Complete Guide on How to Consume Marijuana in 2023

How to Consume Marijuana

Cannabis has been consumed for thousands of years through smoking, which is still the most common way to do so.

At the time of this article, cannabis flower is currently the cannabis product that sells the most. Some of the most common methods of smoking marijuana are in joints, pipes, or bongs.

You only need marijuana, a device, and a lighter to start smoking, which is arguably the easiest way to consume.

Before we begin: Rest assured no one has ever died of a cannabis overdose (people have died doing stupid things while high, but that’s another story).

Cannabis is safe to experience and can be a lot of fun – although we encourage you to plan your first time smoking marijuana with friends and make sure it’s legal to consume cannabis in your state.

See below for a complete list of marijuana consumption techniques.

How to Consume Marijuana by Inhalation

Inhalation is the most common way to first experience marijuana, and for a good reason!

The heat immediately activates the cannabinoid particles in the cannabis bud, and your lungs directly transfer the result to your bloodstream, which means that you will feel high in just seconds after you consume marijuana by inhalation.

Of course, this can also be harsh on your lungs, which leads to the infamous cough. Let’s take a look at the different forms inhalation can take!

Tip: If you don’t have much experience smoking cannabis (or smoking in general), the key is to start small and go slow. When you consume marijuana by inhalation, one “toke” or breath in is quick enough, and it doesn’t have to be that big of a drag, either.

After that, wait for at least 15 minutes to get a good idea of the effects and if you want to take another hit or chill. Don’t let anyone pressure you into more before then!

Different Ways to Consume Marijuana by Inhalation

The way we smoke hasn’t changed all that much since the days of our ancestors.

These techniques have been used for hundreds of years and are still among the most widely used means of flower consumption.

Different ways to inhale weed are:

• Hand-rolling joints blunts, and spliffs
• Pipes such as bowls, bubblers, and one-hitters like dugouts and chillums
• Bongs and water pipes
• Vape pens
• Wax (dabbing)
• Hookas
• Vaporizers

Hand-Rolling

Hand-rolling is the most traditional way to consume marijuana.

Many people consume marijuana by rolling joints (or blunts). They take crumbled or ground cannabis buds and wrap them in thin rolling (wrapping) paper about the size of a cigarette (you can find pre-wrapped versions also).

Once the cannabis is rolled, it is called a joint and can be lit at one end and smoked just like a cigarette.

Blunts only differ from joints because they are made from tobacco wrapping paper and tend to be larger. Many people will empty (or hollow out a cigar) and replace the internal tobacco with marijuana.

This method is quick, easy, and more discrete but tends to be harsh on your lungs.

Pipes and Bowls

The second most common way to consume marijuana by inhalation is using a pipe or bowl.  Like tobacco, pipes and bowls require you to pack cannabis into a durable tube, light it, and inhale it.

The result is essentially the same as smoking a joint, but you don’t have to worry about wrapping papers – and you could smoke a lot of cannabis very quickly if you are so inclined.

Bongs and Water Pipes

Water pipes of all kinds filter heated cannabis through water before you inhale it. This is a lot easier on your lungs and creates a “cleaner” and smoother high that can be great for beginners.

A bong can also be a fun centerpiece if cannabis becomes part of your social time. However, they also require frequent cleaning and upkeep, and if your bong breaks, you will feel sad.

Vape Pens to Consume Marijuana

This way of consuming cannabis has become increasingly popular over the past few years. Vaping cannabis is similar to vaping tobacco and other products.

Some pens and other vape devices allow you to pack ground bud into a heating compartment (which is heated by the vape battery whenever you take a hit).

Others use cannabis-infused liquids that yield the same effect. Like bongs, this method is more lung-friendly and small enough to pocket easily.

Vapes can be a little more expensive and do require upkeep and cleaning. However, they are quickly gaining popularity to become the number one way to consume marijuana.

Wax (Dabbing)

Wax (also called shatter, butane, and a few other names) is a highly concentrated cannabis oil that takes the form of a very thick, tar-like substance. You can light and inhale this wax, usually called “dabbing” – not to be confused with the dance.

