One of the reasons that weed is considered so versatile is because of the many different ways that the human body can ingest it. Smoking is probably the most old-fashioned and most famous way to use ganja, and there are even many different ways to smoke it. To learn about the different smoking methods, keep reading this article.
When it comes to using cannabis, it is important to consider the way you are going to deliver it into your body. Mostly, this will boil down to preference, but it will also change depending on exactly what you want to get out of weed. Some methods make you really high, while others not so much. Some are more conspicuous than others – it will all totally depend on you.
Changing the smoking method is like changing the strain – it will absolutely change the effect you get. This article is a walk through all the different ways you can smoke and use weed and the effects that has on the body. The information in this article might help you make a more informed decision about the way you want to ingest cannabis!
Smoking vs eating
Ah! – the eternal question! Should you smoke or eat your weed? Of course, there is a huge stigma rooted in this question because there is a social conditioning about the act of smoking. There is generally a greater health risk associated with the act of smoking but that doesn’t mean it might not be the best ingestion method for you. Although some acknowledge that their smoking preference is probably not the healthiest choice for the body, they can’t walk away from how much they love smoking.
For others, it’s the other way around completely. Some people just hate smoking (whether that’s because of social conditioning or not), but they don’t want to let go of using weed. For that reason, it’s easy for them to go down the road of oils or edibles. Then there are others who don’t mind both ways of ingesting, depending on the set and setting.
Related post
Smoking takes effect immediately, and this is one of the reasons it is often used in social settings. To eat cannabis is an exercise in patience, because it can take up to three hours to take effect in the body. This is a deal breaker for those who are looking for instant pain relief or an instant high.
A note to all lovers of smoking: you are obviously agreeing to inhaling carcinogens when you burn something and smoking its fumes. The dangers associated with this are completely debatable, but most health professionals agree that there is a certain degree of risk. Interestingly, a study found that it’s the tobacco smoke and not the cannabis smoke that may cause lung cancer.
Perhaps this isn’t a huge risk if you only smoke on the rare occasion, or perhaps it’s just a small price to pay for your favourite way to take the herb. In any case, they are just two different ways to get high from cannabis, and the choice you make is your own personal one!
The hand-pipe
The hand-pipe is the small pipe that you can pack with a hit or two and smoke on the go. The great thing about a hand pipe is that it fits really easily and inconspicuously in your bag or in your pocket. It is really quick and easy to smoke using a hand-pipe and it has even become a form of artistic expression in the cannabis community. Glass hand pipes are now artisanal, crafted products.
Related post
The bong/water pipe
The bong is kind of like an upgrade from the hand-pipe, but it definitely can not live in your bag. That doesn’t mean you can’t travel with it, of course, but bongs are better kept at home. They are generally more fragile and much larger than hand pipes, and in order to smoke a bong you have to fill up the chamber with water.
The purpose of the water is to cool down the smoke, and the long neck of the bong supports that. You can also take bigger hits from bongs, if you’re that kind of smoker. Even bongs have become artistic creations, with many looking like scientific equipment. There are bongs that have more than one chamber, some with ice chambers and others with many pipes. Each design gives a different smoking experience and every bong user has their bong preferences.
In general, smoking a bong can hit you much harder than smoking a hand-pipe. In any case, smoking takes effect immediately so it can be felt quickly. Somehow, bong hits give you the chance to inhale much more smoke in a single inhale, giving the user a chance to get a much more intense high. Bongs come with varying sized cone pieces, too, so they can really pack a punch.
Would I recommend a bong to a beginner? Probably not! It takes huge lungs to be able to smoke a bong without coughing up a lung. Bongs are usually found with more seasoned cannabis users while beginners tend to use pipes or rolling papers.
Related post
The joint/spliff
Rolling papers are the good old-fashioned way of smoking weed, and for many people it’s still their favourite. Joints or spliffs are considered perfect for social situations, because it’s easy to share and pass a joint. It can also take slightly longer to take effect than smoking a bong or pipe.
It’s not always easy to find a pipe or bong lying around, but you can buy rolling papers basically anywhere. Smoking paper definitely adds another sensation to the entire act of smoking, but it generally doesn’t stand in the way of the taste or smell.
If you’re rolling your joints pure, you can end up using a lot of ganja. So if you’re smoking alone, it can be costly compared to smoking pipes. If you’re sharing in the social setting, it doesn’t matter that you’re using a bit of extra weed!
The blunt
The blunt is probably one of the most famous ways to smoke weed. It consists of putting a lot of weed inside a huge tobacco leaf and rolling it up. Now, a blunt can literally use grams of weed, so it’s definitely not recommended as a solo venture. Blunts are the token way of getting high with friends, of hotboxing cars and of smoking at parties.
Blunts have a tendency to make people very high. Every hit can be just as powerful as a hit from a pipe or bong, and there’s many hits to go around. Some people also say that the effect of the tobacco leaf mixed with the herb makes the effect even stronger. People like to smoke blunts because they are extremely powerful and super tasty!
Related post
Vaping
The final other way to “smoke” weed is to vape it. Vaping isn’t exactly like smoking because it doesn’t involve burning anything. It just involves heating up the buds until they produce a water vapour that is rich in cannabinoids. The vapour is what the user ends up inhaling. In some cases, the buds are used to create a cannabinoid rich e-liquid which can be vaped too.
Vaping can make you super high – just as high as smoking a bong or joint – but without the risks associated with smoking. Some people choose vaping because it’s instantaneous, easy and effective. It also gives the sensation of smoking because of the inhalation. So, for those who love to smoke, vaping is a good alternative. Be sure to get your hands on a good vape before you go burning away some good quality buds, as a bad vaporizer can ruin your cannabis experience.
Just about every cannabis user can satisfy his or her needs from the many different products available on the market. Whether you love to smoke, vape, eat or drink cannabis, there is a product on the market that allows you to do that. Enjoy all of the different ways to take weed!
I’d love to see a update or article including Dabbing and all the different ways to use concentrate cannabis. Pens, rigs and nectar collectors. You can go small or big and there are ways to do on the go now.
I personally never smoked until it was legal in my state. (Washington, USA)
It’s helped with my chronic pain, stress, anxiety, and sleep.