Cannabis Use: Which Method Works For You
Cannabis or medical marijuana is often pigeon-holed into tightly rolled joints, but as it has hit the mainstream, consumption methods have exploded into a variety of tools and methods. Depending on your goal for cannabis use, having multiple application methods at your disposal can make for ease, portability and never missing a toke.
Understanding Your Options
Bongs and joints might be the staple of cannabis use, but they are far from your only options. It is easy to get stuck on one method but you never know what you are missing until you examine every options for your cannabis use:
Edibles: Next to smoking, edibles are the most popular way to take cannabis. Ingesting cannabis is easier for those users with lung issues or asthma, The downside to this method is that it takes longer for edibles to take effect because they have to pass through the digestive system. With such a wide variety of options for edibles, users get long-lasting results from brownies, cookies, candy and other food.
Sublingual: Different than edibles, sublingual methods are often lumped into the same category. These options are placed under the tongue for fast absorption through mucus membranes. Tinctures, films and dissolvable tablets are all examples of sublingual options.
Tinctures: This method of cannabis consumption are extracts that come in bottles with droppers. These can be used as sublinguals or they can be added to beverages for easy consumption.
Topicals: An amazing option for those users who are looking for the therapeutic benefits of cannabis but without the mind altering effects, or “high”. Creams, ointments, patches and balms can be applied to skin for the treatment of pain and inflammation.
Suppositories: Insertable cannabis is an often overlooked application method. Suppositories are primarily CBD infused and used for therapeutic reasons, such as pain or nausea relief but some brands offer more THC-forward options.
Cannabis Use: Back to Basics
Being able to waltz into a dispensary is new for many people, even if smoking is not. While there are plenty of options to try out, there are a reason that certain tools have become staples. Let’s take a look at some of those traditional methods that have stood the test of time:
Joints: These are the quintessential visual when it comes to cannabis. Popular for their ease and portability, there are many reasons why smokers choose joints for their regular usage. Joints last longer than bongs, prolonging enjoyment and helps to incorporate a tactile process to the ritual of smoking. One of the downsides of opting for joints, however, is the exposure to materials other than cannabis itself. Anything built into filters, rolling papers and any non-cannabinoid content is being inhaled.
Bongs: Often made from glass, bongs are easy to set up and quick to use. Unlike joints, bongs are difficult to carry and even more difficult to conceal. Even smaller models can break during transport or create bulges in pockets. The benefits of bongs are the quicker impact rates and requires less product to reach optimal results. These tools also result in a cleaner high, as there are less foreign materials being inhaled. Water filtration also adds another layer to this, creating cleaner inhales and eliminates the harmful chemicals involved in standard smoking.