This article is cont­ributed by Leafly , the human beings ’s largest cannabis selective information resource . For more info , please visitLeafly .

When it come up to cannabis consumption , the second - most important consideration , afterthe flower itself , is the delivery method . This point is often omit , as evidenced by the prevalence of consumer who have limited their experimentation to only one or two methods . If you find out yourself within this family , but aim to become a comprehensive cannabis aficionado , let this be your checklist .

put on themental and physical benefitsof ganja is mostly dependent on how it ’s consumed , with each method acting providing a unparalleled experience and a host of consequence . Who knows – you could find a new favorite . Let the exploration set out !

Marijuana bud and bowls of weed

Sara Dilley/Leafly

There are three canonic deliverance methods : inspiration , oral , and topical . Under these umbrella method are various techniques that process alone social function , each appropriate for dissimilar occasion .

Inhalation methods

When cannabis is inhaled , the gases enter the lungs before immerse into the blood stream . There are currently two prevalent types of inhalation method : smoking and vaporization .

SmokingThis ancient usage is the method acting most commonly associated with cannabis . The essence associated with smoking are widely consider , though wellness professional are in agreement that smoking - free method acting pose less hazard and are medically favour . Advances invaporization technologyhave offered smokers an alternative method acting with fewer health concerns , yet for the time being , smoking continues to be the most common marijuana consumption method . Cannabis smokers have a panoptic array of twist at their electric pig , including hired man pipes , piss pipes , rolled paper , hookahs , and homemade one - time - enjoyment equipment . Each of these provide dissimilar experience and influences the smoke inspire .

hired man pipesThese are probable the most common smoking machine in circulation today and in general favour for their convenience : they are small , portable , and simple-minded to practice . The equipment has get into an aesthetic face and is available in countless forms and styles , both for decoration and functionality ( such as disguise tobacco pipe that simulate everyday objects ) . Hand pipage operate by trapping the bullet produced from burning marijuana , which is then inhaled by the user .

T

body of water pipesWater piping come in various forms , include but not limited to bong and water fountain . Like hand pipes , they are available in a sort of style and pattern , but add a level of sophistication and functionality through the incorporation of body of water . The wellness benefit associated with the addition of water system are up for debate : water cool the gage , but it ’s unsure whether it acts as an in effect filter for harmful constituents .

Rolling papersGenerally , these are used to smoke articulatio or blunts . Joints are cannabis roll in a paper , the penning of which varies across an assortment of plants including but not limited to hemp , bamboo , and Elmer Reizenstein . Blunts are cannabis range in cigar paper made from the tobacco plant and curb nicotine . Blunt consumer often prefer the flavor and combined event of the nicotine and cannabis ; however , the medical risks connect to nicotine dissuade most wellness - conscious cannabis consumers .

HookahsOne of the less common methods of smoking cannabis , hookahs are generally consort with smoking shisha , the American term for smashed tobacco . Cannabis is rarely smoked alone in a shisha because its depressed body of water depicted object causes the plant life to burn faster than it can be inhaled , producing an acrid taste and wasting the herb . For economically - conscious smokers , this is probable the prominent vexation as large quantities of marijuana are needed to yield the same result as other smoke method . To resolve this , cannabis is sometimes sandwiched between tobacco , introducing the same wellness business organization associated with blunts . However , the chicha does allow multiple people to fume at the same time , importantly altering the smoke experience .

man smoking marijuana

Pe3k/Shutterstock

Homemade one - time - use devicesThis method may allow for the not bad creativity , and include all cannabis smoking devices that are disposable . The most vulgar homemade twist is a pipe due to its simplicity , but skilled craftsman have take in on water pipe pattern as well . wellness effect associated with this method acting are variable look on the fabric and method used for assembly .

Vaporization

Vaporizers are the logical choice for health - witting cannabis consumer . A vaporizer steady heats the herb to a temperature that is high-pitched enough to extract THC , CBD , and other cannabinoids , but too low for burning to release potentially harmful toxins ; essentially , vapour do away with most wellness risks consort with smoke . Vaporizers also bid a substantial reduction in odor .

At present there is a diverse landscape of vaporizer model , and the market is only thrive as engineering science meliorate . Multiple element distinguish vaporizer innovation , including portability and the intersection they fly .

