Are you a regular marijuana stoner? Or maybe you are just thinking about experimenting and trying it out for the first time, but you are not sure which you should try…smoking or eating it! Everyone has their preferred method.
Smoking is obviously bad for many reasons, such as causing respiratory issues and lung problems. Many feel that eating cannabis is a better way to experience the high without actually damaging their lungs in the process. Some people just rather hold a cigarette than go through the process of baking brownies. It all depends on what you are most comfortable with.
Eating vs Smoking Marijuana: Which is Better?
Let us go through everything you need to know about eating and smoking marijuana, and hopefully help you decide which you would rather do to get high.
Eating Marijuana: Things to Know Before You Try Cannabis Edibles
Here I will show you what type of cannabis edibles there are out there, what you should look out for, how much to consume, and the effects they will have on you.
What Are Weed Edibles?
There are many varieties of consuming cannabis, some of which include baking brownies, eating cannabis chocolate, chewing gummies, drinks that have marijuana in them, and even cooking oil. You can choose whichever suits you most.
Mainly these edibles will be infused with THC or CBD. THC is more famous than CBD as it gives you a stronger high. Depending on the person, it can allow you to feel relaxed, creative, happy, and relief of pain. It is widely used but it can also have side effects of memory loss, confusion, and anxiety.
CBD is much more calming and is great at battling anxiety. You can also get a balanced mix of THC and CBD for the perfect high. When you are purchasing these edibles, you can select which you would rather. They will already have the perfect dose in them so as not to overwhelm you.
When you are making these yourself, you really need to pay attention to which type you are using and how much of it you are consuming, because if too much is consumed, it can be dangerous.
How Much Should You Eat Of Weed?
Firstly, you need to understand that eating cannabis is absolutely NOT the same as smoking it. It takes about 30 minutes or so until you actually feel it running through your veins. With smoking, you can feel the marijuana straight away, so don’t assume that just because it is taking longer to have an effect when eating it, that it isn’t working and to eat more.
If you are starting out, you should only use 2mg for THC or 10mg for CBD. If you end up using more, it will hit you harder and will last longer than you want. For a first-time user, this is highly not recommended.
If you decide to use both then 2mg each is sufficient for you. When you have a bit more practice, you can increase the dosage as your tolerance will build. You can use your measurements in making chocolate or brownies. There are drinks you can purchase also if you do not want the hassle of baking. These drinks will already have the designated amount needed.
What Types of Edibles Are There?
Many different types to choose from, some of which are:
- Food edibles which include brownies, chocolate, gummies
- Oil THC and CBD which would be used for cooking
- Drinks which can include coffee, tea, and sodas
- Tinctures are edible liquids. You place a few drops of this on your tongue
- Cannabis capsules
- Cannabis powder which you can dissolve in any drink
How Long Do Edibles Stay In Your System?
When eating or drinking cannabis, you need to wait 30 minutes to two hours before it kicks in. Do not get tempted to have more because you will end up doubling up and the effects will be stronger. You have to wait for it to kick in, and when it does it will be worth it. It usually lasts longer than smoking also.
The effects of edibles last for up to six hours, which means you do not need to be topping up every hour like you do when smoking it. It is advised that if you do not feel the effects after 30 minutes, you should wait about two hours before doing any more.
Health Effects
You may think that eating or drinking weed is good for you, or better than smoking it is, but it has its health effects also. Yes, it is prescribed in different countries for conditions such as cancer, anxiety, and chronic pain, but it can actually cause anxiety and have severe effects on the mental system.
Because the effect of edibles lasts much longer, it can cause immobility, severe paranoia, hallucinations, confusion, sedation, and much more. This can especially be caused when the right dosage has not been applied and you end up consuming too much. Beware of mixing the edibles with other medication or alcohol, as it can have a bad reaction.
Apart from this, edibles are actually healthier than smoking cannabis because you are not damaging your lungs and respiratory system.
Avoid contact with children
Ok so obviously some of these look-like actual sweets and chocolate. If you have kids, avoid having these around the house! If your child finds this in the house and accidentally eats it, I am sure you know it will not end well for them, especially if they have a lot! Beware of where you leave your edibles, and better yet, if you have kids, don’t have these around the house at all.
Smoking Marijuana: Tips and What to Expect?
This is probably the most common way of consuming cannabis for people. Most are smokers already and just prefer the feel of a joint between their fingers. Others just want the quick high they get from smoking it.
