5 Reasons to Go Smokeless with Your Cannabis Habit Right Now
These days, more than ever, there’s never been a more crucial time to keep our immune systems running smoothly and maintain healthy habits. With death and illness looming over many of us, it’s up to us to stay vigilant and mindful of the way we treat our bodies. As such, ensuring a healthy diet and foregoing harmful habits may be the best route we can take for ourselves during this time, and that includes replacing some habits like smoking with safer, less harmful alternatives.
Thankfully, these days, there’s a variety of new as well as tried and tested methods of consuming cannabis, from edibles to tinctures, and best of all, they won’t put a strain on your lungs like smoking does.
Still need more convincing? Here are five reasons you should go smokeless.
1. It puts you at higher risk for infection - According to one study, cigarette smoking has been linked to a higher possibility of COVID-19 infection. In addition, when infected, smokers are more likely to have severe symptoms and are 2.4 times more likely to be admitted to an ICU, need mechanical ventilation, or die compared to non-smokers. While the study does focus on cigarette smoking and not marijuana, this situation is uncharted territory, and the best thing right now is to play it safe. Why put yourself at more risk when there are other safer methods?
2. It’s rough on the lungs - While it may not be as harmful to the lungs as smoking tobacco can be, according to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, long-term cannabis smoking has been linked to more frequent bouts of chronic bronchitis, serious coughs and wheezing. Inhaling any type of smoke will put undue stress on your lungs, which is the last thing you want when you’re trying not to get sick. Now might be the time to give your lungs a much-needed break and switch over to a method that’s decidedly gentler on your body.
3. Variety’s the spice of life - Like many people, your first experience with cannabis most likely involved a joint or a pipe. But just because your first experience with it involved smoking, doesn’t mean you need to stick with it. You might be missing out on other better methods that may be more suited to you and your lifestyle. Even if smoking is your preferred method, it’s good to break up your routine every once in a while. Here are some methods you might want to look into:
- Edibles - Cannabis-infused foods are made through the process of decarboxylation where cannabis is heated in order to convert its THCA (non-psychoactive) into THC. This can be done by heating raw marijuana buds in an oven or heating it with butter to make canna-butter, which you can then use to make brownies, cookies, or savory dishes like pasta - the sky’s the limit.
- Tinctures - Tinctures are alcohol-based extracts that are made using high-proof, food-grade alcohol (like Everclear). The cannabis is first decarboxylated and then mixed with the alcohol and then infused for several weeks, after which the mixture is strained through a filter. Tinctures high concentrates of THC so a little goes a long way.
- Topicals - These include cannabis-infused balms, lotions, and salves that are absorbed through the skin to treat inflammation, soreness, and pain. You can make them by combining full extract cannabis oil (whether THC or CBD, or a combination of both) with olive oil, liquid sunflower lecithin, and essential oils. Combine and heat in a pot and then keep in a bottle in the fridge to let set.
4. It’s non-intrusive - If you live with other people, marijuana smoke can be a nuisance. It’s incredibly pungent and the smell can stick to clothes and furniture. With smokeless options, you can guarantee you won’t be disturbing anyone who, unlike you, may not partake. It’s also safer around children or other people who may be at-risk right now.
5. Making your own edibles can be fun - The best part about edibles is it’s easy enough to make your own, and with quarantine in full swing (and no end in sight), making your own edibles, tinctures, or topicals can be a much-needed distraction from the monotony of sheltering-in-place. You also don’t need that many ingredients to make your own. Many of them you may even already have in your home. You can also stretch the shelf-life of your stash through edibles, which may provide more potent highs compared to smoking. Just make sure to start small and build from there. Edibles can be tricky to dose, but once you get the hang of it, there are endless possibilities.
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