Are Edibles Safer Than Smoking?
- Education
- Cannabutter Digest
With the rising popularity of edibles, many people have been asking the question: are edibles safer than smoking? For those who are curious about cannabis but are hesitant to inhale smoke, there is a safer alternative that may be the right fit for you!
What Are Edibles?
Tetrahydrocannabinol, known as THC, is the cannabinoid that serves as the active ingredient in cannabis – delivering the psychoactive effects. When you consume an edible, this cannabinoid is absorbed through the digestive tract.
While the effects from smoking cannabis are almost instantaneous, edibles can take two or three hours to fully kick in. The effects of edibles can also last much longer, depending on a variety of factors. Because of this, it is always recommended to consume small and slow, allowing for your body to process the THC.
What Is the Safest Way To Consume Cannabis?
The three most popular ways to consume cannabis are smoking, ingesting edibles, and vaping. Let’s go through each of them to see which is the safest.
Smoking Cannabis
While smoking cannabis is one of the most popular methods of cannabis consumption, it is the least safe consumption method.
When you smoke cannabis, you are inhaling combustion products along with THC. These combustion products can be harmful to your lungs and increase your risk of developing cancer. It is also said that some beneficial cannabinoids and terpenes are lost in the heat and smoke process. Rolling papers that are commonly used together with joints can also contain harmful chemicals that pose health risks.
Vaping Cannabis
In recent years, inhaling cannabis vapor has become another popular way to consume. It tends to produce a lighter effect than other methods of consumption and can be seen as a safer alternative to smoking. However, inhaling vapor into your lungs poses health risks and much is still to be learned about the additives in vape pen cartridges.
Edibles
Edibles are considered to be one of the safest ways to consume cannabis, as you are not inhaling any combustion products into your lungs. It is also easy to prepare edibles yourself at home by employing a home infusion machine like LĒVO. These innovative machines make it easy to infuse butter, oil, and more with cannabis. The only downside to edibles is that they can take a while to kick in and the effects can last much longer.
If you’re interested in venturing into the world of edibles, there are some things that we encourage you to take into consideration prior to consuming.
First-time consumers should always start with a low dosage of 5mg or less. You can always take more if you feel like you need to but it is better to err on the side of caution. It is also important to remember that it takes a while for the effects to kick in. Don’t be tempted to take more before the first dose has had a chance to be digested and start doing its work. To help manage your homemade edible dosage, turn to our Edible Potency Calculator, a popular go-to resource for cannabis infusiasts.
Is Edible Cannabis Safer Than Smoked Cannabis?
Factoring in the health risks, it is definitely safer to consume cannabis through edibles than it is to smoke it. With edibles, you are not exposed to any harmful combustion products or additives and you have more control over the dosage of THC.
If you are looking to explore the realm of edibles, we encourage you to turn to LĒVO. Not only does LĒVO’s selection of infusion machines, gummy mixer, and ready-to-go edible mixes make it easy – you can rest assured that you have quality control over the ingredients you are putting into your body.
You can also find a variety of recipes on their site (and ours) to help you get started with making your own edibles. Happy canna-baking!
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