People consume marijuana for all sorts of medical reasons, from headaches to crippling anxiety, and even physical ailments. Smoking is the most common method of consuming marijuana, possibly because it has been around for centuries. Regardless, some people may not prefer smoking as it does have an effect on the lungs over time.
Therefore, if you do not wish to give up on cannabis due to its numerous health benefits but want to give up smoking, worry not. In this blog, we will talk about the different ways you can consume marijuana in different ways and still feel its potent effects.
How to Consume Marijuana Without Smoking
Edibles
Marijuana edibles are arguably the most common cannabis products that don’t require smoking. This may be owing to the availability of cannabis gummies- they taste just like normal gummies yet offer the benefits of cannabis. Particularly, CBD gummies sell like crazy because they offer the same benefits THC does, without causing euphoria. Thus, they are quite popular amongst medical cannabis users.
Moreover, edibles can be easily made at home and are much more strong as compared to other methods of consuming marijuana. This is because the cannabis in them goes through the liver, where THC is converted into 11-Hydroxy-THC, it’s a much stronger by-product.
Other benefits of consuming cannabis edibles are:
- You can make your own cannabis oil/ butter with ease and use it for many dishes.
- It is discreet, unlike smoking/ vaping.
- Its potency allows you to feel the effects even when microdosing.
- It does not affect the lungs.
- Depending upon your metabolism, edibles’ effects may last much longer than other methods so you need to consume less. As a result, you will also be spending much less.
Topicals
There are multiple ways to consume cannabis, and you can do the same without necessarily ingesting it. Cannabis products like topicals can be directly applied to the area you wish to treat. For instance, a psoriasis patient may be experiencing a skin flare-up in a particular spot. So, they can apply a cannabis balm to that area. Doing so helps prevent intoxication while also providing the desired effects.
Topics can be found as:
- CBD infused patches
- Balms/ gels
- Massage oil/roll on oil
- Cream
- Body lotion
- Salve
- Bath products – salts, bath bombs, soaps, etc.
Some benefits of using cannabis topicals include:
- No intoxication/ euphoric effects.
- Helps soothe skin issues and muscle pain.
- They obtain compounds like pinene and CBG, which help treat bacterial infections.
- Perfect for treating pain in one area, especially for arthritic patients or those with joint pains.
Tinctures
Tinctures are present in the liquid form in marijuana plants. They are mixed with water and alcohol. You can place some drops directly under the tongue, allowing it to get absorbed into the bloodstream fast and efficiently.
These products are extremely potent and also cause euphoria. They also deliver quick results, which make them popular for medicinal use. Other benefits of using tinctures include:
- They offer an easy way of consumption, which is suitable for people of all ages.
- Lasting effects that kick in immediately and stay for around 6 – 8 hours.
- Dosage is easy to control, so you may not overdose as consumers often do with edibles.
- They are easy to use in cooking and to add to beverages.
- Widely available in varying cannabinoid ratios. So, you can pick the potency you prefer.
- Often contain numerous cannabinoids, from terpenes to flavonoids.
- You may also find them as capsules, which allow for efficient microdosing.
Dabbing
You may think that dabbing is similar to smoking, but on the contrary, the method is quite different. This way of consuming cannabis is more similar to vaping than smoking. It requires THC resins to be extracted from the marijuana plant, which may be in a solid or an oil form.
An easy way to dab is by taking your preferred weed strain flower and keeping it in the middle of a small parchment paper square. Then, press it using a flat iron that has been preheated to 275° F. Retrieve after 5 seconds and you’ll notice the flower has left behind resin residue. Pick that up with a steel tool and place it in a bong. Heat with a blowtorch to create vapors.
This method of consuming marijuana is much stronger than smoking, and you can use the same flower to extract resin a few times. Some other benefits of dabbing include:
- You can ingest more cannabinoids as compared to other methods. This is particularly useful to those who suffer from chronic pain and nausea.
- It has a great flavor, sometimes even better than the flower itself.
- You burn less plant matter as compared to smoking and get a lot more out of the same quality.
Oral Ingestion
People have been consuming cannabis orally for decades now. You may have heard about “pot-brownies” or cookies, but you can add cannabis to several types of food. Moreover, there are numerous benefits of adding cannabis to your food/ drinks.
The oils from cannabis plants offer a lot of uses, such as they can be used for cooking various recipes, baking, etc. 18 states in the U.S. have legalized the recreational use of marijuana, and you may even find some vendors selling cookies, chewing gum, cereal, etc., infused with it.
You can even add cannabis oil to beverages, such as tea, soda, and beers. Marijuana tea has been around for a while too.
What is the Best Way to Consume Cannabis?
Now that you are familiar with the different ways you can consume cannabis, you must be wondering which one to pick. However, you should know that there is no “best” way to consume it in particular. It all depends on what you’re looking for, and whether the pros and cons balance out in your favor.
Most importantly, you should purchase your products from a reliable source, such as a government-regulated medical marijuana dispensary. As a regular consumer, you can rely on your Nevada medical marijuana card to help you save a lot of money on cannabis products. Get in touch with the specialists at Nevada MMJ Card Doctor. We provide you with an affordable MMJ card so you can continue exploring the options without burning a hole in your pocket.