The Healthiest Ways to Consume Cannabis
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There isn’t enough evidence to conclusively determine which is the healthiest method of cannabis consumption. At this time, this lack of data makes it difficult to decide which methods are definitively healthy or otherwise.
That said, a growing number of studies and anecdotal evidence have given the public a loose understanding about which are the healthiest methods to consume cannabis.
Samuel Meyers, a Cannabis Researcher for the hemp company Glacier Wellness, told Nugg that two major factors should be considered: the avoidance of negative effects which may be present and bioavailability, or “how much of a given substance is absorbed by the body and accessible for systemic circulation.”
In other cases, respondents cited past articles from reputable sources as the basis of their opinions.
Like much of the cannabis consuming public, our subjects’ healthy consumption choices are all based on science-backed evidence. To what extent, however, varies by the opinion. While the market inches closer to definitive conclusions, uncertainty still remains.
Some of the healthiest ways to consume cannabis:
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Vaping
Meyers explained that the combination of the two significant factors is why vaping is so widespread today. He added, “In practice, vaporizing heats up cannabis close to its combustion point which effectively skyrockets its bioavailability and circumvents many of the harmful consequences of smoking.”
Dr. Jordan Tishler, a Harvard College and Harvard Medical graduate, now runs InhaleMD Health and Wellness. Dr. Tishler also noted that vaporizing can be a safer alternative to others.
Nevertheless, not every consumable is the same. She said that flower heated to 350°F allows for little to no combustion.
With oil cartridges, however, vaporization could be harmful. Dr. Tishler pointed towards additives from polyethylene glycol to terpenes to MCT oil that all could pose health risks.
In addition to additives, the lack of accurate heating temperatures was also a potential concern.
As such, Dr. Tishler considers flower the healthiest option.
“Clearly vaporizing flower is the safest alternative…Between vaping oil and smoking, it’s unclear which is safer, but why would you do either when you can vape flower?”
Edibles
Edibles are a popular choice among medical and recreational users.
The effects aren’t felt until the body has digested and metabolized the food, often taking 30 to 90 minutes. Those seeking a prolonged, higher potent relief benefit from these effects.
However, they can also lead to overdosing if a consumer is impatient and consumes additional doses.
Amanda Winn Lee, the creator and host of A Mom’s Guide to Cannabis, tells Nugg that all kinds of cannabis consumption is safe.
After years of using herself, as well as eight collective years in cancer research, Winn Lee recognizes the benefits of edibles while acknowledging the risks.
“Sometimes [edibles] take up to 2 hours to kick in, and people get tired of waiting and ingest more.”
She adds, “It’s physically impossible to overdose on cannabis to a point of death, but it can make you really sick if you ingest too much.”
Tinctures
Tinctures are the strained end result of cannabis flower being soaked in strong alcohol. These alcohol-based cannabis extracts are some of the more popular choices among users seeking smoke-free alternatives.
They can be ingested on their own or be paired with a number of foods and beverages.
Aside from the standard adverse side effects of using cannabis, tinctures have no large-scale health concerns to date.
Pills
Decarboxylized pills have seen a sharp rise in popularity in recent years. Consumers choose pills for their discretion as well as their accurate dosing. Doctors also appreciate accuracy when it comes to prescribing cannabis.
“Capsules offer an element of simplicity, allowing healthcare practitioners to prescribe an exact milligram amount to a patient,” Dr. Kishan Mahabir told The Growth Op last year.
Pills provide accurate dosages and similar effects as edibles. Unlike edibles, though, a pill ensures that the consumer knows what dose they are taking.
Smoking
Cannabis smoke and cigarettes may appear the same. However, they seem to be quite the opposite when in our bodies.
Dr. Tishler explained that “We know that cannabis smoke, like tobacco smoke, contains enormous numbers of carcinogenic chemicals that would seem best avoided. However, empirical evidence seems to point to cannabis smoke being somehow different from tobacco smoke.”
She cited Donald P. Taskin’s decades-long study of recreational users which found that “habitual use of marijuana alone does not appear to lead to significant abnormalities in lung function when assessed either cross-sectionally or longitudinally.”
While most studies appear to agree that cannabis smoke presents little or no harm, its side effects can still present issues one would want to avoid.
In their 2015 article, Mallory Loflin, MA and Mitch Earleywine, PhD noted:
“Smoking marijuana does not harm lung function as dramatically as smoking tobacco does. Links between smoking marijuana and actual lung cancer are weak and difficult to replicate. Nevertheless, the habit clearly increases symptoms of respiratory irritation such as tightness in the chest, wheezing and coughing.”
They went on to explain that stronger cannabis extracts, often used in dabs, may cause more problems, but additional studies would be needed to find a definitive answer.
Solvent or Solvent-Free?
To create concentrates for dabbing, smoking, eating and other applications, a producer must extract the oil from the plant. This is done using a variety of methods. Some methods involve solvents like butane, alcohol and several others.
However, DIY heat plate technology and bubble hash extraction allow for products to be consumed without any chemicals involved.
Solvent extractors often rely on the removal of the solvents in their final products. Meanwhile, detractors point to chemicals being used in the process at all. At this time, while concern still abounds, solvents have not been found to be dangerous to a person’s health.
What Do I Choose?
We can’t definitively say which consumption method is the healthiest. While there are possible health risks to any method, nothing is certain.
Some may love vaping while others fear it could give them popcorn lung. Smoking flower is fine to most, but the effects of combustion are a concern to others.
Meanwhile edibles and pills provide time-released relief, both can be overdosed by impatient consumers.
Regardless of the negatives, each of the methods above has myriads of positives. For that reason, the choice has to come down to you, the user.
