It’s an age-old question… to eat your weed or to smoke it? In today’s modern world of weed, so many new consumers are asking, Are cannabis edibles better than smoking? Considering there’s so much more variety to choose from than the old-school brownies from back in the day.
In this guide, we’ll help you decide based on your unique desires and preferences. So, keep reading to keep learning about smoking weed versus edibles and to determine which is right for you.
Understand the Consumption Methods
Cannabis is a complex plant that offers consumers a wide range of effects through a wide range of consumption methods. To understand the two most prominent types of consumption, cannabis edibles, and smoking, we’ll define each more in-depth next.
What Are Cannabis Edibles?
Put simply, cannabis edibles are food items that are infused with cannabis. The most popular cannabis edibles are gummies, followed by chocolates and other consumables like beverages and even capsules.
Edibles are dosed in MGs, with 2.5 g on the lower end of the scale and considered “micro-dosing” and 20-50+ mg on the higher end of the scale and large doses. Often, higher-dosed edibles will include marks for breaking the edibles into smaller pieces.
What Is Smoking Cannabis?
At its core definition, smoking cannabis is the act of lighting its flower on fire and inhaling, whether that’s through a joint, blunt, bowl, or bong. In the 21st century, smoking cannabis can also entail vaporizing its oil through the use of vape carts.
Cannabis flowers come in a variety of strains and consumption method types. In cannabis storefront settings, you’ll find pre-packaged flower packs, deli-style flower, pre-rolls, infused pre-rolls, and beyond.
Differences Between Edibles and Smoking
With general knowledge of what cannabis edibles are and what smoking cannabis is, to truly decide which is best for you, you have to understand their differences better. In this section, we’ll dive deeper into each consumption method to detail their effects, duration, and strength or intensity.
Edibles
Here’s what you need to know about cannabis edibles’ effects, duration, and intensity to determine whether they’re better for you versus smoking.
Effects
Over the years, edibles have come a long way. While there are still general edibles on the market today, there’s also a variety of specific edibles. You can find sativa, indica, hybrid effect-based edibles, or even fine-tuned with cannabinoid and terpene ratios for particular effects like sleep, energy, etc.
How THC, cannabinoids, and terpenes are broken down upon consumption of edibles varies from smoking. When swallowing THC, it’s digested by the digestive system. The liver converts delta-9-THC to 11-hydroxy-THC, which is more potent and can more easily cross the blood-brain barrier.
Duration
The digestive system process also affects the duration of edible effects, which last anywhere from 4-6+ hours. This will also vary from person to person based on unique physiological traits such as metabolism, weight, tolerance, etc.
Intensity and control
Due to all of the above, cannabis edible effects are often more intense than smoking in strength. You’ll also have less control to reduce the effects, as you’ll have to wait for the digestive process to end to end feeling its effects.
Smoking
Here’s what you need to know about smoking cannabis’ effects, duration, and intensity to determine whether they’re better for you versus consuming edibles.
Effects
The effects of smoking cannabis are determined by the strain of the flower you’re smoking. Individual cannabis strains vary in the percentage of cannabinoids and terpenes it produce. Hence why certain strains smell fruity, and others smell gassy; some may chill you out while others rev you up.
These unique combinations will ultimately determine the effects you’ll feel from the flower you choose to smoke. So, to best predict the effects you’ll experience, ask your budtender what to expect or do some online research on the strain before buying.
Duration
Smoking cannabis offers a far shorter duration of effects, lasting anywhere from 30 minutes – 1.5 hours, depending on the dosage, the consumer’s tolerance, and other physiological traits.
Intensity and control
The intensity of smoking is less severe than edibles and can be more easily controlled by putting out the joint or skipping a hit. With a shorter duration, if you become too high, you’ll have to wait less time than getting too high with an edible.
Pros and Cons of Cannabis Edibles
Again, consuming cannabis, no matter the consumption method, is highly personal. So, while some may consider “longer lasting effects” a “pro,” others may consider it a “con.” Before you go, review the pros and cons of cannabis edibles and smoking to continue helping your decision.
Pros of cannabis edibles:
- Longer-lasting effects
- No respiratory risks associated with smoking
- Precise dosing is possible with commercial products
- Discreet consumption
- No smoke odor
- Variety of options (foods, drinks, etc.)
Cons of cannabis edibles:
- Delayed onset of effects
- Effects can be more intense and unpredictable
- Easier to overconsume due to delayed effects
- Longer duration may be inconvenient for some
- Potentially higher cost than smoking
- May interact differently with other medications
Pros And Cons Of Smoking Cannabis
Next up, the cons of smoking cannabis to decide which is best for you in the debate of: cannabis edibles vs. smoking.
Pros of smoking cannabis:
- Rapid onset of effects
- Easier to control the dosage
- Shorter duration of effects
- Generally less expensive than edibles
- Social aspect of sharing
- Wide variety of strains (and their unique effects!) available
Cons of smoking cannabis:
- Potential respiratory risks
- Produces a strong odor
- Less discreet than edibles
- May irritate the throat and lungs
- Effects typically don’t last as long as edibles
- Secondhand smoke concerns
Which One Is Best For You?
So… are cannabis edibles better than smoking? The answer to which one is best for you—cannabis edibles or smoking will vary on a wide range of characteristics. Ultimately, the decision will come down to—how long you want the effects to last and how quickly you want them to kick in. However, other considerations, like health, budget, and beyond, will weigh in, too.
In this guide, you’ve learned more about cannabis edibles vs. smoking, but what about where to buy the goods? Make Nar your go-to source for redefining your elevated routines in southeast Michigan and Ohio.
Shop our current selection of cannabis edibles and flower or pre-rolls to smoke now, and don’t forget – sign up for our Nar loyalty program to earn points with every purchase.