Smoking, eating, drinking, and even topically applied, there’s a beautiful array of choices to make when getting ready to consume cannabis. While we all certainly have a preference for how we do this, and there’s a surprising amount of differences in the way our bodies react to each intake method. In this article we hope to shed some light on these differences and get a more comprehensive understanding of the products we enjoy.
Smoking:
Onset: Effects take hold almost immediately.
Duration: 1-4 hours with effects peaking 15-30 minutes from the point of consumption.
Pros: Arguably one of the best ways to consume for a full cannabinoid profile, flavor is very pronounced and gives the consumer control of dosage easily. Smoked flower is easy to share with as well, a small amount of loose flower can spread between a good portion of people very easily.
Cons: Does involve burning material meaning ash and other particulate will have to be wasted. Papers, metal pipes, and the butane from lighters will all have carcinogenic properties which is not healthy for consumption. Product can have residual chemicals left over from growing if not flushed/processed properly, recreational cannabis does receive excessive testing for this though so don’t worry about your local shops product!
Vaping Flower:
Onset: Effects take hold almost immediately
Duration: 2-5 hours with effects peaking 15-30 minutes from the point of consumption.
Pros: Vaping flower provides one of the cleanest methods of smoke inhalation, due to the lower temperature and format in which it produces vapor. The lower temperature allows for the consumer to get a full terpene and cannabinoid profile derived from the flower, certainly more so than consuming it with a method of combustion. The fact that it doesn’t use any materials that are carcinogenic outside of the flower also contributes to make this one of the cleanest intake methods available.
Cons: Due to the lower temperature, the amount of THC garnered per hit will be slightly lower than a method that would burn the flower meaning it may to take longer to get the proper dose. Some claim there is a certain flavor to vape flower that some find unappealing to consume.
Vaping Concentrate:
Onset: Effects take hold almost immediately
Duration: 2-5 hours with effects peaking 15-30 minutes from the point of consumption
Pros: Extraordinarily clean product, flavor tends to be the most intense in this format especially when sourced from fresh frozen plant product. The frozen product will denote it as a “live” product and will have terpenes and flavonoids in abundance, this intensifies the effects substantially depending on the person and the strain.
Cons: Can increase the risk for the carcinogens present in the product, temperatures exceeding roughly 400 degrees begins to start introducing carcinogenic properties to the cannabis. Does require extra equipment to consume, whether through a vape cartridge or through a “rig” involving a couple pieces to function properly. We recommend purchasing these products from licensed facilities as they will be required to test for residual processing chemicals and restrict the use of potentially harmful filler products.
Edibles:
Onset: Effects can take hold in about 15 minutes to 2 hours, the peak and duration can be dependent on numerous factors.
Duration: Generally speaking 4-8 hours, but depending on the dose and the metabolism of the person consuming there are reports of it extending as far as 24 hours from the point of consumption.
Pros: Edibles are amazing for those consumers who don’t like to smoke, along with being discreet and long lasting they are perfect for traveling and consuming on the go.
Cons: Takes a relatively long time to take effect, can be hard to dose accurately mainly to do with factors like: how full is your stomach, how efficient is your metabolism, and how active you’ll be after consuming.
Tinctures/Sublinguals:
Onset: Effects can take hold in about 15 – 45 minutes, the peak and duration can be dependent on numerous factors.
Duration: Usually anywhere from 2-4 hours depending on how efficiently the product absorbed into the consumers bloodstream.
Pros: Hits substantially quicker than traditional edibles, generally requires less physical product to be ingested to get the desired results
Cons: Such as with tinctures, some of these products are manufactured with alcohol which some consumers may not enjoy. Also and as well the duration of the high is usually not quite as long as other edible mediums, even if the products shared identical cannabinoid profiles
Topicals/Transdermals:
Onset: Effects can take hold in roughly 5 minutes to 2 hours, the peak and duration can be dependent on numerous factors.
Duration: Generally speaking effects last around 8-12 hours depending on the product, quantity used, and area its applied.
Pros: Can offer relief without any psychoactive effects, is also very good at delivering results to localized areas. Tends to be discreet as most topicals and transdermals don’t have a strong cannabis odor.
Cons: Can take awhile to take hold, these products also usually work best with continual application and can take time to garner a full effect from the product. Some people may not enjoy the consistency or the fragrances found in these products.
Conclusion:
We recommend trying all of these different methods, given how unique each of us are there’s a whole world of experiences to be had. Mix and match, play around, most all of us will find that your favorite way may change and shift as you experiment more! Everyone has a different idea of there best cannabis experience, with the methods listed we think you’ll be all the more prepped to make your next adventure the best it can be!