The most common ways to consume cannabis without smoking it

Even though cannabis products have gained traction recently, they have been consumed for millennia thanks to their health benefits. The ways it was used differed, though. In popular culture, consuming cannabis has become synonymous with smoking it. There are different ways to consume it this way, whether you choose to roll your cannabis into a tobacco wrap, cigar, or rolling paper. However, not everyone likes rolled-up cannabis or mixing cannabis with tobacco.

Cannabis is rising in popularity and becoming prevalent in the several states and countries that have legalized its consumption. As studies show, cannabis sales are expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of approximately 13%, reaching $44 billion in 2026. With this growing trend, more and more related products emerge on the market that provide the same alleged healing properties and pleasant effects. If you’re seeking alternative ways to use cannabis besides smoking, you have several options, among which the most common and effective are the following.

Drinkables

Beverages are at the core of every celebration and gathering, so it’s no wonder cannabis drinks are rising in popularity. Increasingly more people are willing to replace their alcoholic beverage with one that contains cannabis, as for some, it represents a better alternative that provides the desired effects, including relaxation and a sense of euphoria.

While cannabis drinks are gaining traction in the states where they’re legal, it’s hard to overlook that options are limited at the dispensary. For more freedom of choice and diversity, cannabis enthusiasts use their cooking skills to prepare their recipes at home. The internet abounds with drink recipes with flowers or seeds, ranging from low to high complexity, spanning different options depending on what you have on hand. You can prepare smoothies, milkshakes, teas, and more, using homemade powder made from cannabis seeds. Opting for seeds cannabis is a great way to reap maximum benefits from your beverage, as these are rife with valuable nutrients such as iron, vitamins, fatty acids, calcium, and protein. You have a wide selection of offerings to choose from, depending on aspects such as the amount of CBD or THC you want them to contain. Preparing drinks can be an exciting endeavor because the recipes you find are not set in stone, and you can make different adjustments to your liking. 

Edibles

Edibles are known to be among the most powerful forms of cannabis because the liver and stomach convert the tetrahydrocannabinol into 11-hydroxy-THC, a more potent form whose effects can also persist a little longer compared to dabs and vapes. Before entering the bloodstream and brain, edible cannabis gets from the digestive system to the liver, which metabolizes the tetrahydrocannabinol into a more potent form that boosts the intensity of the high. Due to this reason, it can take more for the effects to kick in compared to smoking, which usually takes a few minutes to set in.

As you may already know, eating edibles has quickly become a popular way to reap the benefits of cannabis. These represent any drink or food made with cannabinoids, the compounds in the plant that are used for their recreational and medicinal effects. One of the reasons why they’re among the most common ways to consume cannabis is that they’re discreet, can be prepared at home, and take various forms, like chocolate, brownies, baked goods, tea, and cannabis-infused butter.

The internet abounds with recipes with cannabis, whether you want to grind the seeds or buds, so if you’ve decided that edible consumption is your preferred way to go, you can opt for homemade goodies. You will find many ways to integrate your cannabis seeds into your cooking, including in pasta sauces or milk, which will last for more days if stored properly. While their nutritional benefits may not be the first thing you’re thinking of when preparing to cook your edibles, it’s worth noting that they have high nutritional value, abound in minerals like magnesium and zinc, and are a great source of plant-based protein.

Cannabis topicals

Even though they’ve recently started to enjoy increased recognition, cannabis topicals have been around for a while. Today, they’re witnessing mass adoption and come in various forms to suit different needs. Examples include but are not limited to gels, creams, oils, tinctures, pills, sprays, and vaporizers.

Because there’s such a wide variety of topicals, it’s overwhelming to try and test products until you find one that best serves your purposes, so you’ll likely want to know more about them in advance. Generally, they work by entering your cannabinoid receptors in the layers of your skin without accessing your bloodstream, like other cannabis products. Their effects aren’t seen on your entire body but only felt on the area where the topical is applied.

Among the most common sensations after applying the cannabis topical is relaxation around the specific area. Because of the blood barrier, you won’t get the typical spread or high from smoking or ingesting cannabis, which makes topicals a better choice for issues like inflammation or pain.

Before choosing your cannabis topicals, it would help to learn a little about your body’s endocannabinoid system. Scientists are researching the full range of the ECS’s functions in the organism. However, it’s already known that it helps regulate diverse processes, like memory, immune responses, digestion, appetite, pain, and sleep.

Powder

Cannabis powder resembles smoking in that you can expect the effects to kick in in minutes. The much quicker onset than other forms of consumption happens because using cannabis in water-soluble form makes your body metabolize the molecule faster. Powdered cannabis came as a response to the need of medical cannabis patients to take the valuable cannabinoids needed in other ways besides smoking or vaping. Thus, you can get powdered cannabis and use it in more forms, including homemade edibles, beverages, or even by filling empty capsules.

Cannabis powder is a relatively new product, but you can find increasingly more variety on the dispensaries’ shelves. They’re a good alternative to cannabis-infused oil, and both can be taken sublingually if you want a quicker onset. 

Today’s cannabis industry is constantly bringing to light new ways to consume cannabis that are healthier and more convenient than vaping and smoking. With such a wide variety of options, choosing your preferred method depends on how quickly you want the effects to kick in, how long you want them to last, and whether you prefer commercialized products or preparing your recipes at home.