Among all the consumption methods that exist for cannabis, there are basically two categories that everything falls under – inhalation and ingestion. These are two separate ways to consume that offer different effects. So what if you wanted to combine the two types of consumption, as in, mixing edibles with smoking a joint? What would happen?
Smoking Vs. Edibles
When you smoke cannabis, the effects are pretty much instantaneous and will last for a few hours. Ingesting cannabis is a different story. Ingested cannabis can take between 30 minutes and 2 hours to kick in and you can expect to be impaired for up to 12 hours.
This difference in effects comes down to how the cannabinoids are absorbed and metabolized by your body. Inhalation pretty much puts THC and other cannabinoids straight into your bloodstream via absorption through your lungs. Ingesting means the cannabinoids must pass through your digestive tract and be metabolized by the liver before you feel the effects.
Something you need to remember though is that everyone reacts to cannabis differently. While your friend might feel the effects quickly, you may not feel the same effects until 30 minutes later. The way cannabis interacts with your body is dependent on many things, like your age, body type, metabolism, and even what you’ve eaten that day.
With cannabis, there really isn’t a one size fits all dose which means that to consume weed safely you need to start with low doses and work your way up to your comfort level.
Can I mix edibles with smoking joints?
The simple answer is yes. You can mix ingestion and inhalation. But, there are a couple of things to take into account.
1 – Inhaling and ingesting will offer different effects
The effects of ingested cannabis can differ from the effects of inhaled cannabis. This is because, when ingested, your body metabolizes the cannabinoids and turns THC into 11-Hydroxy-THC. When the original THC and 11-Hydroxy-THC are combined, they produce a much stronger high than just THC alone. This could mean that if you inhale and ingest within the same session, you won’t feel the same effects stronger, you’ll actually feel two different sets of effects.
2 – Inhaling and ingesting have different onset times and high durations
Smoking or vaping will produce effects almost immediately. The effects from ingesting can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours to fully kick in. The high from inhaling also has a far shorter duration than that from eating edibles, up to 6 hours. The effects from edibles, however, can last for up to 12 hours. Because of the differences in onset and duration, you may experience an overlap in effects with different durations.
If you do intend on smoking cannabis and consuming edibles in the same session, and you want the effects to end around the same time, it makes sense to consume the edibles first. Not only because they have a longer onset time, but also because this will let you know how high that product is going to make you. If you feel you can handle more, then you can slowly introduce inhaled cannabis. Remember to start low and go slow, especially when consuming different formats at once. You can always increase your intake, but you can never lower your high.
Mixing edibles with smoking cannabis can be done together but you need to monitor how you feel while you do. As with any type of cannabis consumption, if you aren’t sure how you’ll be affected, start slow and wait until you know if you can handle more.
*NOTE: This post is intended for entertainment and leisurely reading only. Do not use this information as medical information or scientific fact.