Different Ways of Getting High
You probably already know (or maybe not, our bad) that different ways of consuming cannabis can correlate to the experience we ultimately get, but how and why do they do that?
We’re gonna tell you a little bit about it.
First up: Edibles.
Edibles are known for their long-lasting high and long activation time. But why do they take so long? And do they actually make you higher than other forms? You can learn more about that here, but we’ll give you the short and sweet now:
Edibles take longer to become active because they have to pass through our digestive system to get to our bloodstream, whereas other forms usually enter quickly though our lungs.
Though there isn’t quite exact science (that we’ve heard of yet), the general consensus is pretty much this: with forms of inhalation, a lot of the THC is burned off through the lighting of the flower. This means a smaller dose of THC is actually ingested, even if the advertised content is pretty high. With edibles, the consumer is actually getting the entire amount of THC advertised, and this can sometimes be an unexpected amount.
This high can take up to two hours to be felt, and last anywhere from 4-24 hours.
That’s why it’s always best to take a small dose first and work your way up. Remember: you can always take more, but you can’t take less.
Because of that, edibles are great for people who are experienced with taking them, and can gauge more accurately how their dose is going to make them feel. But they can also be good for everyone! Just make sure you know how much you’re really taking.
Next up: Flower
The flower form of cannabis can be consumed in a few different ways (rolled into a joint, put in a pipe, or hit from a bong), but they all involve lighting it on fire to activate the THC.
Just be warned: it’s a little tricky to give yourself a calculated dose with flower. This is because the fire itself is what destroys some of the flower (and the active THC), and it doesn’t all end up in our lungs. But a good deal of it does, and that can make you high pretty much instantly.
Because our lungs are a direct passageway to the bloodstream, we get the THC real fast. But that high doesn’t always last as long as it can from edibles, and that’s because our body processes the THC faster when it’s inhaled.
This high can last anywhere from 2-3 hours.
And lastly: Concentrate/Oil
Oil has a similar activation time frame as flower, since it is heated either with a flame or by a battery, which produces a vapor that is then inhaled, causing it to be quickly absorbed by our lungs. But oil/dabs can be very concentrated (hence their other name, “cannabis concentrate”), and can provide the user with a very quick and high dosage of THC.
This can be a gamble, for there’s no way to tell how much THC you’re getting per dose, just like with flower, so it’s up to the user to gauge how much THC is being inhaled.
This high can also last anywhere from 2-3 hours.
Which is your preferred method?
Sources:
Barrus, Daniel G. Capogrossi, Kristen L., Cates, Sheryl C., Gourdet, Camille K., Peiper, Nicholas C., Novak, Scott P., Lefever, Timothy W., and Wiley, Jenny L. National Library of Medicine.Tasty THC: Promises and Challenges of Cannabis Edibles. January 24, 2017. Web Article. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5260817/
Farah, Troy. Vice Magazine. Why Do Edibles Give You a Different High Than Smoking? February 9, 2018, 2:57pm. Web Article. https://www.vice.com/en/article/bj5mza/edible-high-vs-smoke-high