Here’s a challenge you may never get tired of: Can you count all the ways there are to consume cannabis?
It’s kind of a head-scratcher, isn’t it?
If you came of age any time before the 1990’s or so and were interested in cannabis, the most popular way to enjoy it was unquestionably by smoking it.
While we haven’t tested our theory under laboratory conditions, it’s possible that today, smoking cannabis is losing out to other options, like vaporizing, dabbing, and consuming edibles, for a start.
So with one eye on the rich history of human interaction with cannabis and the other on the new wave of exciting ways to enjoy it—and believe us, detaching our eyes from one another is much easier said than done—here’s our list of the many ways humans can consume cannabis.
Smoking
Okay, we’ll start off easy here: Smoking cannabis flower is historically the most common way to enjoy it, though of course there are nearly countless ways to do it. Some of the tools and mechanisms used through the centuries include:
- Water pipes (bongs): Though they suffer from their relative bulk and non-portability, water pipes are a time-honored way of cooling cannabis smoke on its way to your lungs while simultaneously making amusing “bubbly” noises.
- Hand pipes: Handy and concealable when required, these handheld devices can be artistically inspired or kind of silly, depending on your taste.
- Joints: Also mixed with tobacco for the ever-popular spliff or blunt experience, we feel the need to point out that consuming tobacco is harmful to your health. Just saying.
- Hookahs: Generally not recommended due to their inefficient design, though the communal smoking experience offered by its multiple mouthpieces is a definite upside.
- Homemade “one use” devices: Yes, you can get high by smoking through a carrot, but you may feel a bit silly doing it.
Vaporizing
We decided to differentiate vaping from smoking, because the low-temperature vaporizing of the cannabis (or concentrate) presents a significant advantage, as you’re not actually burning plant matter. Vapes and their cartridges come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, from tiny handheld electronic devices to imposing tabletop models with variable temperature controls and built-in espresso makers. Just kidding about the last part.
Dabbing
This involves the rapid vaporization of highly potent cannabis oil, typically using a specialized rig. It offers a very different experience in terms of flavor and effect and definitely represents the cutting edge of cannabis culture.
Tinctures
These are another form of concentrate, but rather than being smoked, they’re dissolved in a medium such as alcohol or glycerine and swallowed.
Ingestible Oils
These include the popular Rick Simpson Oil (RSO), named for the inventor who treated his own skin cancer with this highly concentrated extract. These oils are designed to be consumed in capsule form and offer the advantages of a controlled dosage and slow onset time.
Edibles
Where to even begin? If you can eat or drink it, there’s a good chance someone at some point has added cannabis to it. Sometimes, the results are actually quite delicious!
Topicals
Effective for treating muscular pain, cannabis-infused lotions and ointments aren’t psychoactive.
Did we leave something out? Do you have a completely new and ground-breaking way to consume cannabis? Let us know!
Comment