How to Consume Medical Marijuana

How to Consume Medical Marijuana – Marijuana plants are diverse, with many uses, so naturally, there are many ways for someone to consume the plant.

While smoking is the best-known way to consume medical marijuana, there are many accessories available to administer the plant. Some people prefer to roll a joint, while others choose a bowl as their preferred method.

Smoking isn’t the only way to experience medical marijuana’s effects, however. Edibles, ingestible oils and vaporizers are two methods that are gentler on the lungs, while topical salves can help relieve sore muscles.

Take a look below at the various ways you can consume medical marijuana. How to Consume Medical Marijuana

Bowl

These glass-blown hand pipes are one of the most popular consumption methods for medical marijuana. The pipes vary in size, depending on how much you typically smoke in a bowl. They are also a great way to express your personality, as glass pipes comes in many different colors and shapes, including cartoon characters. Choosing a bowl also gives you an opportunity to support artists, as there are many glass blowers that create pipes. How to Consume Medical Marijuana

Bong

Also known as a “water pipe,” bongs are notorious in cannabis culture. Like bowls, most bongs are created from hand-blown glass and come in different shapes, colors and sizes. A bong has five parts to it: bowl, carb, downstem, base and tube. Bud is placed in the bowl and the base is where the water is held. The smoke travels through the downstem and filters through the water, where it’s then sent to the tube, where the user inhales. The carb is for clearing smoke from the chamber after. 

Vaporizers

We know, vaping has been a little controversial lately, but as long as you are working with a professional, licensed distributor, you will have a positive vaping experience. There are vaporizers for dry herb, but the most popular vapes use oils and waxes for medical marijuana consumption. Vapes work by heating up enough to extract THC and CBD. Due to this nature, vaporizers must be recharged in order to operate smoothly. People choose vaporizers because it’s less harsh on the lungs and odorless, making it discreet in public spaces. How to Consume Medical Marijuana

Joints and blunts

Fun fact: joints and blunts are not interchangeable. Joints are rolled in paper, while blunts are rolled in cigar paper, which contains nicotine. Many people smoke blunts for the cannabis/nicotine combination, while others prefer to go the straight joint route. Tobacco paper is easily recognizable because it is heavy and brown, while papers are thin, white and translucent. Whether you prefer a joint or blunt, you’ll need to know how to roll the paper and can find many tutorials online on how to roll. 

Edibles

Some people forgo smoking altogether and choose edibles, as they don’t affect your lungs the way smoking and vaping does. Edibles are any medical marijuana product ingested through your mouth. They come in countless forms, from suckers and gummies to cookies, brownies, chocolates and more. If you choose to go the edible route, it’s important to know how many milligrams are best for you to consume so you have an enjoyable experience. Edibles take longer to take effect, so it can be easy to take more than you are used to, and we recommend speaking to an expert on what’s best for you if you are new to edibles.

Hookah

Like a bong, a hookah is a water pipe. However, they are not the same. With hookah, there are more components than a bong. A hookah has a bowl, windscreen, hose, purge valve, water base, plate, grommets, charcoal and the tobacco or herbal mixture (also known as shisha) of your choice. Shisha is the biggest difference between hookahs and bongs. The shisha is the flavored tobacco used in the hookah. When using cannabis in your hookah, pack it under the shisha, as the molasses and glycerin in shisha will cause the cannabis to burn too quickly.

Ingestible oils and tinctures

Oils are another option for those who want to avoid smoking, or the calories that come with edibles. Oils can be ingested through capsules or straight. Similar to oils are tinctures, which is a liquid cannabis extract that is mixed with alcohol or other fat-soluble liquids. A few drops of tinctures are placed under the tongues and, like edibles, will take time to absorb into the bloodstream.

Topical ointments

If you’re looking for a “high,” you’re not going to get much with topical ointments. Rather, these ointments are used for their pain-relieving effects on skin and muscles. Cannabinoids are activated through decarboxylated oil, which makes the oil perfect for acute treatment for sore muscles.

The homemade route

Yes, you can make your own medical marijuana delivery method, if you’re crafty enough. Sometimes you find yourself with some cannabis and no way to ingest it, and that’s when it’s time to get creative. Bongs have been made out of bamboo, prescription bottles, water bottles, Pringles cans, fruit and even more. Really, you can get super creative with your engineering.