By Terry Hacienda, The Fresh Toast
Each journey is unique…but here are some differences in marijuana high in flower, edibles and others
More people are leaning into cannabis and leaning away from alcohol. The marijuana of the 60s and 70s has given way to the marijuana of the 2020s. More people are comfortable consuming and a majority believes it should be legal. But for many, they are still figuring out how to use. There are differences with marijuana highs in flower, edibles and others (dabs, concentrates, hash).
Getting stoned for fun is a very personal experience and which can vary from person to person, there are some consistencies that you can be sure of, and the “type” and duration of high from different methods is one of them. Ease and on-the-go has become a factor in how people consume. Vapes and gummies have become a key choice since it can travel and has little to no smell, making it discreet in a public setting. Medical marijuana has also become even more mainstream with dispensaries guiding toward consumption methods to have the best benefit.
The strain affects the high no matter if it is being smoked, vaped or ingesting via an edible or beverage. Try and find out the strain before imbibing so you know what to expect. Sativas are a more active, creative high which in high doses and in rare cases can cause anxiety. Indicas are sleepier, might give you the munchies, relieve pain and in high doses cause couch-lock.
The traditional method of ingesting cannabis is smoking flower. Rolling it, packing a bowl, loading a bong, or vaporing smoking the plant has always been the original hit. Cannabis smoke or vape delivers THC, the chemical that gets you high, into your lungs where it passes directly into your bloodstream and then your brain. It’s an easy way to control your high, as you can monitor how big of an intake you get, how long you hold it in for, and how many hits you take in a row.
Edibles, including the popular gummies, can take up to 90 minutes to kick in all the way and sometimes, time feels like it’s at a stand-still when you’re waiting for it to take effect. Edible cannabis travels first to your stomach then to your liver before getting into your bloodstream and brain. This can cause the uninitiated or overly brave to consume more. Edible highs are intense and last for several hours, sometimes up to 6-8 hours. Edibles consumed in larger doses can also cause mild hallucinations and paranoia. Eat half if you don’t have a tolerance built up and wait an hour or so before adding to that dose if you feel that you should.
Concerates and dabs are for experienced user. They produce some of the strongest highs. You will know almost immediately if should add onto your concentrate dose or not. Dabs, especially, go straight to the head. Concentrates are stronger than traditional flower cannabis. Dabbing can instantly make you feel high. It bypasses the slow build-up commonly associated with smoking joints. The potency of dabs and their high THC concentration means they can also bring on much more powerful side effects and potentially be far more dangerous than regular weed.
Vaping concentrate via a pen is a much more mellow way to take in the smoke. Even though you get less THC per hit, you have more control over how high you get and how quickly you achieve that headspace.
The Fresh Toast is a daily lifestyle platform with a side of cannabis. For more information, visit www.thefreshtoast.com.
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