There are three basic ways to take your medicine:

Oral
Sublingual/Capsules/Edibles

Inhalation
Vaporized/Burned

Topical
Creams/Salves

There are many ways to ingest cannabis, each has its own benefits and depending on what you’re comfortable with there are many effective ways to take your medicine. The one most people know about is just smoking or vaporizing the flower. In the state of PA we are not allowed to burn the flower and must use some type of dry herb vaporizer. This is an effective and quick way to ingest cannabis into your lungs, with a quick activation time and an average high of 45 min to 2 hrs depending on your tolerance. It is also much cleaner when vaporizing because there is no combustion and no other harmful chemicals are created. They also have oil cartridges available that you vaporize, similar to flower but no clean up necessary, which contain higher concentrations of cannabinoids. These are good for people with higher tolerances as they are very concentrated. There are different types of concentrate products available, it comes in different forms that depend on what type of extraction process was used, but most are very high concentrates of cannabinoids that are good for patients with very high tolerances. Edibles are currently not available in the state of PA but patients and caregivers are allowed to cook their own using their own products bought from the store. Then there is a product called RSO(Rick simpson oil) is available, it is a great product to use for cooking since it’s already activated and requires much less work than if you were to make edibles using flower. RSO is available in different strains depending on which type of effects you are looking to get out of it. They also have salves and creams available for those looking for topical treatments. Capsules are a good way to get a consistent dose for yourself once you figure out what that dose is. For those who aren’t comfortable vaporizing and inhaling their product can try sublingual products that you let sit under your tongue for a certain period of time.

Smoking (Flower)

Effects: Felt immediately, 30 min to peak, can last up to 3 hours

Pros: Instantly Absorbed, Instant Relief, Quick ‘high’ feeling, Easy to regulate dosage, Inexpensive, Minimally Processed, Multiple ways to smoke for comfort, discretion and dosage delivery.

Cons: Can be harmful to lungs/respiratory system, Not a good option for those with lung problems, Smell of smoke sticks to people/place

Vaporizing (Flower/Concentrates/Oil Cartridges)

Effects: Felt Immediately, can last up to 2 hours

Pros: Lighter and Clearer effects, Oils for vaping can have high levels of THC, portable vaporizers discreet, vaping flower can produce more taste and enjoyable experience, minimal smoke smell, cleaner and healthier way to consume cannabis, provides instant relief, does not impact lungs like smoking, vaping units can be inexpensive

Cons: lighter effects can mean weaker effects to some, not cleaning a dry leaf unit can result in it getting very dirty, vaping units can be expensive, vaping units requiring charging and heat time

Inhalation Dabbing/Concentrates (Concentrates)

Effects: Felt Immediately, very strong high, can provide relief for those with higher tolerances

Pros: Effects felt immediately, use of concentrate provides strong immediate relief, good for those seeking a strong high, strong taste and aroma, Potent, extraction method can result in high purity, different types of concentrates give users various methods to consume

Cons: For experienced users, Can overwhelm a novice, can be a complicated process, can cause your tolerance to rise,

Edibles

Pros: Long Lasting Effects, long-lasting relief, good alternative for those who can’t/won’t smoke, can be a tasty treat, dosage can be very precise

Cons: Dosage can be off if made by a novice, Edibles take half an hour to several hours to kick in which may lead to overconsumption, the high is different than smoking

Ingestible Oil (Sublingual/RSO)

Pros: Several methods of consumption, great for those who don’t like smoking, preferred method for treating children, easy to store, discrete, facilitates proper doses, effects last longer than smoking

Cons: If it contains high levels of THC a novice may experience unwanted effects, can be expensive depending on potency

Tincture (Alcohol Based)

Pros: Discrete, Fast Acting, Long lasting effects, accurate dosing, long shelf life, good option for consumers who don’t smoke, good option for seniors or children

Cons: May have an unpleasant taste, a tincture with high thc may have unwanted effects on a novice, uses alcohol for extraction may be an unwanted ingredient by some consumers