Newcomers need not apply: Wax is reserved for experienced cannabis users who want an immediate, powerful high and don’t mind what they throw at their lungs.

Hookahs

Hookahs have been used to consume cannabis for centuries.

They were created to smoke tobacco with friends. A hookah has a bowl at the top and then one to several pipes that can be used to draw from as the herbs are lit.

Friends will sit in a circle, and the hookah will be placed in the middle (some hookahs can be very extravagant) as everyone shares a bowl and engages in exciting conversation.

Vaporizers

Simply put, vaporization technology provides patients with all the advantages of cannabis smoke while minimizing the disadvantages.

Vaporizers enable patients to inhale cannabis as vapor rather than smoke by heating the substance at a lower temperature than an open flame. The medicinal cannabinoids found in the plant can quickly enter the bloodstream and reach the brain through inhalation, providing unpleasant symptoms with fast-acting relief.

This method also prevents the material from being burned, which lessens the likelihood that cannabis smoke will contain any potentially harmful irritants.

How to Consume Marijuana Orally

Commonly referred to as edibles, these are all the ways you can experience a cannabis high by eating it. Contrary to the urban myths, simply snacking on a cannabis bud will do little for you.

The cannabinoids must first be heated to a specific temperature to activate them (this is layman-speak, but you get the idea) and then trapped in a digestible preservative, usually a fat like oil or butter – which can then be used in other recipes, like brownies. This allows your digestive system to absorb the cannabis effectively and leads to a more experiential, body-based high that can be excellent for pain relief.

However, it can take anywhere from half an hour to a few hours to fully feel the effects of an edible, which is why it’s very easy to overdose on edibles without realizing it. It’s essential to be careful with this method and practice patience!

Tip: The effects of edibles depend significantly on your digestive system, gut health, eating habits, and much more, which makes it difficult to predict. Some people struggle to get high even when consuming large amounts of edibles. Others can get very high off just a little.

At first, stick with a single serving that contains only around 2-3 mg (milligrams) of THC (many suggest starting at about 5-10 mg, but it’s always best to be careful for your first time). Be cautious if you aren’t sure how much THC a serving has! Leafly has an excellent dosing chart that you may want to refer.

Do it Yourself Cannabutter

One way to experiment and grow more confident is to create homemade cannabutter. This also allows you to control the type of cannabis you use and the amount, so there is less danger of overdosing.

There are many excellent cannabutter recipes online, although you may want to set a specific pot aside as your cannabis pot and avoid using it for other cooking projects! This is also a great way to study how cannabis works on the human body.

Eating Someone Else’s Edibles

Just like when growing up, it’s a bad idea to take candy from strangers. Try not to eat edibles made by someone you don’t know or trust.

Even if they are an excellent chef and thoroughly dependable, you don’t know how potent those edibles will be, which can be dangerous for your first few times.

Instead, try only to eat edibles made by friends or family (or at least tested by them), who can advise you on how much to eat.

Buying Edibles at the Store

Bud shop edibles have an incredible variety – chocolate, candy bars, gummy bears, cookies, and much more.

The other good news is that store-bought edibles are (as required by law in most legalized states) clearly labeled with portion size and how much THC each portion has.

This makes it much easier to experiment your first few times and find the right amount to eat.

THC and CBD Infused Drinks

Throughout history, cannabis has been brewed into teas and hot drinks. Today there are readily available CBD and THC-infused fruit juices, sodas, and even coffees…which can be purchased in the form of Keurig K-cups.

Again, like with edibles, patience is vital when ingesting cannabis in liquid form. If by chance you over-indulge, make sure you’re in a safe place and try to ride out your high.

This is another way to consume marijuana; you need to check the levels of THC before downing a six-pack of your favorite flavor.

Topicals: Rubbing Oils

Topical cannabis is activated cannabis suspended in an oil or lotion that can be absorbed through the skin. This topical application is prevalent for treating aches, pains, and tense muscles. They have a localized effect on your body but don’t create the mental effects of the other methods, which is nice if you find the high disorienting but still want anti-inflammatory pain relief.