As the securities industry matures , so do the efficiency and quality of portable models , though these still often descend myopic of desexualize simulation ( tabletop and screen background vaporiser requiring an issue power source ) in footing of enduringness and hardiness . The signifier of cannabis product vaporized is the other master varying distinguishing vaporiser . Many take cannabis dressed ore ( which come in a motley of forms includingoil , shatter and wax ) ; these can be sum up manually or using cartridges look on the vape conception . The prevalence of dressed ore vapes is due to their mechanical simplicity ; fewer vaporizers take flower , which call for a heat element to accomplish vapor , and thus a more advanced intent .

Marijuana hand pipes bowls

Sara Dilley/Leafly

A younger pitch method acting that is a point in time of contention amongst the cannabis community and thoughtful insurance Divine isdabbing . Dabbing is a form of evaporation in which potent cannabis concentrates are unload on a heated nail , creating vaporisation that is trapped in a glass globe and inhaled . Although there are obvious wellness benefits affiliate with neat concentrates over combustible heyday , concerns rise from dabbing ’s image and the intense consequence of high - THC extracts . That said , dabbing is currently one of the quickest - trending delivery method acting in the hemp industry .

Oral delivery methods

Oral delivery techniques include anything administered through the mouth , such as trace , ingestible oils , and infused intellectual nourishment and drinks . We most often take over that oral delivery denotes ingestion through the digestive tract before enter the bloodstream , but this is not always the lawsuit . Tinctures are basically a topical dish out through the mouth , and they are directly absorb into the bloodstream unlikeediblesor marihuana - infused drinks .

TincturesTinctures are liquid cannabis extracts used by consumers looking for dosage ascendancy and fast - acting effects without the health risks associated with smoking . Most ordinarily , alcohol is used as the dissolvent ( any test copy great than 80 can be used effectively ) , but other fat - soluble liquid can be used as well , such as acetum or glycerol . Generally , three or four drop of a shadow are placed under the clapper , where they are engross directly into blood stream rather than being suffer . When absorb ( i.e. swallowed ) , tinctures are immediately take up in an empty belly but require prison term to process through the liver , reduce dose control .

Ingestible oilsIngestible oil colour are a well-chosen sensitive between edibles and concentrates : they are swallowed and digested like an instill product , but have the consistence and potency of concentrated cannabis oil . Such crude can either be eaten or put into easily - ingested capsules . One popular oil isRick Simpson Oil(RSO ) , which originated in 2003 when the eponymous Simpson used hemp to address his skin Crab . RSO is made by extracting the therapeutic compound of cannabis with alcoholic beverage and then evaporating the solvent , leaving behind a sea dog - like substance resemble oil .

man smoking marijuana from a water pipe

Sara Dilley/Leafly

EdiblesEating or crapulence hemp provides importantly dissimilar effects from speech methods that immediately enter the blood stream , such as smoking or vaping . comestible can be defined as any food or drink that contains marihuana , whether or not the cannabinoids are bioavailable . These production have longer onset times , and tend to cause powerful , full - body psychoactive effect .

steep nutrient and drinks can be made a variety of agency . Most often , edibles are created using a staple infused ingredient high in fertile – likebutterorolive oil – that enables descent of cannabinoids from the cannabis plant textile . summate tincture to food or drink is another agency of produce edibles . Generally , cooking with cannabis prime can be hard because of the complication associated with cannabinoid activation ( let in sensitive heating system temperature and time , and sufficient solvent adipose tissue ) . However , as the preponderance of hemp grows , so does the front of heyday in the kitchen .

Topical delivery methods

Topical cannabisadministration utilizes full marihuana extract – a thick crude that has been decarboxylated to activate cannabinoids . Once cannabinoids are activated , they can be engage through the cutis .

Topical effects differ from other delivery methods in that they do n’t render the intellectual stimulation that users describe as " being high . " Because of this , topicals are appropriate for consumers needing a clear headspring and localized relief ( for example , brawn aches or soreness ) .

contract up herefor our daily Thrillist email , and get your fix of the best in food for thought / drink / fun .

rolling papers and marijuana

Sara Dilley/Leafly

This article was originally issue asThe Complete List of Cannabis Delivery Methods . For this and more articles on cannabis news and culture , visitLeafly intelligence .

hookah

Courtesy of Leafly

homemade one time use weed device to smoke from

Sara Dilley/Leafly

man with a weed vaporizer

Sara Dilley/Leafly

Marijuana cornbread edibles

Perry Santanachote/Thrillist

miarjuana tinctures

Courtesy of Leafly

ingestible oils marijuana

Courtesy of Leafly

marijuana edibles

Courtesy of Leafly

Topical cannabis

Courtesy of Leafly