Edibles Guide Part 5. Edibles vs Smoking

How are Taking Edibles and Smoking Flower Different?

1. If you are simply not a fan of smoking, or if you have a respiratory condition, edibles make for a great alternative.

2. Edibles take a long time for the effects to kick in but they provide a more discreet way of ingesting. Confectionery, drinks, gummies and other marijuana infused products (MIPs) have no pungent smell of weed when stored or consumed,  they are small and do not look anything like marijuana buds. They can be safely kept in your pocket, and their use does not require any special device. Edibles are portable, inconspicuous, and can be consumed anywhere, BUT keep in mind - public consumption of cannabis is against the law.

3. Edibles provide a long lasting effect and if cannabis is your go to thing, edibles are a great choice since their consumption an hour or two before going to bed will make the effects last through the night. That is one of the major reasons why numerous medical patients prefer edibles.

4. Delay in effects. As we learned in section 3, the Edibles do not kick in at once as it happens when you smoke - the usual time for the THC effects to settle varies from a few seconds to 10 minutes tops. Thus, edibles are not suitable for fast relief. 

5. Different ways of ingestion. When you smoke, THC gets into the blood flow through the lungs and is then transferred to the human brain, thus you feel the effects almost instantaneously. When you eat/drink an edible it goes into the stomach, where THC is slowly absorbed into the bloodstream. THC is then broken down by the liver, which converts THC to a more potent chemical called 11-hydroxy-THC.

6. The same amount of THC will have a different potency - one milligram of THC in an edible can be up to 10 times stronger than ingesting a milligram of THC through smoking flower.

What do Edibles and Smoking Have in Common?

The final results are ultimately very similar. Consuming an indica edible will make you feel relaxed, sedated and sleepy. Consuming a sativa will make you talkative, elevate your spirits, boost creativity and energy.

To sum up - you will experience pretty similar effects from edibles as you do from smoking, though they will be delayed with no control over 'when' but they do offer a prolonged action.

Read more from our Edibles Guide:

Part 1. What is the Right Dose of Edibles? What Does it Depend on?

Part 2. Dosage for Beginners and More Experienced Consumers

Part 3. How Fast Do Edibles' Effects Take? How Long do They Last?

Part 4. Do’s and Don'ts. Overconsumption

Part 5. Edibles vs Smoking

Part 6. Types of Edibles

Part 7. Do Edibles Expire? How to Store Edibles?

Disclaimer. To eat or not to eat is solely your choice and no one else’s. We outlined recommendations solely for informational purposes. We would like to draw your attention to the fact that this information applies to certified products that are sold legally. Most of it does not apply to home cooked edibles, as there is no way to determine the exact composition, the overall and piece by piece THC levels, and so on. We strongly recommend refraining from edibles you don’t know.