What to Do With THC Oil (Besides Vape)

As the number of cases of mysterious lung issues climbs, more and more people are becoming uncomfortable with the idea of vaping. It doesn’t matter whether you have been a die-hard vape enthusiast for a decade or whether you hit the Juul only on occasion; it might be best to take a vape break while the medical community and local governments decide how best to react to growing health concerns.

Fortunately, that doesn’t mean you need to skip getting high entirely. THC oil is advantageous to bud because it is a more concentrated hit of the cannabinoids you crave — plus, it is wondrously adaptable, giving you more power over how you consume. You can gracefully retire your vape pen for a few months (or forever) while you try out some of these other ways to enjoy THC.

Sublingual

According to many experts, sublingual administration of cannabis oils is by far the fastest and most effective way to get cannabinoids into your system. “Sublingual” means below the tongue, where you drop or dissolve the oil for it to seep into the tissues at the floor of your mouth; it is an effective method of dosing all sorts of medication that needs to get into your system fast, like anti-seizure drugs or aspirin during a heart attack. That’s because the tissues below your tongue are thin mucous membranes filled with capillaries which can transport the drug directly where you want it to go. It also means a greater percentage of the drug gets absorbed into the bloodstream, which isn’t true of smoking or ingesting, where much of the drug can get filtered out.

For this reason, it is wise to be exceedingly careful with dosage when taking THC oil sublingually. Though fatal overdose from marijuana is rare (though possible), it is incredibly easy to find patients in emergency rooms suffering from unbearably intense symptoms of high levels of THC, such as panic attack, rapid heart rate and unrelenting nausea. THC drops increase the likelihood of overdose because they are so concentrated, so it is best to go slow. Start with a single, small drop — about 1 milligram or 0.2 milliliters — and wait four hours to understand how the dose fully affects you. Over time, you can increase the dose, but it is not recommended to go above 5 milligrams in a single dose or about 30 milligrams of THC (total) per day.

Capsule

Unlike sublingual administration, capsules enter the body like any other ingestible. They need to be broken down in the stomach and intestines and travel through the liver’s filtration system before reaching your bloodstream, which means there can be some delay in your high. However, capsules also all but guarantee a regular dose of THC, which can be advantageous if you are using THC or another cannabis oil for medical purposes. Plus, capsules allow the slower high of ingestibles without the extra calories of edible cannabis treats, like brownies or gummies.

You can purchase cannabis oil capsules at nearly any retailer that sells THC oils, but it can be rewarding to make capsules yourself. For one, DIY gives you complete control over the quality and dosage of your capsules. For another, it can be cheaper to buy the oil and capsule fixings separately. You can find a few different methods of creating your own capsules, most of which require a cooking oil, like coconut oil, as well as measuring equipment and assembly tools. It is important to follow the directions properly, especially during your first attempt, so you don’t endanger your health with dangerous materials or practices.

Edible

Easily the most well-known method of using THC oil — besides vaping, perhaps — is by cooking or baking the oil into some form of food. In truth, you can add THC oil to almost everything you cook, but you should be wary of how the taste of the oil might affect your dish. While cannabis oils can carry different flavors, depending on its refinement and potency, it is usually earthy and a bit bitter. That’s why powerful flavors, like chocolate, are commonly found in edibles; they are effective at covering up the sometimes off-putting cannabis taste. You might start your culinary cannabis experiments with standard recipes, like brownies, chocolate-covered bananas and cereal treats, but you should feel free to get creative as your THC cooking skill grows.

You don’t have to give up smoking and vaping entirely — in fact, as long as you are getting your oils from a trustworthy source, you probably don’t need to give these practices up at all. However, if you want to try a new way to experience the joys of THC, it doesn’t hurt to get your hands on some quality oil and experiment with sublingual dosing, capsules and homemade edibles.