With cannabis increasingly decriminalized and even legal in many parts of the world, users are becoming more interested in the different ways to consume the product. Cannabis use is not limited to smoking, by any means.
Much of the harshness of cannabis smoke consumption disappears if one uses a vaporizer full of cannabis e-liquid. Vaporizers are healthier than smoking and are less likely to irritate the throat. While it may take a long time for vaping to replace smoking, vaping is increasingly become more mainstream, in terms of cannabis consumption.
One can also eat cannabis – one might bake cookies, brownies of many other foods that contain the herb. Eating cannabis will have less of an effect than smoking the same amount of it, but this means that one can get a mellow and pleasant high from ingesting cannabis. Its regarded as a safe consumption method for those who micro-dose. Those that find the effects of smoking the drug to be too intense are often happy with edibles, that cause a long-lasting but milder high.
Extracts, tinctures, and skin lotions also contain cannabis and have their advantages. In places where cannabis is legal for recreational or at least medical use, authorities are often willing to legalize many different forms of consumption. Those who use the drug either recreationally or for its many health benefits should know about the many different options there are for cannabis consumption.
Vaping and Smoking
Vaping has become more common than smoking for medical THC and CBD use. Those looking for the health benefits of the plant use a vaporizer to minimize the risk of unhealthy side effects. A vaporizer is healthier than smoking because there is no combustion involved. Most of the harmful effects of tobacco smoking come from chemicals that appear only during combustion. Just as heating a liquid nicotine extract allows one to consume nicotine more safely, the same is correct for vaporizing a liquid that contains THC. While vaping is not entirely safe, studies show that respiratory problems are less common in those who vape rather than smoke. Many recreational users also report that the high they get from vaping is different from and superior to the effect they get from smoking.
Vaping also has the advantage of being cheaper than smoking, not only for nicotine but for THC and CBD as well. Anyone who has ever used a vaporizer before is also aware that one can vape inside without creating a lingering smell. There is also no need for matches or lighters when using vaporizers. Anyone who uses THC/CBD oil should make very sure that they are purchasing their liquid from trustworthy sources. Vaping poorly made oil can easily involve inhaling harmful substances, which can cause respiratory issues.
In spite of the advantages of vaping, smoking cannabis, as a means of consumption, still provides a lot of value. The health benefits of cannabis do not always come from THC or CBD alone, but also from many different cannabinoids found in the plant as well. While some THC and CBD liquids claim to preserve these crucial compounds, the best option might still be smoking. If one smokes the plant, they can be sure to ingest a full spectrum of cannabinoids.
Edibles
Foods containing cannabis have all sorts of advantages. Eating cannabis foods can reduce nausea associated with cancer therapies. Research also shows cannabis improved appetite in victims of serious diseases that reduce appetite. THC and CBD also have anti-inflammatory properties, which makes them effective arthritis treatments. Scientific research into the benefits of cannabis is still in its early stages, so some of the plant’s benefits are scientifically proven, and others merely widely assumed.
Are there any specific advantages to eating rather than smoking cannabis? The high that one can get from edibles can be significantly different from that one can get from smoking. Slowly absorbing THC through the stomach rather than quickly absorbing it through the lungs results in a high that lasts more than twice as long. Smoking cannabis also converts THC into a more potent compound known as delta-9 THC, which is responsible for the potentially frightening effects of a THC high.
With edibles, one can avoid the potential anxiety you might associate with THC. Smoking cannabis can also make one feel very tired afterward. Tiredness is less likely to occur with edibles as the compounds enter and exit the body more slowly. Edibles also avoid the health hazards of inhaling smoke. On the downside, one can surely consume too much THC when using edibles. A careless user can underestimate the strength of edibles and consume THC in very high quantities.
Are all edibles the same?
Edibles are not created simply by adding raw cannabis to foods. If one eats raw cannabis, the effect is likely to be little or nothing. Instead, one must use cannabis extracts to create edibles. Many extracts today are created using the distillation process. Distillation is a robust process that creates an extract that can be almost pure THC. While distillate is extremely strong, one can minimize the amount used to make milder edibles.
Cannabis distillate is used to create all sorts of baked goods. Butter tarts, cookies, brownies, cakes, and anything else that one might bake can include nearly pure THC distillate. As well as baking these treats oneself, one can also order edibles online.
However, many users prefer gelatin-based edible candies to baked goods. Gelatin-based candies such as gummy bears have been around since the 1920s, and cannabis-infused gelatin gummies have recently become mainstream. Even where one can legally smoke cannabis, the laws sometimes prohibit cannabis candies as they can appeal to children.
Concentrates
Concentrates are very potent, so one should use them cautiously with regards to consumption. Only a person who is unlikely to experience unpleasant effects from high doses of THC should use these very potent cannabis extracts. As well, one should make sure to get their extracts from a trustworthy source. Extracts that are of low quality may contain dangerous ingredients. In spite of that, extracts have many recreational and medical uses if one wants to consume highly concentrated THC. Concentrates come in many names – oil, shatter, hash, or sap are all types of concentrates. In Canada, concentrates will soon be legal to purchase. Many kinds of concentrates exist.
Kief
Kief is the simplest form of cannabis concentrate. Cannabis buds contain crystals, which can end up at the bottom of a grinder when one grinds the bud. These crystals are known as Kief, which like all other concentrates, is very potent. One can mix cannabis buds with Kief to significantly strengthen the effect of the bud.
Oil
Oil is produced using an alcohol-based extraction method that many people learn to do at home. After using alcohol to wash the buds and remove the potent trichomes, one boils the mixture until the alcohol evaporates, and only a high THC extract is left. People smoke oil on its own, mix oil with buds, and add oil to edibles.
Budder
Budder refers to cannabis extracts that resemble wax and, to a lesser extent, butter. It is easy to work with, and one can add it to either joints or edibles. The production of budder requires flammable substances and solvents and is dangerous unless you know what you are doing.
Shatter
Shatter resembles glass and is a challenge to work with but a very potent extract. When dropped, the extract can shatter like glass. To smoke shatter, one uses a special “rig” that is different from a typical bong. A rig is shaped like a bong but includes a nail that heats up until it vaporizes the shatter. Shatter is also produced using potentially dangerous solvents, so one must be careful when creating or using the substance.
Lotions
Cannabis lotions might seem to be a gimmick or novelty item at first glance, but they have specific therapeutic effects. Many athletes and gym-goers use cannabis topicals for muscle soreness. Topicals usually cannot get a user high. Instead, these lotions provide localized pain relief. In particular, topicals are an effective treatment for arthritis. The anti-inflammatory power of cannabinoids allows them to treat many conditions. Topicals tend to work better for localized pain relief than smoking, vaping, or ingesting cannabis. Cannabis lotions often contain peppermint or menthol to improve their pain relief effects. In many places, doctors prescribe these lotions. They will soon be legal without a prescription in Canada.
Tinctures
Before there were any laws against cannabis in the United States, tinctures were the most commonly used form of cannabis medicine. With tinctures, it can be easier to measure one’s dose of THC precisely than with any other method. Tinctures are increasingly common for both recreational and medical users. People who add THC or CBD to their food also use tinctures as an ingredient. While recreational cannabis users will probably continue to smoke cannabis, medical users may switch to other forms of consumption. While smoking and using concentrates are best for generating an intense high, edibles and topicals are becoming more popular for medical use. Many parts of the world have plans to make cannabis legal; this blog aims to keep up with the latest news about legalization.
Check out our vast selection of products that includes concentrates, topicals, vapes and edibles!
