An easy way to use cannabis and medical marijuana

Gone are the days of smoking cans and vegetables (hopefully). Weed enthusiasts have constantly improved methods of consuming cannabis, pouring water up their pipes, using decarboxylation (baking cannabis as opposed to burning it) to vaporize or even eat cannabis, extracting cannabinoids from weed to create highly potent oils and concentrates , and many more more. While smoking is still the most popular, vaping, edibles, beverages and more are growing in popularity. With all of this innovation, one form of cannabis is often overlooked: sublingual products.

Smoking is the oldest and most common way of consuming cannabis, with grinding, rolling and lighting the joints being social rituals in cannabis culture. However, not every cannabis user is comfortable with smoking, necessitating the need for other ways of consumption. And if you have esophageal problems, this could be the answer for you.

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Sublingual refers to products intended to be applied under the tongue. Some of these products include oils, tinctures, tablets, sprays, or quick-dissolving strips, all intended to be placed under the tongue for absorption. But if I put it in my mouth, why not just eat something edible?

Well, the answer lies in how our bodies absorb cannabinoids. The purpose of a sublingual tablet is for it to sit in your mouth, allowing the active ingredients (like THC) to pass through the membranes in your mouth and go directly into your bloodstream. This is in contrast to typical edibles and oral cannabis products, which must be absorbed by your digestive tract before being processed by your liver. This means that sublingual therapy can avoid your digestive tract and liver entirely, which usually results in a much quicker onset. Additionally, some consumers experience difficulty processing cannabis edibles and therefore experience little to no effect—a tragedy that can usually be avoided with a sublingual device.

RELATED: Study: Cannabinoids (THC/CBD) beat opioids in treating chronic pain

Compared to orally consumed or smoked cannabis, the psychotropic experience of sublingual cannabis is shorter-lasting. The high you get from it usually lasts for about an hour or two. With sublingual cannabis, you can enjoy your high for a few hours and continue with the rest of the day. This makes it popular with medical marijuana and wellness communities.

The National Institutes of Health state that treating pain with sublingually administered cannabis extracts is preferred by many physicians as it is believed to be easier to obtain from pharmacies and consume. Sublingual administration could also have the benefit of a more consistent dosing regimen while avoiding the adverse effects of smoking

RELATED: Cannabis basics: 8 ways to enjoy marijuana without smoking

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A sublingual tablet is also usually easy to dose using a dropper, tablet, spray or strip. This means you can more easily control the effects you want, feel the effects faster, get more consistent results, and avoid unnecessary calories or lung damage. These benefits have prompted many medical consumers to try sublingual products, with many of those consumers completely preferring them. With most cannabis consumers using weed primarily for health and wellness, we can’t help but ask the question: are sublingual products the future of cannabis?