CANNABIS: INHALING VERSUS INGESTING 

When it comes to consuming cannabis, many people have a preference for smoking, vaping, or ingesting edibles. But which one is better for your health? There are positives and negatives to each method, which will be outlined in the post below. 

What are the advantages of vaping over smoking?

Vaporizing is the most efficient way to consume your cannabis. The lower temperatures that are used while vaporizing allow almost all of the active compounds to be extracted from the cannabis. When you’re smoking cannabis, the incredibly high temperatures caused by combustion actually destroy a large part of those active compounds. This is a waste of product, and therefore of your money! 

A small amount of cannabis can give you multiple hits or even multiple sessions of smoking with a quality vaporizer. Due to the mechanism through which the cannabis is vaporized, you are sometimes able to discern more flavours from the natural terpene profile of the cannabis you’re vaping. 

Which is healthier, vaping or smoking?

Vaping is definitely healthier, if you’re speaking about the side effects of inhalation. The vapor created through vaping cannabis is a warm vapor that consists mainly of active cannabinoids and terpenes. There is no combustion, so you’re not breathing in hot burning plant matter which can really irritate your lungs after some time. Long-term or even heavy duty vape users can still run marathons or cycle long distances if they take care of themselves. Your lungs do not suffer to the same degree as when you smoke cannabis. 

There have been concerns in the industry about “popcorn lung” due to vaping. It is possible to get this from vaping inferior products made from cheap materials. When you’re buying vapes and vape cartridges, make sure that the manufacturer uses high quality containers and ingredients in order to avoid the possibility of negatively impacting your lungs. 

Why would some people still choose smoking over vaping?

Realistically, the cost of smoking can be significantly lower if you’re buying fancy vapes and concentrates. It’s also way more familiar! If you’ve been smoking joints every day for a long time, it can be difficult to imagine changing that routine for something else. However, the benefits of vaping are hard to ignore. 

What it all comes down to is personal preference. Some people might not enjoying vaping the same way they enjoy smoking. Weigh the pros and cons and do what’s right for you. Just make sure that you make an informed decision about how you’re going to consume your cannabis!

Should I eat or inhale my cannabis products?

Research these days has suggested that ingesting cannabis is a way more efficient way to get high. On top of that, it’s healthier than smoking or vaporizing because you’re not pulling something other than oxygen into your lungs. If you’re able to minimize the impact on your lungs from cannabis, then you should definitely try! It’s also a more efficient way to get high because you can use lower doses to achieve a similar effect or high sensation. 

Smoking or vaping does provide a faster delivery system into the body for THC and CBD and other cannabinoids. It is also easier to manage dosage when you’re smoking or vaping because the effects come on and wear off much faster. 

What are the pros and cons of cannabis edibles?

With edibles, the ingested cannabis must first be digested by our system, where it has to pass through the liver. When you smoke cannabis, THCA is converted via heat into THC, which enters your bloodstream through your lungs as THC. Edibles, however, cause activated THC to be metabolized by the liver into a completely different compound called alpha-hydroxy-THC, which is a more potent and longer-lasting active metabolite. So even though the entire process takes about one to two hours, the effects are stronger and can last for a much longer period of time. This could be a pro or a con depending on your perspective!

Cannabis that is ingested via edibles also carries little to no risk of exposing you to carcinogens, which inhaled cannabis definitely does. However, because of the length of time it takes for a dose to kick in, many people take too much and then have a bad time. So with edibles, you’re more likely to get too high, and need to go to sleep or sometimes even throw up. Good news, though, is that you can’t overdose on cannabis. 

How should I consume my cannabis?

There are several different ways to consume cannabis that you can try. If you’re a classic stoner, smoking weed via a joint or through a bong might be your preferred method. If you’re comfortable with concentrates and the effects that they have, then vaping might be for you. If you’re worried about exposure to carcinogens and confident in the dosage you need, then edibles are definitely the way to go!

Whatever you choose, do your research beforehand, and start low and go slow!