When you think of using and enjoy cannabis, most of us picture someone smoking it. Smoking cannabis is a time-honored tradition, but when it comes to smoking, there are a lot of questions about the effects on your health. Even though cannabis is a great plant with many health benefits, smoking plant matter is never going to be nice for your lungs.
If you are someone who is interested in trying cannabis but don’t want to smoke it, then you should consider 5 ways to enjoy cannabis without having to smoke it. Whether you want to enjoy the psychoactive effects of THC or the body-healing properties of CBD, you can enjoy them in a variety of ways without having to burn the actual plant. Remember, all of these methods can be used for both THC and CBD, so if you read THC, you know that it can be used for CBD as well!
1. Vape it
Vaping comes first on our list because of its similarity to smoking. It looks and feels pretty similar to smoking, but there are some differences. Firstly, no plant matter is burning when you vape. No burning plant matter means no harsh smoke entering your lungs. Instead, you are vaporizing only the THC, leaving behind a THC vapor which is a lot more forgiving on your lungs.
Vaporizers are a wonderful alternative and there are many great products on the market in Canada and America that allow you to get just as high as if you smoked. On top of the health benefits, the flavor of vape is so clean that you get every inch of flavor out of your bud or oils.
2. Dab it
Dabbing is one of the latest trends when it comes to getting high and it really packs a punch. If you have been smoking or using cannabis for a while and are keen to take your experience to the next level, then dabbing might be for you.
The word dabbing refers to what you do. It starts with some dabs (an extraction), which is then ‘dabbed’ (touched) onto a piping hot nail. As soon as the concentrate comes into contact with the nail, it is instantly vaporized, leaving behind a clean and powerful vapor for you to inhale. This is not for the faint-hearted and if you think it’s going to be as strong as smoking or regular vaping then you will be very surprised.
You should be warned that some people are worried about the effects of dabbing. What? But I thought it was like vaporizing, so the effects on my lungs are far better. That is true, but have you thought about what you are vaporizing – high concentrations of THC. This is not the strength of a normal bong hit, with THC levels reading up to 90% in quality products. This is very strong stuff and there is not enough research on the effects of vaping such strong stuff on the cannabinoid receptors in our brains. The jury is still out about this one, butat least it’s less harmful on your lungs!
3. Eat it
Mmm…edibles. If you love food as much as you love getting high, then edibles could be the choice for you. This is one of the healthiest and most natural ways to consume cannabis. It has also been around for a very long time, with the first edibles starting with just straight up eating the buds. We now know that eating cannabis bud raw isn’t the best way to do it and that you should always decarboxylate and extract the THC into a useful fat. This fat can then be mixed into any food you can imagine.
Edibles should be treated with caution, mostly because they can be very strong without seeming so. In Canada and the USA, you can buy edible brownies that are so strong that you only need to eat a small piece of it. Depending on how strong the THC fat was made, you will have to calculate an appropriate dose based on your size, tolerance, and ideal experience. It can also take a while to kick in, so don’t rush it and enjoy the journey.
4. Extract it
Making THC oil/butter is a form of THC extraction, where you use another solvent to extract the wonderful THC/CBD, but let’s look at two of the main types of extractions available: tinctures and oils. Both are powerful THC extracts that can be used for recreational and medicinal purposes and they provide a great alternative to smoking.
These extracts should be taken with caution because like edibles, they take a while to affect you and can produce very strong effects. There are different ways to use the extracts, with oils often being ingested in pill form and tinctures (liquid extractions) often dropped under your tongue.
5. Topical it
If you aren’t interested in getting high then this is one of the better alternatives, because even a THC topical will not get you high. What is a topical? It is a name for any lotion, balm, or rub that you put directly on your skin. These topicals are infused with cannabis, either with THC or CBD and are a great way to get the healing properties of the plant without having to ingest it. Have some pain or inflammation? Rub some natural cannabis topical on it for localized relief.
