Remarkably Consistent

Browse discussions among cannabis users who exercise, and several themes appear repeatedly:

Better focus during repetitive workouts.
Greater enjoyment of exercise.
Improved mind-muscle connection.
Less anxiety before training.
Feeling “locked in.”
More immersive music during workouts.
Greater willingness to push through discomfort.
Exercise becoming part meditation and part therapy.

Interestingly, very few claim cannabis makes them physically stronger.

Instead, they say it changes their mindset—and that mindset changes everything.

⸻

Athletes Who Have Spoken Publicly

Several well-known athletes have openly discussed cannabis.

Former UFC star Nate Diaz has long advocated for cannabis and CBD, particularly for recovery and managing the physical demands of combat sports.

Former UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley has spoken publicly about using cannabis outside of competition and has become one of the sport’s most recognizable advocates.

Former NFL running back Ricky Williams has spent years explaining how cannabis helped him manage pain, anxiety, and the physical toll of professional football.

Each has different reasons, but none claim cannabis is a miracle performance enhancer.

Instead, they describe it as a tool that helps them recover, relax, or approach training differently.

⸻

What the Science Says

Modern research paints an interesting picture.

Surveys of physically active cannabis users consistently find that many intentionally combine cannabis with exercise. The most common reasons include increasing enjoyment, improving focus, reducing stress, easing discomfort, and enhancing the overall workout experience.

However, researchers have not found convincing evidence that THC directly improves strength, endurance, speed, power, or athletic performance.

In other words, cannabis may change how training feels far more than what your body can actually do.

That distinction is important.

⸻

More Ritual Than Shortcut

Every athlete has a ritual.

Some won’t train without coffee.

Some need the perfect playlist.

Others wear the same lucky wrist wraps every session.

For a growing number of athletes, cannabis has become another piece of that routine.

Not because they believe it magically builds muscle.

Not because they think it replaces hard work.

But because, in their experience, it quiets the noise, sharpens their focus, deepens their connection to movement, and transforms training from something they have to do into something they genuinely want to do.

Whether science will eventually validate more of those experiences remains to be seen.

What is already clear, however, is that cannabis has quietly earned a place in the pre-workout ritual of countless recreational athletes—and judging by the conversations happening online every day, that trend isn’t slowing down anytime soon.