Whether you’re an experienced cannabis user or just starting out, it’s important to know the effects of different consumption methods. By understanding how these different consumption methods affect your experience, you’ll be able to choose the one that’s best for you.
Smoking, vaporizing, and dabbing are all common methods of consuming cannabis. Each has its own set of effects, and the ones you experience can vary depending on what you’re smoking or vaporizing.
Inhalation
The way you consume cannabis can have a big impact on how you feel. Smoking is often the most common way to use it, but there are many other methods. For example, vaping and vaporisers may be used to heat up cannabis and release its effects.
Some people also smoke a small amount of marijuana in their mouth. They may do this with a piece of rolled marijuana (joints) or in their mouth, or they may eat a piece of weed that has been soaked in water and then dipped into a pipe.
Inhaling the active ingredients in the cannabis, called cannabinoids, has a number of different effects. They can produce euphoria, relieve anxiety and give people drowsiness, among other things.
However, smoking can lead to respiratory issues, such as coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath, which are not good for your health in the long term. This is especially true for people who are pregnant, or have asthma or other respiratory conditions.
For this reason, it is important to choose the correct method of consumption for your needs and not to mix up cannabis with other drugs, like alcohol or other substances. For instance, using cannabis with benzodiazepines can cause severe levels of impairment and adverse effects.
The same is also true of using cannabis with pain medications or tranquillizers. This can cause side-effects, such as anxiety or drowsiness, which can make it difficult to drive or operate machinery safely.
To avoid these problems, it is best to smoke only the smallest amount of cannabis, and to take it in short, controlled doses. This can help prevent addiction and other problems associated with frequent use of drugs.
Taking cannabis in the form of a tincture or oil, which are then applied to the skin, may be the most effective treatment for some people. This is because the effects of these products are much more prolonged than those of inhalation.
This is because tinctures and oils have been derived from cannabis flowers, and so contain the main active compounds found in the plant. These include THC, cannabidiol and other cannabinoids. These cannabinoids interact with the cannabinoid receptors in the brain to activate neurotransmitter production.
Oral
The effects of different consumption methods can vary considerably from person to person, and it’s important to choose a method that works for you. For example, if you’re looking for relief from pain, edibles are often the preferred route of administration because they can last for hours or even days at a time.
In addition to being a convenient way to consume cannabis, oral products are also less likely to result in an overdose than smoking. This is due to the fact that oral delivery allows for a much lower concentration of THC and its metabolites.
A significant amount of research has compared the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic effects of oral cannabis to smoked or vaporized forms of cannabis (Newmeyer et al., 2017a; Niedbala et al., 2001; Vandrey et al., 2017; Wachtel et al., 2002). These studies have found that the acute pharmacodynamic effects of oral cannabis are substantially delayed compared with smoked or vaporized forms.
This delay in onset of subjective drug effects can make dose titration difficult and increases the risk for an overdose. Furthermore, the pharmacokinetic effects of oral cannabis are not well characterized in terms of the concentrations of THC and its metabolites in blood. As such, a lack of reliable PK data can compromise its therapeutic potential as a treatment for patients with CKD and ESRD.
Despite these limitations, there are many benefits to using cannabis in this manner. For example, it can be used to treat a wide range of medical conditions, such as chronic pain. It’s also a great way to relax and relieve stress.
It can also be a fun and social experience for those who are looking for an escape from the daily grind. The act of preparing and eating an edible can be quite a ritual for some users, which is something to consider when choosing the best form of consumption for you.
Edibles are also popular for their taste and flavour, as well as being a more discreet means of consuming cannabis than smoking or vaping. However, there are a number of factors that should be taken into consideration when choosing an edible, such as the dosage and strength.
Topical
Depending on the type of cannabis, different consumption methods will have different effects on your experience. Smoke can have a fast effect (about 20 minutes), while edibles can take longer to kick in and may last for as long as 90 minutes or more.
Topical consumption is a popular way to enjoy cannabis and can offer pain relief, calming and soothing benefits for the skin. It’s also a great way to consume cannabis without the psychoactive effects of smoking or inhaling it.
The most common types of cannabis-infused topicals are lotions, salves, and bath salts. They contain a variety of cannabinoids, including CBD and THC. These infused products are often formulated to target specific areas of the body, such as joints or muscles, as well as the skin.
Many people find that these products can relieve pain, nausea, and inflammation. They can also help to reduce the symptoms of conditions like psoriasis, dermatitis, and itching.
When you’re using a topical, it’s important to use it consistently and with care. It will work best if it’s applied to clean, dry skin. Applying it after a shower or bath will also increase its effectiveness, as it can draw in excess moisture from the water.
Some topicals have a waxy or gritty texture that may be difficult to apply, so it’s important to make sure you have the correct product for your skin type and condition. It’s also a good idea to consult with a healthcare professional or budtender before trying any new topical, as they can help you find the right one for you.
The main benefit of topicals is that they are easy to use and have a short duration of action. They can be used every day or as needed to help you with aches and pains.
Topicals can also be made at home and a variety of cannabis-infused oils are available. Some even include hemp seed oil or other ingredients to add extra healing properties to the mix. In addition, you can also purchase tinctures and combine them with your favorite lotions or creams to create a custom topical that works for you.
Edibles
If you’ve ever consumed marijuana through more than one method (smoking, vaping, or eating), you might have noticed that the final effects are quite different from one to the other. For example, smoked cannabis typically feels stronger and lasts longer than edibles.
The high from smoking can come on very quickly. However, the effects of edibles can take a much longer time to set in. This is because the active ingredients in cannabis are processed by the digestive tract, and metabolized before they can be released into the bloodstream.
That means that the onset of the effects can be delayed by up to two hours, according to Leafly, a site focused on cannabis education. This can make it easy for someone who’s new to edibles to accidentally overdose because they’re not able to feel the effects immediately after taking their first dose.
This can be particularly frustrating for people who’re used to consuming marijuana through other methods, such as smoking or vaping. They may have a hard time understanding why the effects from eating an edible have lasted so long, and may be tempted to double-dose to try to get them to kick in sooner.
In addition to delayed onset of the effects, edibles can also cause accidental overdose, especially in children. Accidental ingestion of marijuana-infused products is common, and a growing number of health care visits to poison control centers have been linked to the consumption of these items.
For this reason, it’s important to start with a lower dose of edibles than you might be used to smoking or vaping and then gradually increase the amount of the product as your body metabolizes it. This will minimize the chance of overdosing on an edible and allow you to better understand your body’s reactions to different types of products, explains Sara Payan, an educator at the Apothecarium in Los Angeles.
She says the best way to avoid overdosing on an edible is to start with a low dose and wait 24 hours before taking more, so you can see if your body is reacting properly. It’s also a good idea to check with your doctor if you’re taking any medications, as some medications can interact negatively with cannabis.
