All highs are not equal. A common misconception is that the high from an edible is the same as the high from smoking. Wrong! Here we breakdown the high from an edible and the high from smoking so you can better understand the two.
How Edibles Are Absorbed
When you eat an edible, cannabis is absorbed into the body through the digestive system. When people say it takes a while to feel the effects, they’re not just being coy — it’s science. Think about it. Suppose you’ve just eaten a big meal and then swallow down a gummy. Not only does your stomach need to break down all the food you just ate, but it has to do that before it even gets to your edible of choice. So when you’re considering getting high from an edible, how much time you have and when you want to get high are two very important factors. You’ll also want to account for any food in your system, as that will greatly influence how fast (or slow) the edible takes effect. Remember, because the edible high takes longer to hit, it’s important to be patient and not double up. Otherwise, you might be in for an unpleasant, overwhelming high.
How Weed Smoke Is Absorbed
When you’re smoking weed, cannabis is being absorbed into the body through the lungs, which takes far less time than it does to be absorbed through your digestive tract when eating an edible. The THC then travels directly to your brain and – bam – you’re feeling stoney within a few of minutes of taking your first hit. It’s for this reason we’re better able to measure cause and effect when it comes to quantity smoked – meaning – we’re better able to see how smoking a certain amount of weed produces a certain kind of high, which is more difficult to judge with edibles.
The Edible High
The high from an edible is often described as a body high because of the way the psychedelic head-high permeates throughout the body. The high is known for creating an almost “floating” feeling, and while it takes much longer for an edible high to take effect, the high also lasts much longer than the high from smoking. So while you’ll get a larger, longer lasting blast from an edible, it’s also harder to determine what that high will encapsulate, given the quantity of edible consumed and all of the digestive factors create a lot of inconsitencies.
The Smoker’s High
The high from smoking tends to stay localized within the brain and mind. It comes on faster than edibles, lingers, and then – depending on the strain – is usually gone after a couple of hours. Because of marijuana legalization, it’s much easier to determine a dose and its corresponding effects, particularly when purchasing weed from a dispensary. So if you’re looking to have more control over the kind of high you experience and its duration, stick with smoking. If you’re into feeling that full body buzz and enjoy stoney surprises, dabble with an edible.
