Whether moving through an airport, taking a road trip, or going for a social gathering, marijuana use is still frowned upon by most societies.
While there is a push to legalize it, it will take some time to be widely recognized and embraced. It’s crucial to understand the many ways of consuming cannabis to make the best decision about how to get high.
Table of Contents
1. Smoking (Rolled joints, blunts, bongs, pipes)
This is the most traditional and among the most adopted ways of consuming cannabis. It involves burning dried cannabis leaves and inhaling the smoke. The lungs will immediately move the potent THC and cannabinoids to the bloodstream.
This method is famous for having an immediate effect on users. The high is felt within one to three minutes of consumption and will last for one to three hours.
However, experienced users can control this by regulating how much smoke they inhale or how long they hold it in the lungs before exhalation.
However, burning your cannabis with hot flames will destroy the essential compounds. Research shows that only 15 to 20% of the cannabinoids make it inside your body when smoking. The rest burns and goes up in flames.
It is also essential to know that while it’s not as dangerous as smoking tobacco, it’s still smoking. Marijuana smoke also contains toxic by-products like carbon monoxide and tar, although there are no reported lung cancer cases from cannabis use. STONER BEWARE!!
2. Cannabis-infused drinks
In many ways, consuming cannabis is like edibles since it’s all ingestion. The traditional method is brewing dried cannabis leaves into tea, but other methods are also adopted. Lately, there are cannabis-infused sodas, fruit juices, and coffees.
Effects are felt after 10 to 20 minutes after consumption and will last 3 to 4 hours.
3. Edibles (cakes, cookies)
While many users opt for inhaling cannabis smoke, other ways of consuming cannabis include ingesting.
Initially, this way of consuming marijuana was limited to only cookies and cakes (pot brownies and space cakes). However, people are getting more creative because the sky is the limit with marijuana use.
This is one of the most unpredictable ways of consuming cannabis. The time frame for the effects varies from one person to another, and it’s rather difficult to dose for medical purposes.
However, research shows that it takes between 30 to 90 minutes for the effects to be felt, and they last between 6 to 8 hours. This is because digestion must occur first before the cannabinoids are transferred to the bloodstream. This method is usually adopted by consumers looking for long-term effects.
It is essential to start slow when using edibles. They are greatly unpredictable because you never know when they will hit.
Effects won’t be felt immediately, so users assume they need to consume more to get high immediately. Endeavor to do your research before adopting a method.
4. Infused candies (gummies, chewing gum, suckers, drops)
This is one of the simplest and fastest ways of consuming cannabis. Cannabinoids and THC are absorbed into the body by the mouth membranes before digestion occurs.
It is in many ways like smoking in terms of the time frame but is considered safer. It is as simple as letting the candy dissolve in your mouth. It leaves no trace or smell.
Effects are felt within one to three minutes and last for one to three hours.
5. Vaping
Vaping uses a device to heat marijuana oil or leaves and turn it into a vapor that the user inhales.
For stoners, instead of inhaling marijuana smoke, they inhale vapor instead. This is one of the modern ways of consuming cannabis since it involves using an electronic device commonly referred to as an e-cigarette.
Vaporization is, in many ways, like smoking. The difference is that the product is not burned but rather heated at enough temperature to turn the product to vapor, which is inhaled by the user.
Research also says that vaping is a safer option for consumers than smoking. Unlike smoking, it eliminates the irritation of the lungs and throat by burning matter.
Effects are felt within 1 to 3 minutes and will last one to three hours. However, the results are stronger than those felt when smoking because almost all the cannabinoids in the original product are present in the vapor. None are destroyed since the heat is minimized. This eventually translates to higher volumes of THC in a consumer’s blood hence a more intense high.
Is vaping dangerous to the body? While it is relatively safer than smoking, vaping also has some negatives. There are many oil-based vaporizers in circulation, and these haven’t been proven safe for use.
It is also essential to know that the chemicals used to extract oil from cannabis haven’t been tested and proven safe for use.
6. Cannabis patches
These are similar to nicotine patches and work the same way. They are evenly dosed and cannabis-infused.
Users attach them to a venous part of their bodies (inner wrist, top of foot, inner biceps) and release a controlled amount of cannabinoids into the bloodstream for 12 to 96 hours.
Patches are more medicinal than recreational ways of consuming cannabis. They are therefore safe but not so much fun. Effects are felt within 5 to 10 minutes, and they are felt for a long time.
Patches are usually used by people seeking pain relief or those looking to sleep better. They are also suitable for discretion.
New ways of consuming cannabis are still being discovered, and it will only get better.
With time, it will be easy for consumers to mingle with society as marijuana is being put in everyday things that even sober people do or use.
Check out our stores for all the products mentioned in the article, including bongs, pipes, gummies, and vapors.