Which Form of Cannabis is Strongest?
Cannabis is a wondrous plant with many benefits for the human body, and it now comes in several different forms. But which is the strongest, and why?
DISCLAIMER: We know everybody’s body processes cannabis differently, and this has to do with several factors. The biggest out of all of them are: weight, hormones, and tolerance. So some of these observations may not be true for you, and that’s okay. We’re just giving the current general consensus.
Flower
Flower is typically the least potent form of cannabis, but it’s not for lack of trying. It’s mostly how we consume it that makes it the weakest.
A good amount (say about 30%) of THC is destroyed by pyrolysis, which is the decomposition of matter from high temperatures (lighters and matches). This means that some of the advertised THC on your flower isn’t actually making it into your body.
Flower’s high also doesn’t last as long as the other forms of cannabis. This is because our lungs are great at spreading those cannabinoids (THC specifically) through our body fast.
According to Dr. Chayasirisobhon, at the Department of Neurology at Kaiser Permanente Center in Orange County; “When inhaled, THC and its metabolites enter the bloodstream rapidly via the lungs; they achieve peak levels within 6 to 10 minutes and reach the brain and various organs.”
But it’s not an exact science. There are also other factors at play when it comes to inhalation, such as “the depth of inhalation, puff duration and breath-hold,” which can all determine how high you get (5).
The reported high from flower can last anywhere from 1-3 hours.
Edibles:
Because edibles aren’t being set on fire when you consume them, a great deal more of the advertised THC is entering your body (5). But because of the route it has to take to get to our bloodstream, it can sometimes take up to two hours to feel the effects.
“Although it takes longer for the initial psychoactive effect of edibles (30 to 90 minutes) to be felt, the resulting “high” is longer-lasting, with a peak at 2 to 4 hours after ingestion. Factors such as weight, metabolism, gender, and eating habits also contribute to how soon and for how long someone will feel intoxicated following oral ingestion” (3).
Edibles also aren’t an exact science, as it is sometimes hard to dose-out pieces of candy or cookie accurately. So unless you’re eating an entire edible, you don’t really know how much of the advertised cannabinoids you’re really eating.
As for duration, edibles have been reported to take an “average of 3 hours after ingestion” with “effects dissipating within 24 hours” (1). But how long the effects last depends on the factors mentioned earlier, so it will always be different for everyone.
Concentrates:
There are many different forms of cannabis concentrate (which you can read more about here), and they all have varying levels of potency, but they (nearly) all come from resin, which is essentially the sap of the cannabis plant.
Resin is made up of terpenes and the tiny hair-like structures called trichomes. These trichomes are what hold cannabinoids such as THC and THCV, which is what gives cannabis its potency.
Because cannabis concentrates are essentially pure cannabinoids, they are easily the strongest. That’s why dosage amounts of concentrates are usually recommended to be small. It’s harder to dose-out in cartridge form, however, so just like flower, it’s not an exact science.
Just like flower, because concentrates are inhaled, you’ll start to feel the effects almost instantly. The high can last from 1-3 hours, though it can linger longer.
Always remember to read the dosage information on your product’s packaging, and don’t be afraid to ask your budtenders questions! And don’t feel bad if your body doesn’t react the same way other’s do to certain products. We’re all different, and there’s a cannabis product out there for everyone.
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/
Chayasirisobhon, Sirichai, Mechanisms of Action and Pharmacokinetics of Cannabis. Perm J. 2020 Nov 30;25:19.200. doi: 10.7812/TPP/19.200
Daniel G. Barrus, Kristen L. Capogrossi, Sheryl C. Cates, Camille K. Gourdet, Nicholas C. Peiper, Scott P. Novak, Timothy W. Lefever, and Jenny L. Wiley. Tasty THC: Promises and Challenges of Cannabis Edibles
Farah, Troy. Why Do Edibles Give You a Different High Than Smoking? February 9, 2018, 2:57pm
https://www.vice.com/en/article/bj5mza/edible-high-vs-smoke-high
5. Priyamvada Sharma, PhD,1 Pratima Murthy,1 and M.M. Srinivas Bharath2. Chemistry, Metabolism, and Toxicology of Cannabis: Clinical Implications.