By Miguel Ordoñez

Considering the differences between smoking and eating cannabis.


Experienced users will know the difference between smoking/vaping and ingesting cannabis. Preferences may vary, but here’s the general idea: eating weed will produce a much stronger and more intense high. Smoking, on the other hand, gives you a more predictable and manageable hit. Why is that?

If this is a question that’s been on your mind, this article should provide you with an answer.

How Can You Consume Cannabis?

Dabbing and vaping aside, the primary go-to methods of cannabis consumption in this day and age are still smoking and eating edibles. If you prefer the former, you can either go with the traditional spliff or blunt, or use a pipe or bong variation of your choice.

Edibles, on the other hand, have come a long way from brownies and space cakes. You can now consume them in the form of tasty gummies that will send you back in time to your 12-year-old self on Halloween night. Cannabis can also be infused into coffee, wine, even ice cream.

Eating vs Smoking Weed: Consider the Differences

As previously mentioned, the high you’ll experience from eating cannabis will differ from the one you’ll feel if you choose to smoke it. Let’s delve deeper into that.

  • Absorption
EATING WEED
Right here is one glaring difference. If you’ve taken edibles, you’ll know that it takes a while before you feel any effects. But once they kick in, they will make their presence felt. That’s because upon ingesting cannabis, the liver begins to metabolise the THC, turning it into a metabolite called 11-hydroxy-THC. This is way more potent and has a longer half-life, making it much more intense overall.
SMOKING WEED
When you smoke cannabis, on the other hand, the THC travels to your brain almost instantly via the alveoli in the lungs. This is why you feel high within minutes after smoking.
  • Onset
SMOKING WEED
We already alluded to this, but the difference in onset between smoking and eating cannabis can greatly influence the experience overall. With smoking, you can better gauge how much THC you’re consuming given the instant effects you'll feel upon that first toke. Thus, you’ll know when to stop and take a break, giving you more control over the situation.
EATING WEED
That isn’t the case with edibles, which will only kick in after waiting an hour or so. And because of that illusion of “not feeling anything” during the first half-hour or more, you may feel inclined to eat more. This is a big no-no, especially if you’re just starting out on your cannabis journey.
  • Duration
SMOKING WEED
Here’s one thing to keep in mind when smoking the devil’s lettuce: instant hit, shorter flight. After that first toke, expect to feel relaxed, euphoric, or glued to your couch for about an hour or two before effects start to subside. If you still want to feel buzzed, a few more hits will send you back to that previous dimension you were in.
EATING WEED
Edibles, on the other hand, are a different story. Once it hits, expect to be afloat for the next four to eight hours. Even a veteran all-star smoker like Snoop Dogg avoids eating his weed because according to him, edibles "ain’t got no off button”.
  • Potency
EATING WEED
Eating cannabis will give you a much stronger high compared to smoking. The reason behind this lies in the manner in which THC is processed by the body.
We previously mentioned how THC metabolises into 11-hydroxy-THC if it enters the body through the stomach and liver. This metabolite has a much higher affinity for CB1 receptors in the brain, making the hit a lot stronger.
But, if we’re talking about potency, another major factor to consider is tolerance. Some people may be perfectly fine after eating an entire pot brownie, while others will feel like they’re closer to tripping than just being high after eating half a square.
SMOKING WEED

Smoked cannabis produces different effects than edibles. Cannabis flowers contain THC in the form of THCA. Exposure to heat transforms this molecule into THC through a process called decarboxylation. The newly formed cannabinoid then passes through the lungs into the bloodstream, and into the brain where it binds to CB1 receptors.

Unlike edibles, smoked cannabis "hits" much faster. This gives users much more control over the experience. They have the choice of taking things one toke at a time until they hit their sweet spot. Although users can opt for a mellow experience, large dabs, moon rocks, and concentrates offer intense experiences that rival edibles.

How to Dose: Edibles vs Smoking

Given the differences in onset, potency, absorption, and duration of the high, dosing methods will also vary when it comes to smoking and ingesting cannabis. Here’s how to do it:

  • Edibles

Because of the potency and potential to take too much, experts recommend taking edibles in 10mg servings or less. So, if you’re about to consume a 100mg THC-infused chocolate bar, it’ll be best to cut it up into ten equal parts.

