Oral Ingestion Or Sublingual Drops: What’s The Best Way To Consume Marijuana?

Smoking is the oldest and most common form of cannabis use, with grinding, rolling, and lighting joints being social rituals in cannabis culture. However, not every cannabis user is satisfied with smoking, which requires the need for other forms of consumption.

Two of the most popular alternatives to smoking cannabis are oral ingestion and sublingual ingestion. While both methods of ingestion involve the mouth, they have many differences. This article will tell you everything you need to know about oral and sublingual ingestion of cannabis, as well as the best method of ingestion for you.

Photo by SageElyse / Getty Images

What is the oral ingestion of cannabis?

When cannabis is taken orally, the product is consumed in the form of an edible. It includes drinking, eating cannabinoid-infused food, and popping cannabinoid capsules. Edible cannabis can come in the form of cannabis juices, marijuana cookies and cakes, gummy candies, pizza, and coffee.

Regardless of the form it takes, cannabis ingested orally enters the stomach, where it is metabolized before entering the bloodstream. Because of the metabolic process that edible foods go through, cannabis ingested orally has a longer duration of action than any other form of consumption. In the body system, the liver converts the THC contained in cannabis into 11-hydroxy-THC, which is a very powerful metabolic by-product with great psychotropic effects.

Features of oral ingestion of cannabis

High potency: The effects of orally ingested cannabis are quite powerful, as 11-hydroxy-THC has a more intense effect than other forms of THC. This means that you are experiencing that hard-hitting and satisfying high. For this reason, some people address the consumption of edibles.

Longer Onset: Edibles usually take a while to get into the bloodstream, which explains why it takes longer to hit. Once consumed, the food goes through a metabolism that travels through your intestines and liver. This longer onset appeals to some people as building up to high alone provides a different thrill. Orally consumed cannabis usually takes up to 90 minutes or more to work, giving you plenty of time to calm down.

Long Duration: Edibles not only take longer to set in, but also provide a longer duration of the high. This is due to the potency of 11-hydroxy-THC when it enters the bloodstream. The effects of orally consumed cannabis usually last between six and eight hours. The way it works, enjoy three hours of maximum concentration, followed by a few hours of less intensity.

Photo by Elsa Olofsson via Unsplash

What is Sublingual Cannabis Ingestion?

Sublingual absorption is the absorption of substances by placing them under the tongue. In sublingual cannabis ingestion, cannabis is placed under your tongue in the form of oil, extracts, tincture, or strips so it can enter your bloodstream directly.

The reason these substances need to be placed under the tongue rather than swallowed is because a collection of capillaries is connected to the arterial system under the tongue. As a result, this serves a route that allows cannabinoids quick access to the bloodstream. Because of this entry into the bloodstream, sublingual ingestion is not metabolized. This results in a faster onset than taking cannabis orally.

Features of taking sublingual cannabis

Quick start: Sublingual ingestion of cannabis has a similar start to smoking and vaping. Due to the direct access to the bloodstream, cannabis ingested in this way unfolds within minutes.

Controlled Effect: The effect of sublingual cannabis products is controlled in the sense that the THC is not broken down into a stronger form. This is because the cannabis doesn’t come in contact with your liver, which it can convert to 11-hydroxy-THC. This means that with sublingual cannabis products, you will get a high equal to the amount you ingested.

RELATED: CBD Vaping – What’s the Difference Between CBD E-Liquid and CBD Oil?

Short duration: Compared to orally consumed cannabis, the psychotropic experience of sublingual cannabis lasts for a shorter duration. The high obtained from this usually lasts about an hour or two. With sublingual cannabis, you can enjoy your high for a few hours and carry on for the rest of the day.

Photo by Margo Amala via Unsplash

Similarities Between Sublingual Cannabis and Orally Consumed Cannabis

By mouth: In both methods, the cannabis is taken by mouth. While oral ingestion involves eating, drinking, and swallowing cannabis, sublingual consumption consists of placing it under the tongue for quick absorption into the bloodstream.

RELATED: How Long Does Your Marijuana High Last? What researchers are doing wrong

Discretion: The two methods are very discreet and can be consumed without the restrictions of smoking. You can take both of these with you on a trip home, and the effects will kick in as soon as you get to your seat. For cannabis enthusiasts with health concerns, either of these methods are a better alternative to smoking.

Dual functionality: Both methods of consumption are effective for both recreational and medicinal purposes.

Differences between sublingual cannabis and cannabis consumed orally

The differences between these two methods of cannabis use can be seen in their properties.

Onset: The effects of sublingual cannabis set in within a few minutes due to its rapid absorption into the bloodstream. However, cannabis consumed orally takes between 60 and 90 minutes before it begins to work due to the longer route.

RELATED: The Most Popular Marijuana Use Methods

Duration: The high produced by orally consumed cannabis lasts longer than sublingual cannabis. While cannabis consumed orally will keep you high for up to eight hours, sublingual cannabis will only last an hour or two.

Intensity: Due to the metabolic process it goes through in the body, the effects of oral ingestion are quite intense. Sublingual cannabis does not give such intensity as the experience is quite similar to the effects of smoking cannabis.

Comparing oral ingestion of cannabis and sublingual ingestion is not a case of which is better or worse; Rather, it is about the experience you want to have at that point in time. If you’re looking for a quick high that quickly subsides, sublingual cannabis is your best bet. For a slower high that gives you a healthy experience, oral cannabis does the job.

This article originally appeared on Cannabis.net and was republished with permission.