- Cannabis use for leisure and health reasons is now legal in 18 states.
- In jurisdictions where it is legal, marijuana is sold in a variety of forms, including edibles (gummies, chocolate, drinks containing cannabis), consumables (live resin, concentrate), and inhalables (flower, concentrate, and dab). Additionally, there is a topical option (lotions and oils).
Cannabis is used in a variety of ways. People have used it for thousands of years for therapeutic and spiritual purposes. However, marijuana’s acceptance as a psychoactive chemical has exploded recently.
The primary distinction between smoking cannabis and marijuana vaping is that cannabis vaping includes heating plant material without destroying it, which releases toxins that might harm your lungs. Vaping also emits a significant amount of carbon monoxide, which can harm your body.
There are other methods to ingest marijuana, including smoking, vaping, dabbing, cannabis-infused drinks, volcano sprinkles, and more. Which is safer, though? The short answer is that they all have different health effects. Let’s break down each method of consumption and its risks:
Smoking
Compared to vaping or edibles, marijuana smoking leaves your lungs with more tar (often swallowed). The smoke also contains carcinogens, which increase the risk of breathing difficulties and lung cancer.
Vaping
Inhalable vapor is produced by heating flowers or concentrate extracts in vaping devices. Because vaping doesn’t generate smoke, studies have shown that it contains fewer hazardous chemicals than traditional smoking. However, vaping devices may include harmful substances that are unsafe for your health and are prohibited.
Edibles
You can consume edibles, like brownies, cookies, and candies, as an alternative to smoking or vaping cannabis. Although they take action immediately, edibles can take up to an hour to take effect, which may not be suitable if you need to travel fast after eating them (for example, if you’re driving).
Vaping
Inhaling heated oil through a vaporizer, often known as an e-cigarette, is the process of vaping cannabis. Another approach to vaping cannabis is to use a vaporizer, like a Volcano, to produce vapor from dried plant material.
Because vaping doesn’t entail breathing smoke, some people think it’s safer than smoking. However, the truth is that little is known about the harmful health impacts of marijuana vaping.
Smoking
Medical practitioners have warned the public about the risks of smoking cigarettes, cigars, and pipes for many years. Studies suggest that certain ‘cannabinoids’ found in cannabis may have positive properties. One of the cannabinoids that is more well-known is CBD. Some people believe cannabis to be less dangerous than tobacco because of this. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the component of cannabis that causes a “high,” is different from cannabinoids like CBD.
Eating
Edible marijuana products, or edibles, can be any food or beverage. Some popular edible products include; brownies, gummies, cookies, teas, and coffee. Keep in mind that ingesting marijuana doesn’t have an immediate effect. Too much can lead to adverse short-term physical effects such as sleepiness.
Like alcohol, edible cannabis products were also employed for stress relief and euphoria-inducing effects. Gummies, candies, chocolates, capsules, teas, and oils are a few examples of edible marijuana products offered in both legal and illicit cannabis markets. Cannabis enthusiasts who enjoy making candies can do so by combining cannabis-infused butter or oil with other components in recipes for sweet treats and other foods.
