What are the different ways to take cannabis?
Cannabis, also known as marijuana or weed, is popular around the world for recreational and medicinal use. Although it has been outlawed for years – this is changing as the health benefits are being studied. Depending on the country, marijuana use can vary from being legalized completely, to decriminalized, to just only legal for use as medicine. Most recently, weed has been decriminalized in Thailand, and legalized for medicinal use.
Before you decide to take weed, we recommend looking at your country’s law and regulations. Weed is popular to help reduce anxiety, relieve any pain or even inflammation, and it can help with nausea. It has a ton of benefits! So, what is the best way to take weed? There is a variety of options – from smoking it, taking it as an edible, to even using oil! There’s even multiple ways to smoke weed.
Ways to smoke weed:
Even when it comes to just smoking weed – there is plenty of variety. Whether you want to go old school with a joint or bong, or try something new with a vape.
Pipe: Pipes are great if you want to have a quick hit, without having to bake an edible or put effort into rolling a joint.
Bong: Bongs are the classic way to hit weed. They use water to cool and filter the weed smoke, which also allows for harder – and smoother hits. This is because you’re not getting the dry, raw heat. Bongs can come in a wide variety of designs, and it tends to be smokier than a joint.
Joint: Joints are a timeless staple. They’re made by packing the weed into a rolling paper – similar to rolling a cigarette. You can even mix weed with tobacco and make a spliff!
Vape: Vaping marijuana has become more popular, and is commonly known as vape pens. Vape pens are usually “healthier” on your lungs compared to other smoking methods. However, it is harder to keep track of how much weed you are actually smoking.
Smoking is probably one of the faster ways to experience the effects of weed. However, it can be harder to keep track of how much you consume, especially with a vape. It can also leave a strong smell that clings to clothes and furniture.
So, if you are looking for a better, fragrant-free alternative, edibles is a great one! The effects of smoking cannabis is still being studied, but keep in mind it can cause damage to your lungs.
Turn your weed into an edible:
An edible is any type of food (or drink) that contains cannabis! This can range from mixing it in with drinks, cakes, cookies, or even chocolate or something savory.
Baked Goods: Baking with cannabis is a classic! The pot brownie is iconic. You can add cannabis in pretty much anything you bake. It usually takes an hour or so after eating for the weed to kick in.
Candy: It’s possible to get candy infused with cannabis, like lollipops, or even mints! These usually kick in faster than your typical baked weed good too.
Beverages: You can get drinks that are infused with cannabis. You can also make your own! All you need to do is add weed oil to your beverage. It’s popular to add weed to soda, or even alcohol like beer.
There are so many ways you can turn weed into an edible. Whether it’s through herbal teas (brewing with marijuana leaves), wine, creating confectionary – get creative with it! Just a reminder:
Weed through edibles usually takes longer to kick in than other forms. So don’t go overboard if you don’t feel anything after one brownie. Give the weed some time to hit! Edibles are also known to last longer than smoking.
Depending on where you live, some dispensaries will sell weed in baked goods. Otherwise, you can easily prepare and make it yourself! Just get some weed oil and add it to whatever you’re making or baking.
Here are some other ways:
Capsules: Just like any other medication, it is possible to get weed in the form of a pill or capsule. This is great if you are not into smoking or edibles. Weed pills are usually made with CBD isolate – cannabis in its purest form. Just a reminder, pills/capsules are usually more potent than other forms of weed. So be careful and take it in moderation.
Topicals: Topicals or cream containing weed is great if you are looking to relieve pain or inflammation. They usually contain CBD and are designed to target certain areas. You can apply it directly to the affected area, and it won’t get you high like other forms of weed does.
Tinctures: Don’t want to smoke, and want almost immediate effects? Maybe look into tinctures of cannabis – all you do is just pop it under your tongue! Tinctures are usually for medicinal use only, as it is extremely potent, and can create intense highs.
Oils: It is possible to find weed in the form of thick oil extracts. These are great for muscle relief and pain. All you do is place it on your skin, rub it in, and let it absorb. This is usually designed for medical use only.
There are still plenty of other ways to have weed that we haven’t covered. Like through sprays, dissolvable strips, inhalers, salves, and even patches. If you are interested in learning more about these methods, check out our handy sources section!
At the end of the day, there is no “best” way to have weed.
It all comes down to preference, and what you prefer. Each method has its own benefits and disadvantages. For example, you might prefer smoking because it takes less prep time than edibles. Or you might like that edibles mask the flavour/taste of cannabis.
The different methods of taking cannabis also can vary in terms of duration and effect. We recommend doing further research, and experimenting with what you like most. This is just a general guide to the diverse ways of taking weed.
Also, when taking any drugs – make sure to be cautious and be aware of your limits. Whilst you can’t really fatally overdose on weed, it can inhibit your judgement and motor skills.
As much as weed can be used to help with your mental health, it can also cause issues too. If you have bad come downs, or depressive thoughts on mental health – speak with a professional. Everyone experiences weed differently.
How the weed affects you can also change depending on the strain. Some strains are more potent than others.
Sources:
https://www.verywellhealth.com/how-is-marijuana-used-63522
https://www.self.com/story/cannabis-edibles
https://drugpolicy.org/drug-facts/10-facts-about-marijuana/how-marijuana-consumed
https://www.healthline.com/health/healthiest-way-to-smoke-weed
