While smoking, vaporizing, and eating cannabis may seem near-identical, the effects of each can differ quite a bit. That’s because different consumption methods have distinct ways of delivering the active compounds within cannabis.
As a new user, it’s important to know how each method impacts your experience. That way, you can plan accordingly and get the most out of each session!
Inhalation
The effects of different consumption methods on cannabis experience are important for understanding the physiology of the plant. Inhalation, as the name suggests, is the process of consuming cannabis through inhalation, either by smoking it (as in cigarettes) or by vaporization using a vape pen, for example.
Smoked and vaporized cannabis, as well as inhaling other forms of cannabis (eg, hash, oil) can be used to produce a variety of effects on the body. Some are sedating, while others are stimulating.
For this reason, the consumption method can influence a person’s cannabis experience, as can the type of plant used and the amount of THC. Sativa plants are thought to be more sedating and have a calming effect, while indica plants tend to have more stimulating effects and may produce euphoria.
Inhalation of vaporized cannabis is commonly done as part of a recreational or medical marijuana session. This method is thought to be more effective than inhaling smoke.
As a result, this form of inhalation is also used in clinical settings for patients with chronic conditions such as lung diseases or respiratory distress. Despite the widespread use of cannabis, its impact on respiratory health remains unclear.
Fortunately, new studies are beginning to explore the potential for cannabis to be a therapeutic aid to patients with asthma and other respiratory disorders. This research will help to shed light on the physiology of cannabis and determine how it works to alleviate symptoms such as cough, wheezing and shortness of breath in asthmatics.
This study was an within-individuals, double-blind, crossover design that tested the effects of smoked and vaporized cannabis in healthy adults with no previous cannabis use. It included a total of 17 participants (mean age, 27.3 years; 9 men and 8 women). The doses administered were 0 mg, 10 mg, and 25 mg of THC.
Oral
The effects of different consumption methods on cannabis experience are largely dependent on the drug’s bioavailability, the person’s metabolism rate, their sleep cycle, food and drug interactions, and the health of their gastrointestinal tract. The different forms of cannabis available today range from edibles to tinctures, with many variations in between, including smoking and vaping.
The oral route is longer and takes more time to work compared to inhalation or sublingual administration. It is commonly preferred for patients seeking long-term pain relief or to control nausea and vomiting from chemotherapy or other medications.
Oral consumption of marijuana is also popular among young people, who find it easier to swallow a small amount of edibles than a larger quantity of smoked or vaporized cannabis. However, ingesting cannabis orally is difficult to properly titrate dosage due to the length of time before the effects begin.
Moreover, oral cannabis does not have the same bioavailability as inhalation and/or sublingual consumption, and may lead to significant differences in outcomes between users, especially for frequent or chronic users. Nevertheless, the positive impact of a single oral dose of cannabis on peripheral concentrations of appetitive and metabolic hormones (particularly insulin) makes it a promising candidate for future research in these areas.
We analyzed endocrine responses to the four randomized cannabis administration conditions in a sample of occasional and frequent cannabis users (n = 19). Repeated blood sampling was performed in each participant at T1, T2, T3, and T4. Data were analyzed with linear mixed-effects models that had a drug condition, session number, and blood sampling time-point as fixed effects; the individual subject as a random effect; and the drug x time-point interaction as a fixed effect.
Results showed that total ghrelin concentrations were significantly lower in the oral cannabis treatment group than in the smoked or vaporized cannabis groups. Furthermore, a significant drug main effect was found for total ghrelin and for insulin. These findings suggest that the gastrointestinal effects of cannabis may be related to its modulation of GLP-1 and total ghrelin.
This study represents the first human laboratory investigation of the effects of cannabis on peripheral concentrations of appetitive, metabolic, and other hormones in a sample of occasional and frequent cannabis consumers. It is important to note that gender was not tested as a covariate in these analyses. This was because of the small size of the sample and low percentage of enrolled females, which made it challenging to detect possible gender differences in endocrine outcomes.
Sublingual
The effects of different consumption methods on your cannabis experience vary, depending on your specific needs and goals. For many medical cannabis patients, tinctures or sublingual products are the most convenient way to consume their medicine.
Tinctures are diluted extracts of whole-plant cannabis that can be ingested by placing the liquid under your tongue. Some of these tinctures are made using alcohol-based solutions and others are made with oil. Whether you choose an alcohol-based or oil-based tincture depends on your specific needs and preferences.
These liquids are typically infused with either CBD or THC, depending on the product’s label. They’re also available in a variety of different concentrations.
Regardless of the base ingredient, these liquids are known to be very effective at getting the active components of the cannabis plant into your bloodstream quickly. This means that the effects will be felt quickly and last longer than edibles or inhalation techniques.
Another major benefit of these sublingual products is that they don’t require you to swallow them. This can be a big draw for people who don’t enjoy consuming pills or who have difficulty swallowing.
The onset of the effects from a sublingual marijuana product is usually felt within 10 to 15 minutes after taking it. This is because it’s absorbed through the mouth’s mucus membranes, glands and capillaries instead of going through the digestive system and bypassing the liver like edibles do.
In addition, the absorption process is also quicker than that of oral or inhalation methods. That’s because the mucus membranes and salivary glands in your mouth are very dense, allowing for a direct route for cannabis to get into your bloodstream.
When you’re looking for a sublingual marijuana product, it’s important to make sure that you’re purchasing one that’s high-quality and that contains the correct amount of THC or CBD. You should also avoid products that are too potent, as they could have unpleasant side effects and may be unsafe for you to use.
This is especially important if you’re looking to take your THC-based sublingual product for medicinal purposes, such as pain relief. It’s recommended that you start with a low dose and then gradually increase your intake as needed to find the right balance between pain relief and intoxication.
Topical
Topical consumption is a popular alternative for many consumers, as it provides an alternative to inhalation and allows people who do not wish to get high to enjoy the therapeutic benefits of cannabis without the psychoactive effects. It also helps patients with respiratory diseases who want to avoid inhalation because of the odor associated with smoking or vaping.
Topicals come in a variety of different preparations, including lotions, oils, balms, and ointments. They are infused with cannabis and other natural ingredients and can be used to relieve pain, inflammation, and other symptoms.
These products are absorbed through the skin and distributed throughout the body to engage with cannabinoid receptors located in the endocannabinoid system. They are responsible for regulating the immune system, reducing pain and inflammation, and accelerating collagen production to support healing.
They are effective in the treatment of a wide range of symptoms, and can be used to treat conditions such as muscle pain, headaches, joint pain, anxiety, depression, fatigue, PTSD, acne, dermatitis, inflammation, and psoriasis.
There are a number of different ways to create topicals, but the most common is to infuse the cannabis into an oil or lotion. The product can then be applied to the skin and rubbed in, or it can be mixed with other ingredients to create a salve or cream.
In addition to cannabinoids, there are hundreds of terpenes in cannabis plants that contribute to the experience and therapeutic effects of topicals. These include limonene, pinene, and linalool.
When these terpenes are combined with other natural plant compounds in a product, the end result is an enhanced experience with fewer side effects. Some terpenes have been shown to improve memory, reduce nausea and vomiting, and even alleviate depression.
Another terpene, myrcene, has been shown to promote digestive health and protect the gut from oxidative damage, which may lead to reduced gastric acidity and a reduction in ulcers. Orally consumed terpenes can be more potent than inhaled ones because they can penetrate the blood-brain barrier, and are more likely to be metabolized by the liver, thereby increasing the amount of THC that is available to the brain for a psychoactive effect.
