Medical Marijuana – “Inhalation Edition”
When we think of marijuana usage, we automatically think of people smoking it. The entertainment industry portrays Cheech and Chong or That 70s Show gang as the typical marijuana user who smokes to enjoy the recreational effects of marijuana. While that was the case previously, now that marijuana usage is legal in Massachusetts (and other states) recreationally and medically, those stereotypes are no longer accurate.
Marijuana has numerous medical benefits for which you can receive a medical marijuana card and has proven its efficacy for conditions for conditions such as:
- AIDS and HIV
- Arthritis
- Back pain
- Cancer
- PTSD and post-traumatic pain
- Autoimmune disorders
- Glaucoma
- Chronic pain
Whether you use it medically or recreationally, there are numerous ways to ingest marijuana, including smoking through various mediums and vaping.
Smoking Marijuana
Those who use marijuana recreationally or medicinally find that smoking it has a more immediate effect than using an edible. Some common ways of smoking marijuana are:
- Rolling papers
- Bong
- Pipe
- Blunt
Using rolling papers to make a cigarette is quite a frequent practice. Others chose to inhale marijuana products through a bong, either purchased or homemade. A gravity or water bong, for example, uses the function of gravity and the weight of water (or sometimes even another liquid) to pull marijuana smoke into the bong’s chamber from which it can be inhaled.
Smoking from a pipe is self-explanatory, while smoking a blunt involves hollowing out a cigar and mixing marijuana and tobacco, restuffing the cigar, and ingesting cannabis that way.
A Newer Way of Inhaling A Cannabis Product
While smoking marijuana is a widely known way of consuming it, there is concern among some researchers that smoking it, like smoking tobacco, can lead to lung problems, including Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease or COPD, or even to lung cancer. We also know that if a person smokes a lot of marijuana, it will cause bronchitis.
For either medical or recreational marijuana users who prefer to inhale their product another way, vaping or vaporizing is another option. Benefits to vaping may include:
- Less product waste
- No secondhand smoke emanates from it
- The user receives a more controlled dosage
- They are easy to use
- Decrease in bronchitis, wheezing, coughing, and mucous production compared to smoking flower
- Fewer toxins
- Generates less carbon monoxide
- Much cleaner
Smoking Marijuana vs. Using an Edible
Marijuana users find that smoking the product furnishes a quick onset of its effects. Smoking or vaping provides almost immediate effects, with the peak effect occurring about 20 to 30 minutes after ingestion compared to edibles, which may take 30 to 90 minutes to become effective in the user’s body.
If you are seeking Medical Marijuana, Canna Card Express Can Help!
Canna Card Express can help certify you for medical cannabis and help guide you on how to incorporate cannabis into your wellness routine. Canna Card Express is owned and operated by a MA state-approved medical marijuana licensed nurse practitioner who has dedicated her life to supporting patients with acute pain and chronic conditions, who are seeking alternative therapies in their health journey.
We can be reached by phone at 508-817-9300 or emailed at info@cannacardexpress.com. Make an appointment today with our nurse practitioner to be guided through the medical marijuana program in MA.
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