How to Take Medical Marijuana
Weigh the benefits of smoking marijuana., Don’t forget the drawbacks of smoking., Give vaping a try., Eat your medical marijuana., Raise a glass to marijuana beverages., Do your homework before you “dab” marijuana concentrate or chew on fresh...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Weigh the benefits of smoking marijuana.
Recreational users typically smoke marijuana for a reason, and it’s not the pungent odor.
Inhaling super-heated marijuana particles is one of the fasted delivery methods for the compounds within.
The physical (and psychological) effects can happen quickly, even within minutes, meaning that a patient in pain may find faster relief this way.Smoking is also a very user-friendly method, especially for those used to smoking tobacco or recreational marijuana.
Depending upon the availability of marijuana where you live, you may also have a near-endless variety of strains and strengths available to you at reasonable prices. -
Step 2: Don’t forget the drawbacks of smoking.
Yes, smoking marijuana — whether in a joint, a pipe, or a bong — delivers the desired chemical compounds to your body quickly.
However, the effects also tend to wear off quickly, often on the shorter end of one-and-a-half to four hours.Smoking marijuana also creates the telltale odor that tends to linger on clothing, hair, furniture, and just about everything else within range.
Most importantly, while the comparative damage vis-as-vis smoking tobacco products is not entirely clear, it is obvious that inhaling smoke is detrimental to your lungs.
So, unless you already have a terminal illness, you may want to consider alternate methods. , Vaping — inhaling dried cannabis that has been placed in a vaporizer — offers the quick-release benefits of smoking without the same risk for lung damage or overwhelming odors.
Vaping may also be a more manageable inhalation method for patients with breathing problems.On the negative side, vaping shares the same limited effectiveness period as traditional smoking.
Also, unlike rolling a joint or filling a pipe, you have to make sure the battery on your vaporizer is charged (unless it’s a plug-in model) and wait for it to heat up.
And, marijuana vaporizers tend to be fairly expensive, even without factoring in the cost of the marijuana that goes inside. , Far beyond the humble homemade “pot brownie,” there is actually an extensive range of packaged foods (from popcorn to lollipops and beyond) laced with measured doses of medical cannabis.
Depending upon where you live and the medical marijuana laws there, you may find these products at your chosen dispensary.While pre-packaged foods may be convenient, you can certainly still whip up your own marijuana-laced foods, which gives you total control over the contents.
A simple internet search will unearth a bevy of recipes.
Using food eliminates the odor and reduces the possible stigma a patient may experience from using marijuana; the effects tend to linger for longer than when smoking or vaping as well.
That said, the medicinal impact may take an hour or more to kick in, so food may not be the best choice for surges of pain that need quick relief.
Also, some patients may have conditions that cause nausea or a loss of appetite, making food an unattractive choice. , If your local dispensary has marijuana foods, it will also probably have a range of drinks like smoothies, juices, sodas, teas, and so on.
As with foods, using marijuana-laced drinks can reduce the potential stigma and replace the pungent odor of smoke with a flavorful beverage with lasting medical effects.Cannabis teas are a popular make-at-home option; they can be brewed from buds, leaves, prepackaged bags, tinctures, and so on, and other teas can be mixed in for flavor.
You get the same trade-off with both foods and drinks — it takes longer for the effects to occur, but they usually last longer than with smoking.
Take special precautions with marijuana-laced food and drink if you have children around.
What they think is just a regular cookie or soda could have significant and harmful health consequences. , “Dabbing” involves heating a concentrated packet of marijuana to a high temperature (often with a butane torch) and inhaling the smoke.
The effect is immediate and powerful; the potential for overdose is significant.
Also, playing around with torches and superheated packets of cannabis may not be your idea of an easy or convenient medication experience.On the other end of the spectrum, some users swear by the medical benefits of consuming fresh cannabis leaves and buds — whether by juicing them or simply chomping on them raw.
This method, however, requires access to large amounts of fresh (and hopefully legal) cannabis, and many people find the flavor off-putting.
Also, there is scant evidence (beyond anecdotal support) on the effectiveness of this method. -
Step 3: Give vaping a try.
