The range of uses for cannabis is staggering, and new ways to consume it are always cropping up. Smoking a joint or ripping one of your favorite water pipes is a time-honored tradition, but it’s worth trying another method every now and again. These are the 5 best ways to reap all the different benefits of weed through different mediums of consumption, listed in order of how high they’ll get you!
5. Topicals
Spoiler alert: topicals won’t get you high, but they’re one of the best go-to cannabis products for anyone seeking medical relief. A cannabis topical is essentially any skincare product, infused with cannabis. Think lip balm, muscle rub, lotion, etc.
It turns out your skin has a wealth of cannabinoid receptors, and can easily absorb cannabinoids from an applied topical. In addition to the sites where THC can bind, the skin has many CB2 receptors, which are most attractive to CBD. You may know CBD as the part of cannabis that doesn’t get you high. That’s true, but CBD also has multiple documented health benefits that make it the perfect addition to lotions and balms.
Cannabis topicals can be used to treat skin problems like sunburn and rashes. They’re also a powerful tool in combating aches and pains, as well as the inflammation that comes with arthritis and minor injuries.
The best thing about topicals is they’re quite easy to make yourself, as long as you’re equipped with a bit of cannabis oil. Simply melt it into some coconut oil for a simple salve, or add essential oils and beeswax for additional aroma and smoothness.
4. Edibles
It’s impossible to deny the perks of a great edible, whether it’s the classic brownie or a new-fangled, cannabis-infused five-course meal. Infusing butter and other fats with marijuana is simple, if a bit time-consuming. All you have to do is cook the fat and ground weed low and slow for a few hours, strain it and leave it to cool.
Edibles only work when they contain enough fat to handle the THC. The more fat your material has, the better it will absorb THC, and the more potent it can get. Coconut, at about 90% fat, is the best vehicle, although butter just tastes better! Once you’ve got cannabutter (or infused oil) on hand, the possibilities are practically endless.
Edibles are ideal for lazy weekends where you want to melt into your couch, but the heavy body high is also perfect for treating pain. Either way, edibles are the way to get truly stoned in the most delicious way possible, for as long as possible. It takes a while to kick in but the wait is worth it, since an edible high can last anywhere from 4 to 6 hours.
3. Vaping
For many of us, discretion is the highest priority when consuming cannabis. Edibles are great, but they require a bit of planning, and might get you much higher than you’d like to be in public. That’s where marijuana vapes come in. These little contraptions usually provide small to medium hits of cannabis vapor.
The main problem with vaping cannabis is that quality vaporizers are somewhat expensive. If you get one with no temp control, you’ll end up combusting your weed anyway, and that’s going to blow your cover for sure. But if you do invest in a solid vape, you’ll experience peak flavor from your buds without harsh smoke or smell. Definitely a plus for parents and professionals, and anyone else who needs to keep their consumption on the down-low.
2. Dabs
The holy grail for lovers of THC, dabs are an exercise in tolerance and lung strength. As the most potent of cannabis concentrates, dabs are most commonly extracted with butane. Butane hash oil (BHO) can be difficult to come by, since its production is highly illegal. But if you can get your hands on some concentrate and the requisite equipment, you’ll get a mind-blowing experience unlike any other.
Cannabis concentrates hit you like a freight train, with a high that’s much more acute and focused than flower. Dabbing is definitely not for beginners, and even experienced smokers can be knocked on their ass by just one good dab. It’s no wonder, since BHO has THC content of about 50-90%! If smoking has lost its wondrous luster and you’re looking for a cerebrally-focused high, it may be time to give dabbing a try. You’ll need a supplier, a butane torch, a quality dab rig, and a willingness to get beyond blasted.
1. Moon Rocks
Ah, moon rocks. Named such for their ability to rocket you past sky-high, moon rocks are incredibly difficult to get ahold of due to their complicated construction. A classic moon rock is made by taking a quality nug and saturating it with hash oil, then rolling it in kief. In legal markets, people go a bit mad and start rolling their moon rocks in THCa crystals and such, but we say nothing beats the classic version.
The kief brings out the taste of terpenes, the hash oil provides a THC punch, and a nice dense nug ties it all together. The high from a moon rock is nearly indescribable, but the most appropriate term is “face-melting”. Their density results in huge clouds of smoke packed with flavor. Remember the first few times you smoked, and felt like you were transcending into a parallel dimension? It’s like that, all over again. It starts in the head, with a giddy tingling and a surge of the giggles. By the time you’ve realized you’re high, you’re already full-body stoned.
Depending on the strains used in the making of the moon rocks, you might be susceptible to a little paranoia, or some real couchlock. If you have any choice, go for strains you know and love. As one of the most potent and dynamic highs possible, moon rocks are not something to mess around with!
Spencer Grey is a staff writer at Smoking Outlet.
