As the world of Cannabis continues to expand, it is important to understand which products are best fit for each consumer. In the Cannabis world, products can generally be split into 2 large categories, smokable flower related products and edibles. Smoking a joint and eating an edible can provide very different experiences for the consumer. Each of these categories offer pros and cons when used, and we at Hemp and Tea thought it would be a great idea to provide a general breakdown of these categories and their prevailing effects! Please note that each product can still provide different experiences than what we list here, as each individual is different, but this will provide a general guide on the effects that we hear about from our customers! 

FLOWER

It’s simple and the move of choice for the traditionalist inside us all, consuming flower from the Cannabis plant is the way many of us got introduced to the world of Cannabis in the first place. There are still a number of ways to consume flower from smoking to vaping, or even utilizing concentrates created from flower such as wax or live resin/rosin vapes. Each of these ways offer pros and cons themselves which we’ll go through briefly here:

Smoking Flower

Provides the taste of the flower, quickly induced high, and you get every bit you can out of the flower itself as it burns. However you can go through flower quickly this way, and it does produce the most significant smell.  

Vaping Flower

Provides the best taste of the bud, with a similar high to smoking, and you can conserve flower due to the lower amount needed when vaping! Also can be better for the lungs due to the lower heat and lack of smoke. However you do need a dry herb vaporizer for this, which can be expensive. Produces a milder smell compared to smoking.

Vaping Live Resin/Rosin

Lower concentration, so frequent users may need more hits to get the same high. Taste can be better, depending on the quality of the resin/rosin. Some argue this is safer for the lungs due to the lack of smoke. Smell dissipates quickly so this is much more discrete as well. 

Other Concentrate Use (Wax/Diamonds) 

Very high concentration, so you can get much higher while consuming much less. Can need other technology like a dab rig, and blowtorch which can be pricey. Produces a strong smell as well. 

The high produced from these products is also different from that of what is produced from edibles. Due to the rapid conversion of THC when heating, the high is usually onset very quickly (within 15 minutes), and is usually concentrated in the head, rather than the entire body. This isn’t to say that you can’t get a body high from Flower, it is often much more dependent on the strain itself along with the terpenes present in the strain. Flower can offer that potential to customize your high! Want a body high and chill vibe? Then indica flower will be your new best friend. If you want something different there will certainly be a strain for that as well! The high from consuming flower usually fades quicker than the high from edibles, so generally within two to three hours you’ll be feeling back to normal.

EDIBLES

A way to consume that is rapidly growing in popularity, edibles provide a very different experience compared to flower. There are a number of different ways that edibles can present themselves and just like with the different types of flower, we will go through those here: 

Gummies

These provide the most consistent dosage possible if made properly! These offer the perks of being discrete, decently tasty, and can be made with different cannabinoids to produce specific effects and experiences. 

Candy 

Perfect for those with a sweet tooth! These provide by far the tastiest way to consume cannabis, and can be consistent in dosage depending on the type of candy. For a hard candy like lollipops, the effects can be nice and gradual compared to taking a gummy at once. 

Chocolate & Baked Goods

THC is fat soluble, meaning it binds to fats rather than water. The fat in baked goods form butter or oil helps THC be absorbed more efficiently in the digestive system, leading to a stronger and longer-lasting high. 

Drinks

A new way to consume that is becoming rapidly popular. Blending THC into drinks offers a way to socialize and consume! Blend in with folks drinking alcoholic seltzers with a THC seltzer! These also offer a very consistent dosage when the entire drink is consumed. 

Edibles can produce a very different high when compared to flower. Due to the need for digestion to fully process the THC within the edible, onset times for the high can vary drastically. These onset times can even change from product to product, as products like drinks that are not consumed all at once will produce a much more gradually onsetting high, compared to gummies that are consumed all at once. Some of our customers have noted this, stating that drinks can produce a “smoother” high from the gentle onset to the more gradual ending of the high as well. The effects can also last significantly longer, with our customers noting three to six hours total for their experiences. Dosage on edibles can also be a bit different from type to type. Some candy edibles like chocolate can have inconsistent dosages. When these chocolate edibles are made, a given amount of THC extract is added to melted chocolate, which is then mixed and formed into a bar. An even mix is not a guarantee! So be careful when consuming to ensure you don’t consume way more than you intend to. Edibles are also said to produce a more full body focused high, rather than most of the high being concentrated in the head area like with flower. 

The key to determining which type of Cannabis consumption is best for you is to understand exactly what experience you are looking for. Want something casual at home and enjoy the art of rolling with a mild shorter high? Then smoking flower might be for you! If you want a more full body experience that can be more consistent, then maybe finding an edible is the way to go! Regardless of how you consume, there are a couple keys things to remember. 

Start SLOW! 

Both edibles and flower can be inconsistent in the high that they produce, by experimenting at lower doses, you can learn the intricacies of how each type of product hits you specifically. This is essential to experiencing the benefits of Cannabis. Don’t ever forget that you are using something that can significantly alter your perception of yourself and the world! Be smart and understand how each product will impact you through lower dosage experimentation. 

Make sure you know exactly what you are consuming!

With the lack of regulation that exists in the world of Cannabis currently, it is essential to make sure that you get your products from a safe, reputable dispensary. Always ask for Certificates of Analysis (CoA’s) for your products, and be sure to understand how your edibles are made! This understanding will help you have more consistent experiences, and will significantly decrease the likelihood of you having a bad time! 

Cannabis is an incredible plant that can provide a huge benefit to daily life when used safely and effectively. What goes for “effectiveness” varies significantly from person to person, so be sure to talk with your local budtender and they will be sure to help find you exactly the experience you are looking for!