Living in the dawn of the medical marijuana card revolution sure does have its perks. Not only are more MMJ card holders able to access the amazing benefits of this super plant, but they’re also spoiled by all the ways they can consume it. But tinctures, edibles, topical lotions and juices still take a backseat. When it comes to popularity, two consumption methods still reign supreme: smoking and vaping.
Although most people instantly think of lighting up a joint when they consider consuming medical marijuana, a lot of medical marijuana card holders will tell you that this is not representative of their experience. Many opt to vape instead. Although you may be onto something in thinking that vaping is seemingly “better,” the argument is much more nuanced than that. There is no “right” way to consume MMJ, nor is everyone better off choosing one method or the other.
If you’re still humming and hawing over which method to choose, take the following points into consideration. And remember, when it comes to MMJ, you should trust your gut, and choose the method that works best for you — regardless of what others say.
Health
Burning medical marijuana, just like burning tobacco, produces tar and other carcinogens that actively harm your lungs.
There are no prizes for guessing which of the two methods win when it comes to health. Unless you’ve been living under a rock for your whole life, you’re aware of the risks associated with smoking. Unfortunately for medical marijuana card holders, when you smoke MMJ, you’re still exposed to these dangers. Burning MMJ, just like burning tobacco, produces tar and other carcinogens that actively harm your lungs.
When you vape, you keep the MMJ below the point of combustion, so none of the bad stuff is created. Instead, it’s gently heated with essential oils, which means you’re getting all those amazing benefits without the dirty side effects. However, it’s important to remember that though there are countless studies done on the harm that smoking does to you, because of their relative newness, vaporizers haven’t been subjected to the same amount of testing, so they’re ability to do you harm is largely unsearched.
Cannabinoids
What most medical marijuana card holders may not know is that there is a huge difference in how much good stuff is inhaled when you choose to vape your plant over ignite it. When you hit the bong or smoke a joint, 88 percent of what is inhaled is smoke gas with non-cannabinoid elements. As we all know, cannabinoids are the best, most active part of the plant and the part most likely to alleviate you of your ailment. Conversely, when you vaporize your MMJ, the substance you’re inhaling is approximately 95 percent cannabinoid, which is much, much better. These lovely little cannabinoids then get to work instantly to make you feel right as rain.
Potency
One place where vaporizers certainly lose points is potency. Although they do give you a more plentiful blast of those all-important cannabinoids, the effects, more often than, not don’t last as long as when you smoke, which means you may have to consume it more often to get the same buzz.
Discreetness
A vape pen is an incredibly discreet way to smoke medical marijuana.
One thing that keeps MMJ card holders opting for a vaporizer over a joint is how delightfully discreet it is. Vaping gives you a sense of mystery in what you’re vaporizing. For all anyone knows, it’s just a classic tobacco vape pen. This enables you to consume whenever and wherever you like without fear of backlash from those around you.
Not only is a vape pen more discreet, but it also allows you to escape the added unpleasantness of potent marijuana smoke sticking to your clothes, hair and breath, which is not a stink you want following you around all day, especially if you have important events on your schedule.
Convenience
Some 420 card holders would argue that vaping is infinitely easier than smoking. Sure, you can just hit a button on the pen and — presto — you’re good to go. But it’s not that simple. Most vaporizers are USB chargeable and will need to be plugged in for an hour or two when their batteries waste, which isn’t exactly ideal when you’re stuck in a jam and need a hit. Plus, you need to regularly clean your vaporizer; otherwise, you’ll start to get an unpleasant, stale taste.
Although vaping presents some challenges when it comes to ease of use, something as primitive as lighting something on fire doesn’t. Loading a bowl or rolling a joint is something that can be done anywhere, at any time, provided you have the right tools. Additionally, smoking will give you the same level of relief each time, something that a vaporizer with a weak battery cannot.
Choosing your preferred method of cannabis consumption is an important decision, but always go with your gut instinct. Your body knows best and will respond better to one or the other, sometimes without rhyme or reason. So just trust it, and you’ll be walking on sunshine in no time.