You have to determine which is the optimal way to consume and feel your best. If you want to avoid mildly questionable methods, pills or tinctures may be best. In other cases, the unconfirmed notions surrounding smoking and vaping aren’t enough to change your preferences.
It’s always best to stay informed and use the most recent and reputable findings to understand the evidence. Consider your own preferences and feelings as well.
While the industry builds itself up into the informed powerhouse it will become, all consumers can do is make the best decisions based on the knowledge they have.
5 Ways Vaping at Home Beats Braving the Bars
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Getting elbowed by strangers. Feeling half a pint of beer drench your jacket from behind. Having to shout just to hear what your friend is saying. No matter how you slice it, going out drinking is overrated.
Sure, it can be fun to occasionally hit up your favorite low-key neighborhood bar with friends for a beer or two. But going out quickly loses its appeal once you’re actually at the bar. It’s one of those activities that sounds fun and exciting in theory, but in practice, it simply becomes a headache.
This week at Nugg, we’re opting to skip the bars and stay home with a tasty vape pen. If you’re thinking about braving the local bar scene, read our top five reasons to stay home instead!
What you'll learn in this article:
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1. Save Some Serious Cash
Going out to the bar comes at a price – literally. Each pint you order at the bar will cost about as much as a whole six-pack of craft beer from your local grocery store or beer shop.
If you have a couple of drinks, you could easily spend $25 or $30 in a single hour when you include tax and tip. (And you should always tip if you’re going out!) Expect to spend double that amount if you’re covering drinks for a friend.
Instead of wasting that much cash in just a few hours at your local bar, why not pick up your favorite vape cartridge? You’ll enjoy a pleasant buzz, AND you’ll have a product at home that will last you much longer than a single night — that is, unless you’re some sort of Snoop Dogg weed prodigy.
2. Avoid the Next-Day Hangover
Ask any cannabis enthusiast about getting stoned versus getting drunk, and they’re likely to bring up the hangover that inevitably follows a night of alcohol consumption. If you’re an infrequent drinker (like I am), you may even feel hungover the next day from just two or three drinks.
Why wake up with a dizzy head and a queasy stomach in the morning? Cannabis will help you relax, have fun, and get a good night’s sleep, allowing you to wake up feeling refreshed and ready to start the day!
And unlike alcohol, which can leave you combating nausea and/or diarrhea the next morning, cannabis actually helps relieve stomach ailments! You can’t go wrong!
3. Choose Your Own Crowd
Have you ever walked into your favorite bar, only to find that it’s packed with strangers being loud and obnoxious? Or even worse, have you seen some surly drunk trying to start a fight with another bar patron while their friends desperately try to talk them down?
Yeah, being around drunk people sucks. Yet another reason going out can be a bummer.
Skip the strangers, the rough and rowdy crowds, and the shoulder-to-shoulder wall of bros that’s somehow always blocking access to the bar. When you stay home with cannabis, you get to assemble your own crowd by inviting friends, neighbors, or roommates over for a vape session. Or skip the company altogether and have a solo session!
Plus, with everyone chilling out over cannabis instead of drinking themselves stupid, there’s virtually zero chance of a fight breaking out. Why put up with all the noise and discomfort while standing in a crowded bar when you and your friends could be chilling on the couch at home with a vape pen in-hand?
4. Be Your Own DJ
The inside of a bar can get loud, and we mean LOUD. As if the volume weren’t bad enough, you may also be subjected to music that you can’t stand. If there’s a band or a DJ performing, you’re at the mercy of their musical tastes. Even if there’s just a jukebox, you’ll have to pony up some cash if you want to hear songs that you actually enjoy.
When you stay home, you can pick the music you and your friends listen to. Spin your favorite records, put together a playlist on Spotify or Soundcloud, or skip the music altogether. You can even put on a movie – which will seem like a luxury if you’ve ever been stuck in a bar with the TV set to a never-ending sports game (unless that’s your thing).
5. Choose Your Own Effects
Alcohol only has two speeds: buzzed or drunk. Sure, you can choose between different types of alcohol, but they’re all going to deliver the same mind-numbing, speech-slurring effects.
With cannabis, you can dial in your desired effects. Trying to stay awake and talkative? Choose a sativa strain. Playing board games? A hybrid strain sounds perfect. Ready to wind down at the end of the night? Bring on the indica strains!
Vaping gives you even more precision over the effects that you feel. You don’t have to smoke a whole joint or bowl; just take a puff or two and see how you’re feeling.
Our current faves are the Himalaya Red Dragon Sativa vape cartridge and the HoneyVape Blackberry Kush cartridge.
The Red Dragon cartridge by Himalaya offers an uplifting, euphoric head high that’s derived from an Afghani landrace strain crossed with a South American sativa. It’s the perfect strain for laughing and reminiscing with friends during a fun night in.
If indicas are more your speed, the Blackberry Kush cartridge by HoneyVape will not disappoint. Expect insane terpenes from this Afghani x Blackberry indica strain – seriously, it’s one of the most flavorful vape cartridges I’ve ever tried.
You’ll enjoy the sweet taste of berries with every inhalation and exhalation, and the effects are incredibly soothing and fast-acting.
If you’re an experienced indica consumer, this strain will help you chill out while remaining social or even active. It’s also the perfect nightcap at the end of a fun evening at home – overindulge in Blackberry Kush and you may end up feeling like a melted pat of butter spread out over your couch. But don’t worry; you won’t feel any pain come morning!
Ready to stay in and vape? Check out the menu at Nugg! You and your friends can kick back, relax, and let the dispensary come to you!