How to Use Cannabis

It's important for people using cannabis as a medicine to decide on the best way to take it that makes sense for their body and their condition. While most people think of cannabis solely as a smokable product, it's actually a versatile herb capable of being taken in several different forms. Each one has benefits.

Smoking

Inhaling the smoke has been the most common way to take cannabis. The effects come on quickly, and, gram for gram, it's the least expensive way to go. Contrary to what you might have heard, it has not been shown to cause lung cancer; however, it has been implicated in other lung conditions. If you smoke a lot, you might want to consider other methods of ingestion.

 

Concentrates

These include tinctures, kief and hashish.

Tinctures are infusions of cannabis with alcohol so the active ingredients are drawn out into the alcohol. Since the effects come on a bit more slowly than by smoking, you have to start slow so you don't overshoot. This is a wonderful way to take the medicine that has little downside other than the taste of the small amount of alcohol. It's recommended to dissolve the tincture in hot tea or water.

Kief is powdery and so can be added to a cigarette or mixed in foods for cooking. It's composed of the THC crystals from the leaf or flower, and has a yellowy color. It's stronger than regular smoked cannabis, and if mixed in food can be even stronger, so be careful and take it slow.

Hashish is the pressed form of kief. It can be smoked as is or mixed into food.

 

Edibles

Taking cannabis in edible form is especially nice. It's also stronger and longer lasting. For those needing pain relief during the night, eating something made with cannabis in the evening can be just the thing. However, it can be hard to know how much to eat to get the effect you want, so start with a small amount and wait an hour before taking more, since it can take that long to take full effect.

 

Vaporizer

Another way to take cannabis is through a vaporizer. This is basically a soldering iron inside a casing, which sounds a little rough but is just the opposite. You inhale just as with smoking, but you're only get the vapor and not any particles, so it's easy on your lungs. Vaporizers can be purchased online.