Key factors like body weight and whether or not you have food in your stomach may also affect the outcome of the experience. Taking edibles on an empty stomach, for example, may enhance the potency of the high you’ll experience.

When it comes to taking more, you should always wait at least an hour after consuming your last dose before having another bite. So, give it a while for the first 10mg to take effect before having a second piece of that chocolate bar.

  • Smoking

Since you have more control when smoking cannabis, people usually play it by ear when it comes to dosing. But if you want to be precise with the amount, you must first know how much THC (in a percentage) is present in your strain of choice. You can either do your own research or ask your budtender for that information.

Now, for the numbers. A simple formula is to multiply how much herb you’ll use (in milligrams) with the THC percentage of your strain (in a decimal). The end result will give you the amount of THC you’ll consume.

So, if we use a joint weighing 500mg with our very own White Widow Automatic (which contains 14% THC), that gives you a total of 70mg of THC.

Let’s look at these numbers in terms of a person’s tolerance. A beginner will likely be overwhelmed by consuming 10mg of THC through a joint. An experienced smoker of Seth Rogen levels, on the other hand, likely won’t be affected until they hit the 80mg mark.

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What to Do if You Smoke or Eat Too Much Weed

It happens to the best of us: sometimes we dose too much, and get too high. With smoking, any uncomfortable feelings will usually subside in a matter of minutes, as opposed to the hours it can take with edibles. As such, it’s often enough for the smoker to simply put down their joint, hydrate, and eat some food before regaining a clear head.

With edibles, although we’d advise the same measures of having something to eat or drink and maybe getting some fresh air, you may have to ride out the discomfort for an hour or two. Luckily, you cannot lethally overdose on weed, so you can rest assured that things will be back to normal in no time.

Smoking vs Edibles: Which Is Healthier?

You may have heard this question thrown around before. Here’s our honest answer.

  • Smoking

It all depends on your definition of “healthy”. If we’re talking about respiratory health, smoking is obviously more detrimental. Filling your lungs with any sort of smoke may yield carcinogenic consequences.

And while cannabis does have anticarcinogenic properties itself, many people prefer to use either a dab rig or vaporizer to minimise inhalation of toxins. This line of thinking assumes that less smoke means less damage to the lungs, and fewer chances of breaking into that uncomfortable, throaty cough.

  • Edibles

If we’re talking about nutrition, eating space cakes and gummies isn’t exactly the way to a well-balanced diet. All they give you are added sugar levels, which, if left unchecked, may lead to bigger problems in the future.

But these days, you can infuse cannabis into less sinful treats like guacamole, or into olive oil for salad dressings. If you’re creative enough, you can very well come up with your own cannabis delicacy for people to enjoy.

Is It Better to Smoke or Eat Cannabis?

Smoking cannabis for a person with lung problems is as detrimental as eating it if you’re dealing with weight issues or diabetes. But if you’re taking everything in moderation, then you have nothing to worry about.

Ultimately, it will all depend on preference. People who don’t enjoy filling their chests with smoke or vapor will choose to ingest it, while those who are watching their calories will have a spliff or pipe in their hand. Different strokes for different folks.

Bottom line; take your herb in a way that brings a smile to your heart. Just don’t forget to sit back, clear your mind, and enjoy the ride.

DisclaimerWhen consumed, THC metabolizes into 11-hydroxy-THC, which enters the body through the stomach and liver, resulting in a significantly stronger effect due to its increased affinity for CB1 receptors in the brain.

Ensure accurate portion control. Begin with small doses and gradually increase to develop tolerance.

Remember: Set and Setting will help you deal with various situations.

Stay Cultivated.

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Privacy Policy - Royal Queen Seeds

To ensure a safe online environment and guarantee adequate data protection, we strictly comply with all legal requirements. In this privacy statement, we provide information about how and for what purpose data is collected, safety measures, storage periods and contact details.