There are a lot of reasons why smoking cannabis is much worse for you, but we will go through all these and if that doesn’t stop you, then you can continue reading about how you can smoke it.
Health Effects and Benefits
Put simply, smoking is really bad for your health. It causes extensive lung damage as well as completely damaging your respiratory system. A major risk of smoking is lung cancer. You need to know all the short- and long-term effects on your body before committing to smoking cannabis.
Smoking weed is also prescribed by doctors in some countries for certain diseases, as mentioned above for edibles. If it is not mixed with cigarettes in a joint and used properly, it actually has a lot of benefits. Some of these include:
- Relief of pain
- Helps you lose weight
- Regulates seizures
- Helps with depression and anxiety
- Treats glaucoma
- Helps with PTSD
- Helps with tremors
How You Can Smoke Weed?
There are actually a lot of different ways to smoke weed. Some are better for you than others. Let us go through some of them.
Spliffs
With spliffs, you mix the cannabis with tobacco, roll it up in paper, and smoke it. This is probably the worst way you can do it, as this is the type of smoking that will damage your lungs and is not recommended.
Apart from this, the smell of it will consume the whole room, leave your fingers and teeth stained, and stench up your clothes and hair. If you are trying to hide the fact you smoke weed, this probably is not the best option for you. But if you do choose it, just make sure you are prepared to constantly air out your room.
Joints
These are also rollies but pure marijuana. They can get you very high as they are 100% weed only. You may not like this option though as you will be using a lot of weed every single time you roll a joint.
Vapes
Vapes are the healthiest way of inhaling weed as you are inhaling the pure vapor. It does not give off a smell, so you can be at ease smoking it wherever you like without feeling insecure. The only negative thing about vapes is that they are expensive. It may be worth buying it as a once-off as it will last you a long time.
Bongs
Best way to get high very quickly! They come in many different shapes and sizes and so you can choose which will suit you best. They are easy to use and take up minimal space. Water is contained at the bottom of the bong, and when you inhale, the weed passes through the water before entering your lungs.
Pipe
A pipe is a classier way of smoking marijuana. You would use small quantities at a time, which may be more ideal than a joint.
There are a lot of other ways to smoke it, but the list would be endless. People come up with some crazy way to smoke it if they don’t have easy access to any of the above. If you are a beginner, I would suggest sticking to something simple like vapes or bongs.
It is super smelly
Don’t forget the fact that smoking cannabis is extremely smelly! It really sticks to everything in your house and you, and therefore harder to hide if you don’t want people knowing. If you do choose to smoke it, I would suggest purchasing Febreze or scented candles to help with the smoke.
There is the option of also smoking on your balcony, outside on a walk, or through your window. If you don’t want anyone in your house to know you smoke, but you have nowhere else to smoke it, go to the bathroom. Close the door, open the window, turn on a hot shower, and enjoy yourself! The steam helps in diminishing the smell, as does the ventilator in the bathroom. If you ask why does marijuana smell different? check our post.
Apart from this, the smell of the actual marijuana plant is really potent. You won’t be able just to have it laying around in your bedroom or kitchen, as it will stink up the whole room. It is best if you get airtight containers such as a mason jar to keep it in. This is only if you want to hide the smell when someone is coming over, or if you don’t want people to know you smoke weed.
Edibles vs. Smoking: Is Better to Eat or Smoke Marijuana?
Well, technically both of them can have negative side effects if not taken properly, but edibles would be better for you than smoking marijuana. This is mainly due to the fact that edibles will not cause you any respiratory issues. You still need to make sure you are not mixing these with any alcohol or medications, and make sure you are taking the recommended dosage.
If you take too much, you could end up dealing with severe paranoia that is going to be in your system for six to eight hours. It is vital you read the milligrams of whatever you are purchasing and start off at 2mg for THC, and 10mg for CBD. You can build this up with time, but best not to overwhelm your body straight from the start.
As well as having negative effects, both of them also have positive effects. They can both give you a sense of relaxation, minimize depression and anxiety, and help with certain diseases and pains. Vaping is a good method of smoking marijuana, as it is much cleaner than rolling it up in a spliff or joint. Might be better for those just starting out.
So, all in all, edible marijuana may be better for you, but it comes with a lot of hassle in regard to making sure you are not taking too much and doing more research on it. Smoking marijuana is much more controlled and you choose how much you want to inhale and how often. At the end of the day, it is very much your choice which you prefer for yourself, but the above guide should at least help you in making this decision.
