#420OHIO
Why Is Smoking Still The Preference For Cannabis Users?
It may not be the healthiest method, nor is it the best for medical marijuana patients, but here's why so my cannabis users still love smoking.
Smoking cannabis dates back literally thousands of years, almost to early homo sapiens. It would seem that even the most primitive versions of ourselves enjoyed sitting around a fire and blazing up with some relaxing cannabis.
But modern innovations have changed the cannabis game. Where smoking was once one of the only methods to using cannabis, now there are literally dozens of different administration methods, from edibles to vaping, oils, tinctures and creams to name a few.
So why is smoking cannabis still the preferred method for medical marijuana and recreational marijuana users? And will that change anytime soon? #420Ohio takes a deeper look at why this trend has continued for centuries.
Ohio’s Smoking Ban
The Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program and Ohio law prohibits patients from buying or using cannabis products intended for smoking medical marijuana. This restriction also applies to cultivators, processors and Ohio medical marijuana dispensaries.
Any Ohio medical marijuana patient that enters a dispensary in the Buckeye State will not be able to purchase smoking products. No rolling papers, pre-rolled joints, pipes or bongs. Nothing. A patient could still enter a head shop or smoke shop and buy these items. But authorized state medical marijuana dispensaries are restricted.
Even some select vaping devices fall under the state’s restrictions, as the heating element in the vaporizer could (theoretically) combust the cannabis inside. While such a thing is pretty ludicrous, it prevents dispensaries from selling certain vaporizers.
The Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program and Ohio law prohibits patients from buying or using cannabis products intended for smoking medical marijuana. This restriction also applies to cultivators, processors and Ohio medical marijuana dispensaries.
Any Ohio medical marijuana patient that enters a dispensary in the Buckeye State will not be able to purchase smoking products. No rolling papers, pre-rolled joints, pipes or bongs. Nothing. A patient could still enter a head shop or smoke shop and buy these items. But authorized state medical marijuana dispensaries are restricted.
Even some select vaping devices fall under the state’s restrictions, as the heating element in the vaporizer could (theoretically) combust the cannabis inside. While such a thing is pretty ludicrous, it prevents dispensaries from selling certain vaporizers.
Can an Ohio Medical Marijuana Patient Actually Smoke Cannabis?
Unless you live with federal or Ohio law enforcement or drug enforcement agents, you are flagrantly smoking cannabis in public, or you are regularly inspected by law enforcement or a government official, there’s little way of enforcing Ohio’s smoking ban.
The state doesn’t have some kind of established smoking test they can use. Nor can they easily enter a patient’s house and search for smoking paraphernalia.
Taking such drastic measures would require legal authorization. Such authorization would take time and money to deliver. More time and money than is worth it in most cases.
Unless you find yourself in one of those situations, you’re probably safe to smoke cannabis. But is smoking really the best way to medicate with medical marijuana?
Smoking vs Other Cannabis Consumption Methods
Smoking, in general, can be harmful to your lungs. It can lead to persistent coughing, weak lungs and other chronic health issues. Cannabis often burns too fast, which means that many of the active chemical compounds are lost or minialized once combusted.
There are many patients who offer anecdotal evidence that smoking benefits them more than other administration methods for cannabis. But there’s little scientific evidence to support smoking cannabis over other, safer methods.
Vaping or edibles, for example, can often be healthier alternatives to smoking. Topical creams are also an option, as well as oils, tinctures and even patches. And many of these methods deliver cannabis to the area in need, contain more concentrated doses, or produce stronger effects in the body.
Old Habits Die Hard
So why do so many patients and recreational cannabis users STILL prefer smoking? It likely boils down to three factors…
Cost
Let’s face it, Ohio medical marijuana is already expensive enough! Add a $50-200 vaporizer on top of that and you’re looking at hundreds spent before you even get to medicate.
But rolling papers are inexpensive. And bowls can be purchased for less than $20. This makes smoking cannabis an economical solution for many Ohio MMJ patients living on a fixed income.
Habit
Like exercise in the morning, smoking cannabis can easily become part of anyone’s regular routine. Many cannabis users over the age of 30 mostly remember smoking reefer rather than vaping or eating it.
Smoking cannabis feels safe and comfortable for some patients. It delivers the right mixture of active chemical compounds and provides a pleasurable experience along the way.
Relaxation
Many cannabis users credit marijuana for tempering their anxiety. And like a cup of coffee can often have a relaxing effect on the body, so too can cannabis. The act of smoking, like sipping fresh-brewed coffee, delivers a rush of chemicals in the brain that yield a state of euphoria, comfort and relaxation.
For patients struggling with anxiety, smoking can often be a kind of cure for this very reason. While there are other methods that can prove just a successful, patients sometimes prefer what’s easy and proven to them. And smoking delivers just that.
Will Cannabis Users Ever Switch Preferences?
Change is coming, that’s for sure!
Patients are beginning to lean toward vaping cannabis oil or active resin. And soon, this method might just become as popular or more popular than smoking that sticky reefer.
This method is cleaner on the lungs, and far more conspicuous. It smells better. Tastes better. It’s cheaper, too (vape pens cost around $20-50).
The oil cartridges themselves last a while and cost less than most dry flower cannabis. And because there’s a thick vapor, many smokers find this method fairly akin to smoking.
Even better is that the oil doesn’t necessary yield an intense psychoactive effect from the THC. This means a more mellow, relaxing experience with cannabis oils. New patients can ease their way into proper dosing, and get the most out of their medical marijuana.
Alas, Ohio dispensaries don’t yet have oil cartridges as their regulations are currently hampering sales. However, cannabis oil can be purchased from Ohio medical marijuana dispensaries.
Smoking Will Never Die
Just because vaping oil is slowly beginning to become a new and exciting trend among cannabis patients and recreational marijuana users doesn’t mean that smoking is going away. Hardly!
Smoking cannabis is a ritual almost as old as humanity itself. And though it may not be the best method for medical cannabis delivery, it’s still a beloved pastime for millions of cannabis users across this beautiful planet. There’s no force on earth, be it law enforcement or government bureaucrats, who are going to stop that. And long as mankind has the ability to make fire, we’re gonna burn stuff.
Cannabis included.
What are you thoughts on smoking cannabis? Let us know in the comments below!
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[…] not going to stop patients from smoking cannabis in private. We’ve already talked about how unenforceable the smoking ban is in Ohio. And that’s to say nothing for the patients who find that smoking, and only smoking, […]