Edibles vs. Smoking: How They Enter Your System
The majority of people who have tried smoking or vaping as well as edibles will tell you that there is a key difference between their effects. It isn’t that it always feels that different, but there is absolutely a difference between how the different mediums hit the user. When you smoke, chances are you will feel some effects immediately. Edibles, on the other hand, can leave you wondering if you took anything at all. In this article, we are going to explore the difference between how THC enters your system through these two different methods.
What Is The Difference Between These Two?
When you use these two mediums, the initial differences are easy to see. Smoking or vaping relies on inhaling cannabis, and consequently, THC. Edibles, on the other hand, are ingested and enter your body through your stomach. This is often seen in foods, candies, or drinks. Some edibles are even made to dissolve in your mouth and enter your body that way through areas under your tongue in addition to your intestines. However, in most cases, edibles will take the THC to your intestines and go from there.
How Does The Body Process Smoking?
Smoking is known to produce immediate effects because of how quickly it enters your bloodstream. The human body has a very detailed system within the lungs that allows certain elements to be absorbed and dumped directly into our bloodstream. This is how our breathing works. We inhale, oxygen molecules are absorbed through a barrier, and then they are added directly to our bloodstream where they can be carried throughout the body. Our blood travels incredibly quickly, making it easy for THC and other compounds to be carried throughout the body and into the brain in record time. This is why you feel the effects of cannabis the second you smoke or vape it.
How Does The Body Process Edibles?
Edibles, on the other hand, are known to hit the body differently. These take more time to kick in because they are not reaching your bloodstream immediately like they are when you smoke. Instead, they have to pass through a range of organs and systems before they are able to reach your bloodstream. The result of this is that many people find edibles kick in as late as two hours after consumption. However, modern edible creators are working hard to make quick release edibles that have a faster onset.
When you consume cannabis, it begins by traveling into your stomach. This is where your body will break down the food or drink that you took to carry in the cannabis. After this, the THC will be carried to the liver of your body. Your liver is responsible for breaking down and processing certain components. It is from the liver that THC will be carried into the bloodstream. As soon as it hits the bloodstream, it will mirror the path of THC taken in from smoking, though from a separate part of the body. It is important to note that due to the way that the body processes THC through the liver, it can actually be stronger and offer a more intense high.
Conclusion
Even though all cannabis products that are built around THC will have certain effects, the main difference between the two mediums is how quickly they enter and exit the system. Since smoking kicks in faster, it also leaves faster. Additionally, the added intensity of edibles is known to linger, and can actually kick in more substantially over time. For this reason, it is important to be aware of how both interact with your body before making any plans.
