Hello, Friends of the Moose! Here is the first installation in a series of educational blog posts aimed to help newbies and pros alike find the best ways to medicate. Let’s start with the most basic of basics: how to get high (or not! CBD is magically medicinal and a great non-psychoactive alternative if being high on THC is not your jam).
SMOKE IT – The most often used method of consumption. Whether you use a pipe, a bong, a joint, a blunt (a larger joint that is rolled with cigar paper), a spliff (a joint also containing tobacco), or a one-hitter (a little pipe meant for just a small amount of cannabis), you put fire to flower (cannabis) and inhale. The heat of the fire activates the THC and therefore you get hiiiiigh! Tools needed: something to put cannabis in (pipe, bong, rolling papers/cone, etc.), grinder (optional for things like pipes and bongs, but most people prefer smoking ground weed), lighter or matches.
EAT IT – Edibles! Edibles are made by infusing an ingredient with THC by heating ground cannabis to activate the THC then infusing it into something like butter or coconut oil. You can also use concentrates with already activated THC and/or CBD. Some people respond very well to edibles, others not so much. Some folks need a lot, some folks don’t need much at all. But take our advice here and always start low (we usually recommend the state regulated dose of 5mgs and working up from there). It’s easy to get more high but oh so very difficult to get less high. Use caution and learn your dosage then it’s usually pretty easy to medicate well, especially with pre-made edibles you can buy at cannabis shops. The dosing is very reliable with pre-made ones whereas home-made ones tend to have unpredictable dosage. Tools needed: If you are making them yourself you will need an oven/stove, butter or coconut oil, a skillet or pot or a slow cooker. If you are buying them in a shop all you need is your body and the edible.
VAPE IT – There are two different types of vaporizers: dry herb and concentrates. Dry herb is for vaping plain old flower (cannabis) and concentrate vaporizers are generally a battery and a separate cartridge filled with concentrated cannabis oil (usually CO2 or distillate). The battery heats the oil and creates vapor, which is then inhaled. Vaping is super easy and very convenient. It usually doesn’t create much of a smell and what little smell it does create dissipates quickly. They are also very discreet so you can be consuming cannabis in public without people noticing. Dry herb vapes produce a little more of a “weedy” smell but are also very discreet and easy to use in public. Tools Needed: for dry herb vape: vaporizer, flower, grinder (grinding is necessary for air flow in a dry herb vape). For concentrates: battery and cartridge.
DAB IT – This is probably the method of consumption that is least understood and many people are nervous or fearful of. Don’t be scared! Dabbing is fun! So, “dabs” are basically little bits of concentrated cannabis. There are various different textures of concentrates like shatter (usually brittle and hard), crumble (the name says it all-crumbly), badder (the texture of batter, usually very loose and soupy), and wax (ear wax-type texture). There are also different ways to do dabs: dab rig (usually a bong with a “nail”, which is a little attachment that you heat with a torch then drop your “dab” onto and the heat will vaporize the oil and you inhale the vapor), nectar collector (a cylinder with a tip attached where you heat the tip with a torch and dip it into concentrate and inhale on the other side of the cylinder), and electric dab pens or nectar collectors (these are great for on the go dabbing! Some have chambers with ceramic or coils that heat up and vaporize the cannabis oil). Dabbing can seem scary but it’s just like vaping only a little different. Tools Needed: dab rig or nectar collector or dab pen and concentrates. You can also use a dab tool, which is a little wand with a pointy or scooped tip (or both) that makes it a little easier to grab a little dab of concentrate. You can also use a dab mat, which is handy if you are using a nectar collector.
USE IT TOPICALLY – There are tons of different topicals available on most legal cannabis markets. Everything from cooling rubs for sore muscles to salves for nerve pain to oil you can use for personal lubricant to suppositories to transdermal patches. Some have just CBD, some have a combination of CBD and THC. However, it should be noted that THC applied topically will not get you high. If you use it in a place that is porous, like the vagina or the anus it will create a feeling of increased sensation but you will not get “high”. Topicals can be very helpful for many ailments from muscle pain to arthritis to eczema. The anti-inflammatory properties of THC and CBD is perfect for topical usage. These are especially great for people who want pain relief and don’t want to feel high. Tools Needed: a body and topicals. Easy! Just to be cautious, always wash your hands before applying topicals.
Now you know all the ways you can consume cannabis, next time we will talk about the basics of THC, CBD, other cannabinoids, and terpenes!
Stay Stoney, Mooses!