COMPANY NAME: SNORKEL SPAIN, SL (hereinafter ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS)

C/ Vilar d'Abdelà, 5 (nave 1) CP: 08170 de Montornès del Vallès

+34 937 379 846

support@royalqueenseeds.com


The present Privacy Policy sets out the terms on which we will treat personal data at ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS; this includes any personal data collected through our website https://www.royalqueenseeds.com/ as well as any other data we process in the course of our business activities.

ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS collects the following personal data for the purposes listed below:

SECTION 1 – PERSONAL INFORMATION WE COLLECT

1.1 Account purchases

Account purchases can only be made if you are in possession of a personal account. When you create an account or purchase something from our shop, as part of the buying and selling process we collect the following personal information that you provide to us:

This information is required for delivery. In addition, when you browse our shop, we automatically receive the Internet Protocol (IP) address of your computer. Based on this information, we can optimise your online experience and at the same time protect our online environment.

Purpose of data collection

We collect and store account-related data for the following purposes:

(a) to carry out obligations arising from any contracts between you and us, and to provide you with information, products and services that you may request from us;

(b) to set up, manage and communicate with you about your account and your orders;

(c) to conduct market research and analysis;

(d) to confirm your age and identity, and to detect and prevent fraud.

1.2 Newsletters

With your explicit permission, we may send you newsletters about our shop, new products and other updates. We send newsletters based on your explicit consent. In the event that you purchase a product, and in accordance with current regulations, we may send you commercial communications in accordance with the legitimate interest of our company, always about products or services similar to those you have purchased or contracted. In any case, you may exercise your right of opposition through the channels announced in this Privacy Policy. The following information is collected in relation to the newsletter:

We do not need to know the sex of the person in order to send the newsletter (data minimisation: by law we must ask for data that is strictly necessary to provide the service, and in this case knowing the sex is not necessary to send the newsletter).

Purpose of data collection

The data collected is used to:

(a) personalise our emails, including your name and gender;

(b) provide gender-specific content.

You can withdraw your consent at any time by using the link provided in the newsletter or the contact information provided in section 2.

1.3 Customer service and contact form

In order to provide appropriate support, our customer service employees have access to information related to the account. Consequently, their support will be highly effective and friendly. The data provided in our contact form is used by our CRM provider, SuperOffice. We will only use your details to respond to your message.

SECTION 2 – LEGITIMATE INTEREST

If you have purchased any of our products, please note that we may process your personal data for promotional purposes, based on Royal Queen Seeds' legitimate interest only to offer you products or services from our company and about products or services similar to those you have purchased. You may exercise your right to opt out of future messages by the means set out in this Privacy Policy or through any notification you receive.

2.1 How do you withdraw consent?

If you change your mind, you can withdraw your consent for us to contact you for the purpose of collecting, using, or disclosing your data at any time by reaching out to us at: support@royalqueenseeds.com.

SECTION 3 – DISCLOSURE

We may disclose your personal information if we are required to do so by law or if you breach our Terms of Service.

SECTION 4 – HOW LONG DO WE KEEP YOUR DATA?

At Royal Queen Seeds, we will not retain your data for longer than is necessary for the purposes described in this Policy. Different retention periods apply for different types of data; however, the longest period we will normally hold any personal data is 10 years.

4.1 Account information

Data relating to the account remains relevant for as long as the consumer is in possession of an account. Therefore, the data remains documented for as long as the account exists. When our customers delete an account, the associated data will be deleted within a reasonable period of time. Requests regarding the inspection or correction of stored personal data or the deletion of an account can be sent to support@royalqueenseeds.com.

4.2 Newsletters

In the event that you give us your consent to inform you about our products or services, we will keep your data until you express your wish not to receive any further communications from us. However, we regularly (every month) carry out a relevance check. Registered customers (and their personal information) will be deleted whenever customers do not reply to our request. In addition, our newsletter mailing has an opt-out feature. Consumers can withdraw their consent by using this opt-out feature.

