It’s a brave new world of weed, and cannabis users are high on life these days. Most states in the union still have yet to adopt legalization policies, but in that handful which have, pot consumers are living in an era many never thought would arrive. Citizens of Oregon, Colorado, Washington, Maine, California, Massachusetts, Nevada, and Alaska (and the District of Columbia) can now legally purchase and use marijuana in a variety of forms.
It’s a booming industry where the market is playing catch up to meet the demand. As seasoned users and curious newbies line up outside dispensaries to hand over their cash, they are confronted with an assortment of options. The days of the shady ‘heads shops’ are not quite over in most states, but for those lucky few living the above-listed places, it’s like being a kid in a candy store.
Let’s look at a few of the choices being offered. Most are tried and true; others are fairly modern!
Smoking a J
The classic joint will never die. Roll one, light it up, pass it around. Or bogart it if you’re not in the sharing mood or you’re just relaxing on your own with a little Netflix. Whatever the case may be, smoking a ‘marijuana cigarette’ is the timeless method of consumption for many users. And for those who can’t be bothered to purchase some Zig-Zags and roll their own, customers can simply plunk down for pre-rolls. These are perfect for the uninitiated, who don’t want to learn the fine art of twisting up a perfect doob, but instead just want to give a few bucks at the counter and walk away with a ready-made smokeable.
There is a question of quality, but that’s the trade-off one makes when choosing convenience.
Pipes
Another common method for smoking weed is similar to one used for smoking tobacco, i.e. a pipe! Also called bowls or pieces, cannabis pipes come in all shapes and materials. Many are fair utilitarian metal affairs, others are carved from bamboo or even stone. Some users prefer smoking a bowl over having to roll a joint, but the effect of the inhaled cannabis is pretty much the same. Meaning, an immediate high!
Bongs
Like a pipe, a bong is just another method of smoking without rolling a joint up. Bongs can be made out of almost anything, thought the classic bong is crafted from glass. It also has a bowl which a user fills with their favorite herb, but bongs also feature a water chamber which acts as a filter through which the smoke passes before being inhaled.
Bongs, being labelled as drug paraphernalia (which they are), are not legal for purchase in most states, but this has rarely stopped creative pot users from devising their own homemade ones out of empty Pringles containers, pancake syrup bottles, pineapples…again, almost anything.
Vaping
With the popularity of modern vaporized smoking, it was inevitable that users would start vaping cannabis compounds. Why not? A small handheld vaporizer is easy to carry, and the vapor itself is smother on the lungs than the harsh smoke of a joint.
Like a cigarette, smoking a joint is not exactly healthy for one’s respiratory system. At least with vaping, a user isn’t filling up their system with burnt plant matter. Still, vaping is new enough that the long term health effects haven’t been completely studied. So at least for now, vaping is marketed as a ‘healthier’ alternative.
Edibles
If one isn’t in any hurry, cannabis edibles are another time-tested method for getting high from cannabis. The process simply takes longer, as the edible has to be consumed and digested. It can take an hour and a half or longer for the effects of orally ingested THC to kick in. However, when it does, that effect can be substantially greater than that caused from smoking. And for those who get those famous ‘munchies’ when they are high, edibles are the perfect solution.
Some of the most popular edibles are brownies or other baked goods, which can be bought premade or one can simply cook up a batch in their home oven. Just remember, the smell of cooking pot brownies is going to be very distinctive.
Drinkables and Tinctures
For sheer ease of use, perhaps the cannabis tincture is the simplest solution. These are small bottles of alcohol infused with a cannabis extract, making them quite potent. A small dose of just 1 or 2mL is enough to get started. They have a very long shelf life, so long as the bottle is kept somewhere dark and cool. Unlike smoking a joint, a user can use the bottle’s small dropper to imbibe a quick dose without drawing much attention. There will be a slight odor, but this can be easily cleared away by drinking some water or other beverage.
Because of their inconspicuous natures, tinctures are popular for users to prefer to keep their indulgence a secret to others. It is easy to mix a tincture with juice to make an easy-to-carry drinkable for a house party. Some users go so far as to mix tinctures into their normal dinner recipes, adding them into soups or salad dressings.
Dabbing
A bit less common than the rest, dabbing remains an interesting alternative for those who know how to do it properly. Dabs are typically butane hash oil, cannabinoids extracts in the form of a sort of wax or oil. These are heated up, sometimes using a titanium nail, and then smoked using a dab ring.
There are several other methods, some of which are more high-tech, enabling a user to better control heating temperatures. This is important when dabbing, as you don’t want to ruin the terpenes contained within the wax by overheating. Electronic nails allow dabbers to maintain control over the heat. So there’s certainly a bit more science to it, for those who don’t mind the learning curve.
No states I found allow consumption on public property or in view of the public, but Denver is loosening restrictions for bars to allow users to smoke up. It’s also illegal to drive while high, which should be fairly obvious.
Please don’t take anything you read here as medical or legal advice. If you need medical or legal advice, consult a doctor or lawyer. The articles and content that appear on this website have been written by different people and do not necessarily reflect the views of our organization.