With the cannabis industry growing at an unprecedented rate, people are spoilt of choice with the consumption methods and brands. No particular way of using cannabis is the best. Everybody’s needs and preferences are different. And each method has its pros and cons.
Having stated that, making decisions on the best cannabis products is not easy for beginners or even regular users willing to try something new. The task becomes easier when you shop cannabis products online at Secretsmoke. This article explores the most popular methods you can consume cannabis.
Smoking
Without a doubt the most popular and arguably the oldest way people ingest cannabis. Not requiring any elaborate preparation or technical knowledge makes it the go-to method for experienced users and newbies alike. When this method of consumption is being discussed, joints and blunts readily come to mind. They are the time-honored acts of rolling a cannabis flower into a rolling paper or cigar paper in the case of blunt and filtered. Then it is light up at one end and smoke dragged at the other end.
Related to joints are bongs. With bongs, cannabis smoke goes through a water chamber, and ‘cool’ smoke is inhaled. Though smoking is generally not good for the lungs in the long run and people are moving away from it, it remains the best and easiest way to get a quick hit. The cannabinoid moves straight away to the bloodstream.
Vaping
Though both involve inhaling, vaping is technically different from smoking cannabis. Instead of lighting up a cannabis flower, a vaporizer contains a heating coil that heats the cannabis to the point of combustion and releases the smoke through a chamber of water. Unlike smoking, several cannabinoids, terpenes, and other ingredients are vaporized and inhaled.
Also, research revealed more THC is converted when a cannabis flower is vaped. With no smoke inhaled, vaping produces more pleasurable and therapeutic effects and is easier on the lungs. It produces that same instant hit and peak within 30 minutes, just like smoking.
Edible
Edibles are cannabis-infused foods or drinks. The process has to involve decarboxylation of the cannabinoids. Whether for medicinal or recreational purposes, edible is undisputedly one of the safest and discreet cannabis delivery methods. Almost any food can be laced with cannabis. Popular cannabis mixed foods is brownies, candies, cookies, beverages, and several baked goods.
Unlike inhaling, it takes a relatively long time for the effects of THC to kick in. It is important to start slow and go slow as overdose is more likely with edible than other methods. When that happens, it may result in nausea, paranoia, impaired mobility, hallucinations, and panic attack. Though it may be therapeutic, eating raw cannabis flowers won’t have the same high effect as prepared cannabis products. The cannabis has to be decarboxylated, activating the THC from THCA via heating for that to happen.
Tincture
Same as edibles, tinctures are ingested orally. Cannabis tinctures are liquid or alcohol-based cannabis extracts containing known levels and ratios of cannabinoids and terpenes. It is therefore suited for consuming cannabis for medical purposes. Though most people take it sublingually, it can also be used orally by swallowing or adding the recommended doses into foods.
When buying cannabis tinctures, it is important to know the active ingredients and which best serve your purpose. Depending on your preferences and the legality of cannabis where you live, a tincture containing CBD, THC, or a combination of the two is available in the market. Despite not being as popular as smoking or edibles, many prefer cannabis tincture for its precise dosing, discretion, simple and safer way of cannabis consumption.
Topicals
A lot of cannabis users are interested in the therapeutic benefits but want none of the psychotropic effects. Few studies and anecdotal evidence all point to the anti-inflammatory and pain relief potential of the cannabis plant. Topicals are the perfect delivery method for the treatment of localized pain, inflammation, and several dermal issues. There are a lot of cannabis topical products in the market, ranging from balms, lotions, oils, sprays, salves to rollerballs.
When rubbed generously on the affected area, the cannabinoids activate the cannabinoid receptors located all over the body. The CBD and THC molecule take the place of the naturally occurring endocannabinoids to change the pain perception and response.
Dabbing
This method is not advised for a beginner. A solvent like butane is used to get a very high concentration of cannabis oil – in the form of wax. It often contains an off-the-chart CBD and THC level, sometimes up to 80% THC. For highly experienced users of cannabis, consuming wax gives an instant high and is not bad for the lung; it produces no smoke. However, that sort of potency may be a few levels too high for novice consumers.
Dabbing is simply inhaling vapor from the water in a dab rig after cannabis concentrate is heated via the nail. In place of the odor associated with traditional smoking, dabbing leaves the flavored taste of the concentrates and terpenes in the mouth.
Choosing The Perfect Method of Consumption For You
Deciding on the type of cannabis products and methods of delivery entirely depends on your health, preference, and experience. These factors should be considered first your determining your best form of cannabis consumption. If you rather not expose your lungs and respiratory system to smoke, edibles and tinctures may be your best bet. Also, dabbing may not be the right learning curve for a beginner. You can always try a new routine and enhance your cannabis experience with different consumption options.