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Step 4: Eat your medical marijuana.
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Step 5: Raise a glass to marijuana beverages.
-
Step 6: Do your homework before you “dab” marijuana concentrate or chew on fresh cannabis.
Detailed Guide
Recreational users typically smoke marijuana for a reason, and it’s not the pungent odor.
Inhaling super-heated marijuana particles is one of the fasted delivery methods for the compounds within.
The physical (and psychological) effects can happen quickly, even within minutes, meaning that a patient in pain may find faster relief this way.Smoking is also a very user-friendly method, especially for those used to smoking tobacco or recreational marijuana.
Depending upon the availability of marijuana where you live, you may also have a near-endless variety of strains and strengths available to you at reasonable prices.
Yes, smoking marijuana — whether in a joint, a pipe, or a bong — delivers the desired chemical compounds to your body quickly.
However, the effects also tend to wear off quickly, often on the shorter end of one-and-a-half to four hours.Smoking marijuana also creates the telltale odor that tends to linger on clothing, hair, furniture, and just about everything else within range.
Most importantly, while the comparative damage vis-as-vis smoking tobacco products is not entirely clear, it is obvious that inhaling smoke is detrimental to your lungs.
So, unless you already have a terminal illness, you may want to consider alternate methods. , Vaping — inhaling dried cannabis that has been placed in a vaporizer — offers the quick-release benefits of smoking without the same risk for lung damage or overwhelming odors.
Vaping may also be a more manageable inhalation method for patients with breathing problems.On the negative side, vaping shares the same limited effectiveness period as traditional smoking.
Also, unlike rolling a joint or filling a pipe, you have to make sure the battery on your vaporizer is charged (unless it’s a plug-in model) and wait for it to heat up.
And, marijuana vaporizers tend to be fairly expensive, even without factoring in the cost of the marijuana that goes inside. , Far beyond the humble homemade “pot brownie,” there is actually an extensive range of packaged foods (from popcorn to lollipops and beyond) laced with measured doses of medical cannabis.
Depending upon where you live and the medical marijuana laws there, you may find these products at your chosen dispensary.While pre-packaged foods may be convenient, you can certainly still whip up your own marijuana-laced foods, which gives you total control over the contents.
A simple internet search will unearth a bevy of recipes.
Using food eliminates the odor and reduces the possible stigma a patient may experience from using marijuana; the effects tend to linger for longer than when smoking or vaping as well.
That said, the medicinal impact may take an hour or more to kick in, so food may not be the best choice for surges of pain that need quick relief.
Also, some patients may have conditions that cause nausea or a loss of appetite, making food an unattractive choice. , If your local dispensary has marijuana foods, it will also probably have a range of drinks like smoothies, juices, sodas, teas, and so on.
As with foods, using marijuana-laced drinks can reduce the potential stigma and replace the pungent odor of smoke with a flavorful beverage with lasting medical effects.Cannabis teas are a popular make-at-home option; they can be brewed from buds, leaves, prepackaged bags, tinctures, and so on, and other teas can be mixed in for flavor.
You get the same trade-off with both foods and drinks — it takes longer for the effects to occur, but they usually last longer than with smoking.
Take special precautions with marijuana-laced food and drink if you have children around.
What they think is just a regular cookie or soda could have significant and harmful health consequences. , “Dabbing” involves heating a concentrated packet of marijuana to a high temperature (often with a butane torch) and inhaling the smoke.
The effect is immediate and powerful; the potential for overdose is significant.
Also, playing around with torches and superheated packets of cannabis may not be your idea of an easy or convenient medication experience.On the other end of the spectrum, some users swear by the medical benefits of consuming fresh cannabis leaves and buds — whether by juicing them or simply chomping on them raw.
This method, however, requires access to large amounts of fresh (and hopefully legal) cannabis, and many people find the flavor off-putting.
Also, there is scant evidence (beyond anecdotal support) on the effectiveness of this method.
About the Author
Lori Perry
Creates helpful guides on creative arts to inspire and educate readers.
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