Different Ways To Use Weed: A Guide To The Top 3 Cannabis Consumption Methods

If you are looking to buy weed online, you may be aware of the wide range of product options available. Today, you can buy new products that didn’t even exist ten years ago. As such, the old smoke-a-joint method may not be helpful for some types of weed products. So, what are the cannabis consumption methods that you should know about?

There are several cannabis consumption methods. They can be classified into inhalation, oral, and topical methods. Each method has several techniques to personalize the experience further, but what is the best way to consume cannabis? In this article, we tell you all about cannabis consumption methods and which way best suits your style.

What Are Cannabis Consumption Methods?

Whether you are buying weed online for its medical benefits or the high it causes, the cannabis compounds must reach the various organs/receptors to have any effect. Weed in the body works by interacting with the cannabis receptors of the endocannabinoid system or ECS.

The ECS is a widespread system in the body that plays an essential role in seemingly every process in the body, from managing memory, immune response to regulating pain and inflammation. The ECS is made up of cannabinoid receptors – primarily the CB1 and CB2 receptors, endocannabinoids and enzymes.

Cannabis causes its effects by interacting with the receptors of the ECS to induce its effects. THC binds with the CB1 receptors mainly found in the central nervous system to cause the high effect. But for the THC to reach the receptors in the brain, it has to get into the body first. Here is where the cannabis consumption methods come in. 

Cannabis consumption methods refer to the various ways you can use to take weed products into the body. Since there are different forms of cannabis available in the market today, smoking and eating edibles are not the only ways to ingest weed. Some products, such as cannabis concentrates, aren’t designed to smoke or eat. So how do you take cannabis?

3 Best Cannabis Consumption Methods

There are three main cannabis consumption methods – oral, topical and inhalation. In this article, we look at all methods to help you decide which way best fits your cannabis product. We start with inhalation.

1. Inhalation: The Best Way To Consume Cannabis

Inhalation methods are the most popular way of using weed, and if you ask some stoners, they are the best cannabis consumption methods. Inhalation techniques involve inhaling the active compounds of weed to be absorbed into the bloodstream via the lungs. 

In the inhalation delivery method, the cannabis product is vaporized or combusted, and the vapour or smoke is inhaled into the lungs. Compounds such as THC and CBD are absorbed via the alveoli, and the excess smoke and carbon dioxide are exhaled.

Inhalation consumption methods are very effective, with the effects kicking in almost immediately. There are two ways to inhale cannabis – smoking and vaporization. 

How To Smoke Weed

Smoking weed is probably the most popular way of consuming cannabis. It involves lighting up the dry/cured flower and inhaling the smoke, which contains active compounds such as THC, CBD and terpenes.

There are various ways to smoke cannabis, including pipes, joints, blunts and water pipes.

• Using Joints

Most people’s introduction to weed was through a joint. Weed joints are pretty easy to make and use. They are created by rolling ground cannabis flower into rolling paper and lighting the other end.

• Blunts

These are similar to joints in shape, but they use cigar (tobacco leaf) paper instead of rolling paper and are bigger and contain more weed than joints. The most common way of making blunts is by gutting a cigar or cigarillo, emptying the tobacco content, and filling it with weed. 

• Pipes

These are small devices with a mouthpiece and a bowl-shaped area where you pack the flower, light it and inhale it on the other end.

• Water Pipes

These include bongs and bubblers. They work similarly to the other pipes, but the smoke is filtered through a chamber filled with water. This water cools the smoke, providing a smoother experience.

Vaporization Cannabis Consumption Methods

There are two ways to use the vaporization cannabis consumption method: Vaping and dabbing.

Vaping: Best Way To Consume Cannabis Oil

Vaping involves using a device that can electronically heat either a cannabis concentrate or dry flower to a temperature where the active ingredients vaporize without burning. Wondering how to consume cannabis oil?

Vaping heats cannabis oil to between 356 – 374 degrees Fahrenheit, vaporizing the THC, terpenes and other compounds, which you inhale through the vapour. To vape cannabis, you can either use vaporizers or vape pens.

Vaporizers – Vaporizers are vape devices used with both concentrate and dry flower. 

Vape pens – These are devices specifically designed for cannabis oils or distillates. They are small and portable and, as the name implies, look like pens. 

Dabbing: The Best Way To Consume Concentrates

Dabbing is a method of vaporizing weed concentrates using a dab rig. A dab rig is a bong-like setup that, instead of a bowl, has a nail or an e-nail. To dab, you heat the nail, apply the concentrate directly to the hot surface, and inhale the vapour produced.

2. Oral Cannabis Consumption Methods

There are two ways to consume weed orally: edibles or sublingual application.

• Edibles

You may be familiar with the infamous weed brownies – these are examples of cannabis edibles. Cannabis edibles refer to weed-infused foods that are swallowed and absorbed in the digestive tract. These include cannabis-infused drinks, baked goods and gummies.

When you consume edibles, the weed goes through the digestive tract, absorbed into the bloodstream via the stomach linings and the small intestines. Edibles have a delayed onset, delivering the effects between 30 and 120 minutes after consumption.

The THC and other cannabinoids are also exposed to the first-pass effect where the liver breaks them down. However, edibles have the longest-lasting effects despite the delayed onset as the THC is absorbed into the bloodstream over time.

• Sublingual Application – How To Consume Cannabis Tincture

Cannabis tinctures are extracts created by steeping plant materials in alcohol. These products are consumed by applying a few drops under the tongue. Hold the tincture for up to a minute, allowing the active ingredients to be absorbed into the bloodstream via the blood capillaries under the tongue.

Sublingual effects kick in within 15 to 30 minutes, making it the second-fastest cannabis consumption method. Sublingual method also has another onset as the remaining tincture is swallowed and the THC absorbed into the bloodstream via the digestive tract.

3. Topical: Cannabis Delivery Method

Topical cannabis application isn’t exactly a cannabis consumption method but a delivery method. It involves applying a cannabis product to the skin to provide localized relief. THC in topical products doesn’t make it to the bloodstream, so you won’t experience any psychoactive effects.

However, the terpenes, THC and other cannabinoids can interact with cannabinoid receptors of the ECS near the skin to provide localized pain and inflammation relief. Cannabis can be infused into topical products such as lotions, balms and salves.

Where To Buy Or Order Weed Online For Delivery In Toronto

Looking for same-day weed delivery near you? The Bakery Cannabis Store is an AGCO licensed cannabis dispensary located in West Toronto, in the High Park and The Junction neighbourhoods. If you live in West Toronto, you can now order legal weed online and have it delivered right to your doorstep from a reputable dispensary. 

Our High Park dispensary stocks a wide variety of cannabis strains and weed products tailored for your specific needs. Check out our online catalogue and select a product for delivery or visit our dispensary on Dundas Street West Toronto for the smoothest weed shopping experience!