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Are you curious to learn what the difference is between eating an edible and smoking marijuana? While smoking marijuana is a well-known way to consume it, not many people are familiar with actually eating edibles. This is why we have come up with a definitive guide for edibles vs smoking.

SMOKING

When you smoke cannabis, the THC will travel through your lungs, through your bloodstream and then to your brain. Your lungs filter the THC to a certain extent, but at least 50 to 60 percent of the cannabinoid will cross the blood-brain barrier and is what is responsible for making you feel high. This whole process can be felt almost immediately.

When you smoke an average joint, peak concentrations of THC will come into effect anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes after your first inhale. After this, the effects will start to taper off over the next few hours.

EDIBLES

When you eat marijuana, the THC will travel through your stomach and then to your liver, where it is metabolized into a different type of THC known as 11-hydroxy-THC. This chemical is the key to understanding what the differences are between edibles and smoking marijuana. 11-hydroxy-THC has a much more psychedelic effect compared to the THC that occurs when you smoke marijuana. This is why there is a big difference in the way you feel after you smoke marijuana compared to when you ingest it.

Another difference between the two is the timing of the high. The effects from smoking will occur almost immediately, but with edibles, the timing is stretched further because the THC must travel through your digestive system and then through your circulatory system into your brain. This means you might need to wait anywhere from 60 to 120 minutes to feel the effects, but once they do hit, they can last anywhere from 6 to 10 hours.

Edibles have a more intense, long-lasting high compared to smoking marijuana.

When it comes to dosing, there are some differences as well. When you smoke cannabis, the effects are immediate, giving you a better idea and control over your best dosage because you get to experience the effects and how you feel immediately. If you don’t feel enough effects, then you can simply take another hit or two to get where you want to be. If you feel too high, then you can stop and let the high wear off.

On the other hand, edibles can be impossible to figure out. It goes back to the type of THC that is converted in the gut and how your unique metabolism and digestion is. Some of us have fast metabolisms, and some of us have slow metabolisms. This means we will all process THC at a different rate than others meaning that the same amount of THC can affect different people differently. This delay in effectiveness and the relatively long-lasting effects are what cause the most issues when it comes to consuming edibles.

If you’re looking for the best cannabis dispensary in the Niagara Falls area, Honey Pot Smoke Shop is the answer. Our pot shop will provide you with everything you need, so whether you’re looking for marijuana or vapes, our cannabis store can help. If you’re interested in a honey pot dispensary near me, contact us today!