Cannabis is not just for smoking anymore! So if you did not want to try it because you do not like to smoke, then you are in luck. As the industry grows, companies are getting super clever about the dosage forms they are putting cannabis into. Smoking is still however the most prevalent use of cannabis but that is slowly shifting. As patients and adult users ask for other options besides smoking, so they are given.
Here is a short overview of the different types of preparations you may find in your local dispensary nowadays.
First, there are vaporizers. These are devices that allow you to inhale without smoking. Vaporizers heat up the cannabis to a temperature where vapor is produced and then inhaled. But since you are not burning the cannabis there is no smoke. Plus when you smoke and actually burn the product you are heating, you are actually altering the composition of the product into chemically different structures than what you started with. This is why cigarettes are so bad. Tobacco is burned to the point of becoming a different entity. Vaporizing, however, heats up the product to BEFORE the point of combustion and therefore does not alter the composition of the cannabis.
Vaporizers come in many types from hand help to table top. Some can be used for dry herb, others for oils. Getting a good vaporizer is worth the investment. Since finding one can be daunting, this is why you need to come into Blair Wellness Center to get the help from our trained and knowledgeable staff!
Perhaps the fastest growing segment of cannabis products is edibles. While edibles are currently not available in Maryland, they are available across the country in many states. New edible products are constantly being produced. Some are quite beautiful looking and delicious. The best rule for eating cannabis infused food is to START LOW and GO SLOW. Too often people take a bite of brownie and don’t feel anything so they take another bite, then another…until the brownie is gone. Then an hour later, they can’t get up. This is because edibles have to go through a different process to get into your body than smoking or vaporizing. It can take up to an hour to feel the effects of a cannabis edible. The effects also last longer, so a little really does go a long way.
Edibles include the well know brownie or cookie and also cakes, lollipops, chocolates, gummies, caramels, honey, butter, olive oil, salsa, hard candy and drinks. In fact cannabis infused drinks is hugely popular right now. There is even cannabis infused ice cream! In legal states there are even restaurants that serve cannabis infused dishes. Hungry yet?
One of the oldest forms of medicine is the tincture. A tincture is liquid extract made from herbs infused in typically alcohol, but can also be infused in glycerin or apple cider vinegar. This is a great way to get cannabis into someone who can’t or doesn’t want to inhale. They are taken by the drop and the concentrations of THC:CBD can be varied for different effects. When taken under the tongue the onset of action is very fast. When dropped into food the onset is slower as it would be for any edible.
One exciting area of cannabis infused products is the topical products. There are salves, lotions and patches now available. Again these can be made with different concentrations of THC and CBD. Other healing herbs can be added to the lotions and salves for added benefits. These dosage forms allows for local, not internal effects (with the exception of the patches these do produce systemic effects.) It stands to reason then that these are great products for pain and inflammation, muscles relaxing, rashes…
Some other types of products you can now find cannabis infused into is: tampons, personal lubricants, beauty products such as skin care products and acne treatments, suppositories, bubble bath, bath salts, toothpicks, toothpaste, coffee pods, shampoo and lip balm. Wow!
So you see, you can get your cannabis and your holistic health on without having to light up. Blair Wellness Center, opening soon, will offer a variety of products for you try. Stay tuned for opening date and product listing.
