The Best Ways to Consume Cannabis

Whether it’s through smoking, edibles, tinctures, or even beverages, our bodies always bring the cannabinoids and terpenes in cannabis to our endocannabinoid system. And it’s that versatility that makes cannabis such an incredible thing.

But you might be wondering: is there a best way to consume cannabis? Well, the short answer is no — there isn’t an objectively best way to consume cannabis for everyone. However, every way to consume cannabis comes with its pros and cons, so there may be a best method for you.

Let’s dive into them!

Inhalation

This is the most common way to consume marijuana. The concept is simple: burn or vaporize cannabis and inhale the smoke or vapor. Pre-rolled joints and vape cartridges make this easy. If you have dry flower, you can smoke through a bong or pipe or vaporize it using a dry herb vaporizer, as well as roll your own joints or spliffs. For a more intense high, you can also smoke or vape cannabis concentrates through a dab rig or dab pen.

With inhalation, your high is usually pretty short, around 2-4 hours. However, it hits really quickly — you’ll likely start feeling the effects within minutes and peak within half an hour. This makes it the best way to consume cannabis when you just want to have some fun at an event or relax at home after a long day.

Pros:

Easy to consume — all you need is flower
Feel effects fast
Shorter and controlled high

Cons

High doesn’t last as long as other methods if you want an all-day high
Smoke and vapor can irritate your throat and lungs
Smoke and vapor are smelly

Edibles

For decades, the pot brownie was just as iconic as the joint when it came to the best ways to consume cannabis. Nowadays, though, we’re spoiled for choice. Cookies, gummies, yogurts — you name it, someone’s put weed in it.

Edibles are more of an experience than just a way to consume marijuana. This isn’t just because they’re food (though there are some delicious edibles for sale). Edibles are processed much more slowly than other methods of consumption, as they go through your digestive system. That means two things: it can take a long time to feel the effects, and when you do feel the effects, they stay for a long time. And, when THC is processed in the liver, it’s converted into a stronger form that hits harder.

Depending on your metabolism, it can take anywhere from half an hour to two hours after taking the edible to even start to feel the effects, and then another hour to peak. That’s a long time! Unfortunately, that leads to people reaching for another edible too soon, thinking the first hasn’t hit. “These edibles ain’t sh*t,” the saying goes… and then the high hits you.

The best way to consume this form of cannabis is by carefully pacing yourself. Edible containers typically come with a label stating how many milligrams of THC (or CBD, if it’s a CBD edible) are inside. This way, you’ll know exactly how much of an edible to eat — no wondering if you just got a bad batch.

Edible highs typically last 6-8 hours, but can last even longer depending on someone’s metabolism. They are the best way to consume cannabis when you want to be high for an entire afternoon or want a nice, long, peaceful sleep.

Pros:

Easy to consume — usually come in delicious forms
Doesn’t irritate your throat or lungs
Long-lasting high
Exact dosage labels to make pacing easy

Cons

Long-lasting — not good for if you just want a short high
Effects take a long time to hit, which can lead to taking more before your high starts

Beverages

Cannabis beverages are a very similar experience to edibles. They also hit just as hard. However, because they go through a different part of your digestive system (your small intestine rather than your large), you’ll feel the effects much faster, typically within 20 minutes.

Like edibles, they also last longer than inhalation. However, they are shorter than edibles — you can expect your high to last around 4-6 hours. If you want something that hits as hard as an edible but doesn’t consume your entire day nor take as long to feel, beverages are the best way to consume cannabis.

Pros:

Easy to consume — it’s just a bottled or canned drink
Doesn’t irritate your throat or lungs
Longer high than inhalation methods but shorter than edibles, the perfect balance
Hit as hard as an edible
Exact dosage labels to make pacing easy

Cons

Long-lasting — not good for if you just want a very short high
Typically more diluted than edibles, which makes for a longer consumption experience

Tinctures

While you can smoke weed, eat edibles, and drink cannabis beverages, there is one way to consume marijuana that most people don’t know about: sublingually. Using a dropper, you can drop a cannabis tincture (which is typically cannabis oils or a concentrate) underneath your tongue. This part of your body processes compounds like THC and CBD very rapidly, making it an obvious choice for the best way to consume cannabis.

Like smoking or vaping, you’ll feel the effects in minutes — but unlike inhalation, there’s no irritation to your throat or lungs. The high lasts around 4-8 hours, which is comparable to an edible or beverage. However, they’re much easier to dose than either of them. While you do have to guess a bit with how much of an edible or beverage to take the first time you take it, then wait at least over an hour to check if it was the right amount, you’ll know within a few minutes whether you need to take more with a tincture.

The only downside is that because there is vastly more concentrate in these bottles than in an edible or beverage, tinctures are very expensive. Depending on the size of the bottle, you are investing in something that will last you weeks to months of doses. Tinctures are the best way to consume cannabis for regular dosing over a long period of time, like before bed.

Pros:

Easy to consume — only a few drops beneath your tongue
Doesn’t irritate your throat or lungs
Longer high than inhalation methods but shorter than edibles, the perfect balance
Exact dosage instructions and fast effects make it easy to dose accurately

Cons

Long-lasting — not good for if you just want a very short high
Very expensive
They’re a commitment — if you don’t like how the high make you feel, you are stuck with the bottle for a long time