How to use cannabis

Today, there are many ways to consume cannabis, far beyond the traditional joint. Each method has its advantages and disadvantages, and meets different needs: speed of action, discretion, respiratory health, precise dosage or aromatic quality. Here's a complete overview.

Method comparison table

Smoking cannabis

Combustion, in seal, blunt, pipe or bang, is still the most widespread method of consumption in France. Cannabis is burnt at between 800 and 900°C, releasing the cannabinoids rapidly into the bloodstream via the lungs. The effect is almost immediate (2 to 5 minutes), but combustion produces carbon monoxide, tar and carcinogens, the same as in cigarettes.

Choosing the right filter (toncar, glass filter, activated carbon) enhances the experience and marginally reduces exposure to toxins. The water pipe (bang) filters out some of the particles, but not the toxic gases.

Vaporization

The vaporization heats the cannabis to between 160 and 220°C, below the combustion point, releasing the cannabinoids and the terpenes without producing tar or carbon monoxide. This is the method recommended by health professionals for medical cannabis patients.

Temperature plays a key role: low (160-175°C) for light, aromatic effects, high (185-210°C) for more intense effects. A good portable vaporizer costs between €80 and €250, an investment that pays for itself in significantly reduced cannabis consumption.

Dabbing

The dabbing is the vaporization of concentrates (shatter, rosin, bubble hash...) on a banger heated with a torch or a e-nail. With concentrates containing 60 to 90% of THC, the effects are very powerful and almost immediate, a method reserved for experienced users.

The low temp dab (300-380°C with carb cap) is the recommended method for preserving the aromatic profile of concentrates.

Edibles (infused foods)

Brownies, cookies, candies, drinks, capsules: the edibles is cannabis ingested orally. Cannabis must first be decarboxylated to activate THCA into THC.

The onset is slow (30 to 90 minutes) but the effects are long-lasting (4 to 8 hours) and often more intense: the liver transforms THC into 11-OH-THC, a metabolite 2 to 3 times more potent. Start with a low dose (5mg THC) and wait 90 minutes before reconsuming. The first mistake beginners make is to re-dose too soon.

Sublingual tincture

The cannabis tincture (Green Dragon) is an alcoholic extract administered under the tongue. Absorption through the sublingual mucosa allows direct passage into the bloodstream, faster than a swallowed edible (10 to 45 minutes) but without producing the amplified effects of 11-OH-THC. This is the reference method for oral medical cannabis: precise dosage in millilitres, total discretion, long shelf-life (1 to 5 years).

Raw cannabis juice

The juice of raw cannabis mainly contains THCA, the non-psychoactive acid form of THC, as well as CBDA. Without decarboxylation, it produces no psychoactive effects, but has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and neuroprotective properties typical of acid cannabinoids. This is a niche method, but one that is being developed for patients seeking therapeutic benefits without intoxication.

Topicals and creams

The topical (creams, balms, transdermal patches) enable cannabinoids to be absorbed through the skin. Creams and balms act locally to relieve joint or muscle pain, with no systemic or psychoactive effects. Transdermal patches deliver cannabinoids continuously into the bloodstream and can produce systemic effects, depending on their composition.

Microdosing

The microdosing consists of consuming very small quantities of cannabis (1 to 2.5mg THC) to benefit from its subtle therapeutic effects (anxiety reduction, improved concentration, mild analgesia) without the marked psychoactive effects of a standard dose.

Mainly practiced with vaporizers or tinctures that allow precise dosing, or even gummies, microdosing is growing rapidly on the legal markets, particularly among professionals looking to integrate cannabis into their daily lives without impairing their abilities. The basic rule: start low, build up slowly, and keep a diary of doses and effects.