SECTION 5 – COOKIES

Cookies are small information files that notify your computer of previous interactions with our website. These cookies are stored on your hard drive, not on our website. Essentially, when you use our website, your computer displays its cookies to us, informing our site that you have visited before. This allows our website to function more quickly and remember aspects related to your previous visits (such as your username), making your experience more convenient. At Royal Queen Seeds, we use two types of cookies: functional and analytical.

5.1 Functional Cookies

Functional cookies are used to enhance your online experience. Among other things, these cookies track what is added to your shopping cart. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

5.2 Analytical Cookies

Analytical cookies are used for research and market analysis. The data collected with these analytical cookies is anonymous, making it unusable for third parties. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

SECTION 5 – THIRD-PARTY SERVICES

Third-party services are required to conduct transactions and provide our services. In general, the third-party providers we use will only collect, use and disclose your information to the extent necessary to enable them to perform the services they provide to us.

However, certain third-party service providers, such as payment gateways and other payment transaction processors, have their own privacy policies regarding the information we must provide to them for your transactions.

We encourage you to read the privacy policies of these providers so that you can understand how these providers will handle your personal information.

In particular, certain suppliers may be located or have facilities located in a different jurisdiction than yours or ours. Therefore, if you choose to proceed with a transaction involving the services of a third party, your information may be subject to the laws of the jurisdiction in which that service provider or its facilities are located.

Once you leave our website or are redirected to a third-party website or application, you are no longer governed by this Privacy Policy or the Terms of Service of our website.

Web analytics service (anonymous data)

On this website we have integrated an element of a web analytics service (with anonymisation functionality). Web analytics can be defined as the gathering, processing and analysis of data about the behaviour of visitors to websites. An analytics service collects, among other things, data about which website a person came from (the so-called referrer), which sub-pages they visited or how often and for how long they visited a sub-page. Web analytics is mainly used for website optimisation and for a cost–benefit analysis of internet advertising.

Courier service

To complete deliveries we use a courier service. This courier service carries out the delivery between our company and the consumer's home. To complete these logistics, the company requires access to the consumer's name and address information.

Mailing service

Royal Queen Seeds uses a third-party mail service provider to send its newsletter. This provider has access to limited account information related to opt-in consent (e.g. email address).

Marketing services

Royal Queen Seeds has the support of a company that specialises in marketing and communication activities. Their access to personal information is very limited and mostly anonymous.

Payment services

At Royal Queen Seeds we use external payment services to handle our transactions (e.g. credit card payments).

SECTION 6 – SECURITY

To protect your personal information, we take reasonable precautions and follow industry standard best practices to ensure that it is not inappropriately lost, misused, accessed, disclosed, altered or destroyed.

If you provide us with your credit card information, the information is encrypted using secure socket layer technology (SSL) and stored using AES-256 encryption. Although no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, we follow all PCI-DSS requirements and implement additional industry standards that are commonly accepted. Information related to the account is protected with a hashing method. This method transforms the information into a generated hash. As a result, confidential information is protected and invisible, even to us. In addition, our databases are exceptionally protected against unauthorised access. For example, access to the database is only possible and permitted via approved IP addresses (e.g. from Royal Queen Seeds headquarters). Other attempts and addresses are rejected at all times.

Furthermore, data is anonymised as much as possible, so it cannot be directly linked to a specific consumer. With this data, however, we may be able to carry out market research and analysis. In addition, the third parties concerned (e.g. mailing service) are examined prior to our collaboration, comply with the GDPR from the EU and receive a processing agreement. Within Royal Queen Seeds, employees are assigned different access permissions. Specific permission provides access only to information that is strictly required to perform a task. Digital security measures are subject to change and must meet high requirements to ensure the safety of online customers. That is why, at Royal Queen Seeds, we appoint a security officer. Regular verification and improvement of security measures (where necessary) are part of the role.

SECTION 7 – CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY

We reserve the right to modify this Privacy Policy at any time, so please check back regularly. Changes and clarifications will be effective immediately upon being published on the Website. If we make substantial changes to this policy, we will notify you here that it has been updated so you will know what information we collect, how we use it and under what circumstances, if any, we use and/or disclose it.

SECTION 8 – YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO: