Edibles, Smoking, or Vaping? Let’s Talk

If you are new to cannabis, then you might feel pretty overwhelmed when confronted with all of the front end knowledge about various marijuana products that are available to you on the market. It is true that cannabis has become more accessible to people across the United States than it ever has been before. Part of this is due to the fact that medical advancements and technological advancements have made it possible to enjoy using cannabis in a great variety of ways that are not just about smoking anymore. In fact, many people swear by using cannabis products like edibles, tinctures, topicals, and vaping instead of just smoking a bowl of weed like the good old days.

However, it can be hard for new people in the world of marijuana to understand all of the nuances and differences between each form of cannabis consumption and when it is right for them. One of the great parts about the medical marijuana industry is that medical patients must get approval and referral from a licensed doctor or physician in order to qualify for a medical marijuana card. What this means is that people can get valuable insight and information about the type of medical marijuana usage that can best fit their needs and desires, because the doctors will be able to make knowledgeable recommendations based on your medical history and your current physical and mental conditions. So what are some of the primary differences between smoking and eating cannabis? Well, let’s talk about them together and go through each one, making sure that you know the ins and outs of each before you head off to the dispensary.

Smoking cannabis has long been the standing favorite when it comes to marijuana consumption. Still today, smoking weed is the most popular form across both recreational and medical users. Before you start a certain cannabis product, it is important to keep in mind that each one is different and that no two marijuana products are the same. It is critical that you acknowledge the potency of each product and consider how it may affect you. When it comes to effectiveness and speed, smoking is generally considered to be the best form of consuming cannabis. Smoking weed allows you to feel the results the fastest, and sometimes the heaviest. However, this also means that the weed’s impact is also quick to diminish as well.

Since smoking weed is the most popular method of cannabis consumption, you will never have to worry about a shortage on the market. Most medical dispensaries keep a very high stick on a variety of marijuana buds and flowers that are perfect for smoking. Plus, you can experience the flavorful and beneficial terpenes and cannabinoids that go along with smoking your weed. However, it is important to keep in mind that smoking anything is not necessarily good for your lungs. Though we know that smoking weed is not as bad for you as cigarettes, we still do not have any studies and long term effects of smoking weed on the human lungs.

Therefore, it is safe to say that one should take into consideration the effect on the lungs that smoking anything can have. Another part of inhaling marijuana comes in the form of vaping, which is a much newer method of consuming cannabis. Vaping is similar to smoking in a lot of ways, but the weed is heated at lower temperatures and means that you’ll have less discomfort and irritation on your lungs that one might find with smoking weed. Research shows that this may be the ideal way to use cannabis! I hope this helps, we will talk about edibles another time.

CBD to Sleep

Sometimes, you just want to get good sleep, and you should never neglect this. Many people struggle to get some Zs, and it will make you feel bad too. While there are supplements that can help, plenty of people have started to opt using CBD to help with this. CBD also known as cannabidiol, is one of the main parts of the marijuana plant, but unlike the THC that’s in weed, the CBD in this doesn’t get you high. Instead, you feel a bit of a relaxing feeling that’s ultimately pretty calming, and great for reducing insomnia and getting some shuteye. 

How it works 

CBD doesn’t bind to the same receptors that THC does, but it instead does interact with the compounds that are in this, working with the brain and the body to help with your mood, appetite, and even aid with sleeping as well. 

It helps because it is naturally supportive of the endocannabinoid system. It also helps by pushing out more anandamide, which is commonly viewed as the “bliss” molecule, so it can help you soothe your brain and body, binding to this, in order to ensure that you feel soothed and calmed down. This is great for those people who are looking to get more sleep via relaxing, as it does work naturally in order to do all of this n an easy, profound way. 

CBD and sleep 

CBD does have benefits that do work specifically for sleep. While there isn’t a ton of research on this, some studies do say that the compounds in CBD are great for relieving stress and anxiety. Those with chronic pain can also benefit from this one, since it’s great for improving sleep. Current research says that, based on a review on the way cannabinoids get delivered, especially CBD, it was found that this is the best one for easing anxiety, chronic pain, and also had better sleep that happened. 

When administering larger amounts of CBD, upwards of 175 mg, it was discovered that about 2.3 of patients were actually getting a lot better sleep, and the sleep was much better.  It did help more with anxiety than sleep though, but the observations did show that this is a viable means to help treat insomnia and other sleep disorders. 

In one of the case studies for those with Parkinson’s was found that those who have REM pattern sleep disorders, also known as RBD, which is characterized by kicking, hitting, or recurring nightmares, were able to improve the instances of this, and it could help with the instances of this happening. 

There is a lot of information for those who are curious about using CBD, especially when there is a lot less of THC the one that’s psychoactive, the main focus of the research has not been on treating sleep disorders, but instead is used as a way to treat seizures and such. It’s important that there be more studies conducted on this to further validate the benefits of the CBD that you take in a therapeutic sense, but what’s currently out there is definitely a lot more promising than anything else. 

Lots of people do like to take CBD especially if you already struggle with sleep. It does have a lot of potential for those who tend to struggle with relaxing, falling asleep, or if you’re someone that wakes up a whole lot. While it isn’t sedating, it’s one that’s soothing, which is perfect for people with sleep-related anxieties and other issues. It can definitely be a bit of a struggle, especially for those trying to avoid getting bad sleep too. 

Marijuana and Heart Disease

Heart disease is the number one killer, and while there’s a lot of associations between heart disease and the usage of cigarettes, one thing that people have started to look at is the possibility of whether or not cannabis may offer the same risks. Another new study that was done by researchers actually looked at the possible association between marijuana and its use, and the possibility of increased chances of myocardial infections.  There are also some ways to see how THC may trigger inflammation, and also how it may contribute to atherosclerosis, and some findings on how it may also block inflammation too.

The Research is Mixed 

A big thing to remember is that there are results from this that are mixed, and also not conclusive too. There was a statement put out directly by the American heart association, and it was seen as a possible greenlight to say that marijuana is safe, as the authors said it’s based on the information available currently. 

It’s been found that the lifetime and the current recent usage of cannabis did not show any increase in cadence in heart disease of any time, and the mortality of such. The evidence, however, is not conclusive for any outcomes on a cardiovascular level, and it also does need to have better studies. 

A lot of researchers have started to worry about the challenges that are created through the illegality of the usage of marijuana, and also, how it’s forbidden. A lot of these studies are based on broad amounts of trends, or the information from self-reports. The data does induce a lot of inaccuracy, and other variables, including a frequency of the usage, and the information lacking on the products that get consumed. 

Another thing is the behaviors that are confounding, and usually need to also be looked at, such as the consumption of alcohol, the health overall, and the usage of tobacco too. 

The potential Risks 

There was another study that actually looked at new risk assessments, that were found based on information within the U.K Biobank, which is a big study of more than 500,000 different people up to the age of 69, and it was done over a ten-year period. This was found that those who used marijuana did identify as having more risks for heart attacks when they turned 50. Another risk assessment that looked at the controls for their age, and also their sex and BMI as well.

They didn’t have tobacco use on this as another variable, however. When they used cannabis as a specific risk factor that was controlled when they looked at the age and the BMI, it was found that they couldn’t address the entire sample size.  When they analyzed the base effect and also whether or not they also had cigarette smoking, this hazard ratio when it came to how many cardiovascular events would happen tended to be more than just smoking regular cigarettes.

Those who had a history of issues with the heart, tend to be at a much higher risk for those heart problems, and it’s important that, if you do have a history of this, you may want to consult with someone, as well in order to determine the correct types of therapies for you.

Right now, the studies that we have are quite limited, and it’s imperative to make sure that you also take a look at these studies, and everything that may play a part. We still don't know, but there is a lot of research that looks into the potential that this has for people.