Cannabis is everywhere, from what we put inside our bodies to what we put on it, the market is filled with varieties that we can’t wait to test and experiment with. But just because these products are out there does not mean they’re good for us. Whether the product you’re willing to try is a recreational gummy or a high potency medical vape you bought with a medical marijuana card NY, it’s necessary to be aware of all related implications.
Both inhalation and ingestion are the two most common ways of consuming cannabis. Both, however, have their own set of pros and cons.
In this article, we will pay attention to what these methods of cannabis consumption mean. How effective and convenient they are. And how they affect our health. By the end of the article, you should be able to decide the right method of consumption for yourself.
Cannabis Inhaling: Smoking and Vaping
Inhalation is definitely the most preferred method of administration when it comes to cannabis. Why? Because of how quickly it gets working.
Smoking and vaping can get you feeling the effects the fastest, delivering the cannabis directly to the lungs, where it enters the bloodstream. You’re sure to start feeling the effects within a minute, that’s how efficient the method is.
But the method isn’t without cons. Both smoking and vaping can have a negative impact on your lungs, leading to a bunch of other medical conditions. This is why a pro- medical marijuana New York doctor would not recommend this method of administration for an asthamatic patient or one prone to lung infections.
Smoking is the most dangerous method of consumption, closely followed by vaping. While these methods aren’t as awful as nicotine smoking, they aren’t the most healthy form to get your dosage.
Cannabis Ingesting: Edibles and Drinks
Anything cannabis that goes through your digestive tract before entering your bloodstream is ingestible. These could be your favorite CBD rich brownies, your Delta 8 energy drinks or broad spectrum gummy rings. It could even be food infused with CBD or your favorite lemon drink with peppermint CBD oil drops added to it.
In other words, you’ll find the most diverse set of product bundles for ingestibles.
What’s better, these are easier to dose. Gummies, capsules, chocolate bars, or other edibles, all come with easy dosage directions that you can follow. It’s always preferable to reassure yourself by reading through the certificate of analysis of the product.
Here’s the thing- every ingestible has to be digested and metabolized by the liver before the CBD and THC can start showing their effects, making this one a slower process. At the same time, this method leads to stronger and long lasting effects as opposed to other fast acting methods.
Unfortunately, there are a bunch of other factors that decide how you react to these doses. It could be what you’ve eaten or how much, how sensitive you are to the cannabinoids, if you’ve taken the right dosage etc.
Making the Differences Clear
| Difference | Inhalation | Ingestion |
| Fast Acting | Smoking and vaping take between a few seconds to minutes in taking effect. | All products that are digested first take somewhere between 30 minutes to 2 hours. |
| Long Lasting | The effects are quick but short lived. You can take a few puffs after a few hours. | The effects take longer to appear but stay for much longer as well. You need to wait a few hours before ingesting more. |
| Easier Dosage | It can be difficult to measure how much you’re consuming in puffs. | For packaged goods, doses are predefined so you can easily administer as per directions. |
| Safer Administration | Smoking and vaping can be harmful for the lungs. | These do not harm any organ specifically. |
| Intoxication | Since you feel its effects early on, it’s not prone to over intoxication. | The effects can take a few hours to show, leading users to consume more doses that can lead to over intoxicity. |
| Taste | The flowers have a natural earthy flavor but you can opt for alternatives with added flavor. | The capsules have no flavor, while the gummies, and drinks are available in multiple flavors. |
Making the Choice
We’ve already discussed what comes with both inhalation and ingestion of CBD products. Now all that’s left is for you to make the choice.
Picking the right type of product can be pretty easy, if you just keep these questions in mind.
- Do you need quick effects or long lasting effects?
- Are you capable of managing your own doses or do you prefer easy dosage?
- Are you willing to put your lungs at risk or do you prefer a safer method of consumption?
- What type of consumption does your medical marijuana NY doctor recommend?
You can also go as far as experimenting with different products and modes of administration till you find the right one. In any case, if you’re a first time user, always opt for smaller doses and lighter potencies.
For medical marijuana users, a piece of advice from your MMJ doctor can be extremely helpful. They can advise you against any strains, potencies, or modes that might interfere with your prescription medications.
Once you’ve decided the type of product you want to consume, question yourself about the following.
- What is your preferred CBD potency?
- Do you need a full spectrum, broad spectrum or isolate CBD product?
- If broad spectrum, what THC concentration are you comfortable with? (With recreational products you cannot access a potency beyond 0.3%, but products bought with a medical marijuana card NY, you can get high concentrations of THC)
- What other cannabinoids, terpenes or flavonoids do you want in your products?
There are other modes of administration too that you can opt for. Sublinguals and topicals are also extremely effective and can be found in a wide variety of products. Depending on your suitability you can choose the product that is most beneficial for you.
It is always better to consult a medical marijuana New York doctor and get their opinion on the most suitable method of consumption for you.
