With all the possible forms of cannabis consumption available, it can be challenging to decide which products are best for you. A good place to begin is learning the different ways to consume cannabis, from edibles to inhalable products. Some consumption methods favor slower on set, some heavier dosing. In this blog, we’ll compare and contrast different methods to help you understand what products will be the best for you!
When Compounds Take Effect
Edibles are typically slower to take effect compared to inhaled products, such as pre-rolls and vape cartridges. The actual time between consumption and experiencing the effects depends on many factors, including your metabolism, the makeup of the edible product, and what you have had to eat and drink in a given day. Generally speaking, though, most people feel the first effects between 30 and 90 minutes after eating a cannabis edible. The peak usually occurs around one and a half to two hours afterward. All in all, edibles are known to have many longer-lasting highs than their inhalable counterparts.
Inhaled cannabis takes effect in the body within a handful of seconds to a few minutes. Some highs can last up to six hours, while many other products and body types make for shorter euphoric states.
Processing in the Body
The properties of edibles are amplified due to the liver’s function. Ingested THC is metabolized in this organ, where it is converted to 11-hydroxy-THC. Science has found the latter compound to be about five times stronger than regular THC, making the final onset in the bloodstream and brain significantly more intense. This is exaggerated because 11-hydroxy-THC is soluble in water, spreading and absorbing through the body much quicker than regular THC once it is metabolized. Most cannabinoids in an edible are eventually absorbed into the body while smoking or vaping releases a large portion of wasted THC into the surrounding air. Since ingesting is a closed system, this also makes for a more intense hit of THC.
Smoking or vaping allows THC to enter the bloodstream through the respiratory system, leading to the effects quickly reaching the brain. The liver does not have anything to do with how inhaled cannabis is processed within the body, but rather the lungs are the key player.
Taste Experience
As far as the differences in taste, edibles have the upper hand when speaking of variety. Edibles are infused food, after all, and can consist of almost anything under the sun. The most commonly consumed edibles include special gummies, baked treats (like brownies), hard candy, chocolates, savory snacks (like chips), and various drinks. Whether premade or self-infused, the options are endless.
However, inhaled products like vaping or preroll in Los Angeles, are a much more subtle affair. The taste and aroma of a cannabis product are rooted in the quality of the original plant, the form of harvesting, the form of preserving the harvested flower, and the way of extracting products from the flower. High-quality joint cigarettes can hold subtle taste differences for connoisseurs. Still, vaping provides a much richer sensory opportunity. Especially when made from fresh frozen cannabis, high-quality resins, rosins, etc. can provide consumers with all sorts of vaporized, aromatic experiences, from piney impressions to slightly spicy touches. This is very different from the tastes associated with eating, though.
Dose Management
Managing dosage in edibles is much more complicated than vaped or smoked products. As edibles can be a bit unpredictable as to their onset times, overdosing can also be an issue, resulting from a delay in feeling the first effects. The nature of consumption is difficult to measure, as the size of an edible does not necessarily correlate to the amount of concentrated product. In rare cases, overdosing can cause psychosis but more often causes anxiety, paranoia, and possibly nausea. Reading and researching are essential to ensure the optimal dosage in a given digestible cannabis good.
Since the onset of inhaled marijuana is felt very quickly, overdosing is much more difficult. This is especially true as inhaling does not require digestion, which, as mentioned, amplifies the THC contained within edibles. When making a joint or loading a vaporizer, the dosage is not so much of an issue. The drag one takes is a form of measuring out product little by little. Even if consumers load up their vaping device with the strongest shatter, not all of the cannabis is consumed at once.
Discretion
Edibles are the most private and discreet way to partake in cannabis consumption. Whether brownies or tea, infused food and drink do not give off any noticeable odor to anyone other than the consumer and look no different from regular versions of snacks. Gummies, hard candy, and chocolates are perhaps the most convenient choices. They are tiny, highly portable, and easy to pop in one’s mouth without anyone knowing the difference.
Smoking is, by far, the least discreet form of consuming marijuana. Regular joint cigarettes notoriously produce the most odor, something that dissipates slowly and tends to seep into clothes and hair. Using a vaporizing device, though, is a much more private option. The resulting smoky vapor only gives off a subtle scent, and what is released during consumption dissipates very quickly. Vaporizer pens and cartridges are visible to others. However, passersby and surrounding individuals usually cannot discern between marijuana and tobacco vaporizers, providing an added level of secrecy.
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