Tip: Topical cannabis typically comes in three different varieties, which all act more or less the same but have different purposes. The first and most common is the pain relief version, which you massage into your skin/muscles like any other topical oil.

The second first is erotic topical oils, which you use during sex – these can be hit or miss, but some people swear by them as a beautiful, soothing aphrodisiac.

The third variety is a general health-oriented oil that people apply to their face, hair, and skin to look and feel better.

Other Ways to Consume Cannabis

Let’s face it; people are creative. Every day someone is making new products by adding THC or CBD. Here are just a few that you can get your hands on today.

Thin Dissolvable Strips

Dissolvable strips come infused with THC and CBD. They’re small square strips of edible paper that dissolve when they come in contact with the saliva on your tongue.

Dissolvable strips are similar to edible breath strips you can buy in a convenience store but infuse with a shot of THC or CBD.

Chewing Gum

A company named AXIM Biotech is currently researching time-release THC-infused chewing gum. It will be a lot like nicotine chewing come that people rely on when trying to quit smoking.

The company hopes the cannabis gum will deliver Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and Cannabidiol (CBD). Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the chemical responsible for the high airy feeling when consuming marijuana.

Cannabidiol (CBD) is what is responsible for the many healing effects of cannabis…without the psychoactive effects.

THC Crystals – 99% Concentrated

This fad is expensive, and it seems to be catching on. Most consumers are snorting this almost 100% pure THC, but many mixes the dust into their joint or sprinkle it on top of the bowl to enhance their high.

It seems to be an expensive fad, but people are snorting this nearly pure THC …. We don’t recommend snorting it, but sprinkling some on top of your bowl or joint will get you much, much higher.

THC Sprays

Sprays infused with THC are tinctures inside a small spray bottle. The best way to explain these is to relate them to the breath-freshener spray you can buy over the counter. Just a couple of squirts, and you’re all set.

These sprays are easy to conceal and are inconspicuous to people who may disagree with your choice to indulge.

Patches

Transdermal cannabis patches are similar to a bandaid. They are made from a thin plastic-coated material with adhesive to stick to your skin. They can be infused with CBD, THC, or contain both.

The patch is used similarly to a nicotine patch. You must apply the patch to a venous part of your body, like an arm, wrist, or ankle.

After a bit, your body heat will activate the patch and cause it to release a small amount of the chemical through your skin and throughout your body.

Tinctures and Pills

Tinctures and pills are in a class of their own.

CBD tinctures don’t offer a noticeable high but are used for micro-dosing or to treat medical conditions like seizures, pain, and nausea. Pills offer more concentrated doses for similar purposes.

Suppository Marijuana Consumption

This may be the strangest way to consume marijuana. Doctors have been using medicine-infused suppositories for hundreds of years.

Recently, cannabis-infused suppositories have been prescribed for patients diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and other nausea-related illnesses.

Suppository ingestion allows the body to get natural relief from cannabis without any psychoactive and other side effects that may occur with different ways of consumption.

Conquer the Silliness

The first few times you consume marijuana, feel free to let loose, giggle and laugh your ass off. Chomp down some cookies and potato chips and soak in your newfound love of music, sex, movies, etc.

That’s one of the reasons you got high in the first place. The primary effect of cannabis is to enhance your senses and allow you to enjoy everything you encounter, so enjoy it.

However, if you continue to indulge in the wonderful world of cannabis, do yourself and others around you a favor. Conquer the giggles, silliness, and munchies and focus more on the newly found perceptions around you.

Final Thoughts on How to Consume Marijuana

As you can see, there are plenty of ways to consume marijuana based on your preference, so you can easily find a method that works for you. Remember, if it’s your first time, try to stay with good friends, make sure you have plenty of water and snacks – and when in doubt, let yourself ride the high!

To learn more about the different highs cannabis can offer and how to control those highs more quickly, we suggest you read up on CBD and THC and pay attention to the ratios when purchasing any cannabis products!

Thank you for reading our Complete Guide on How to Consume Marijuana in 2023.

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