With edibles and vapes, THC gets absorbed into the body in two different ways: either through your digestive system with edibles or through your lungs with vapes. Sounds easy, right, if not a little obvious? Well, sure it is. This part of your cannabis journey is pretty self-explanatory. But other things happen after these two diverging paths. Sugary-sweet edibles help you get loosey-goosey gradually, while vapes slingshot you to the Martians’ backyard in a matter of minutes, if not seconds.
THC edibles and THC vapes deliver the same velvety sweet vibes, but differently. They deliver different effects that last for a different amount of time. Oh, and they dose differently. One gummy ain’t equal to one puff off a vape.
Let’s dive into the differences, show you how to use THC edibles, how to use THC vapes, and how to get the most bang for your buck when it comes to timing your dose.
What Are THC Edibles?
Coming to you in a number of delicious ways, THC edibles have quite the range. From premeasured gummies to pourable, sip-able syrups, our suite of edibles lets you skip over cannabis’ funky flavors and dive headfirst into some sweet, sweet feels.
Gummies vs. Syrups
The main difference between THC gummies and THC syrups is how they’re taken. Gummies are premeasured chews packed with fruity flavors and a blend of cannabis-based cannabinoids. Each THC gummy comes with an exact dose of THC, letting you dial in just how lit you want the disco party to get.
On the other hand, dosing with syrups is going to take a steady hand to pour. One serving of our THC syrups is typically around one capful. You can take this serving straight up and enjoy its fruity wonder. Or, and this is a pro-tip, you can splash that serving into your favorite beverage, imbue that drink with that fruity wonder and electric feels, and sip your serving over time. This path lets you make your own THC drinks (also known as buzzed beverages): a wonderful concoction in the world of cannabis-infused edibles.
What Are THC Vapes?
Pocket-sized and puffable, THC vapes are personal vaporizers that carry up to two and a half grams of cannabis-infused vape juice. These products are super portable, letting you take the good times to go, whenever (and wherever) you need a little dash of euphoria (in a welcome space, of course).
Vape Pens vs. Carts
THC vape products come in two types: THC vape pens and THC vape cartridges. For starters, THC vape pens are an all-in-one vape device. They come with a rechargeable battery and a preloaded tank of vape juice. After you’ve reached your preferred cruising altitude, just pop that sucker on a USB-C charger, let it sit for a couple minutes, and enjoy up to 1400 puffs.
Compared to cannabis pens, THC vape cartridges carry one gram of vape juice and twist onto a 510-threaded vape battery. So, you’ll need to have a compatible vape battery handy if you want to try out all this decadent wonder.
The Path a THC Edible Takes
When you take a THC edible, regardless of whether it’s a gummy or syrup, the cannabinoids in that product travel through your digestive system. This path is a pretty tricky crucible to navigate—and it’s pretty time-consuming. Once the cannabis compounds pass through your digestive system, they reach your liver, where they’re welcomed with open arms and pass straight into your bloodstream. From here, the cannabinoids go on to engage your body’s endocannabinoid receptors and set the disco party in motion.
After the cannabinoids fully absorb through your body, their rip-roarin’, party-heavy effects start to wane, taking you back to planet Earth gently.
The Path a THC Vape Takes
But cannabinoids from THC vapes take a completely different absorption path. When you puff a THC vape, the cannabis compounds in that vapor filter directly into your bloodstream through your lungs, entering your system almost immediately. From here, they barrel toward your endocannabinoid receptors and flip the disco lights on in a matter of minutes, if not seconds.
Edibles vs. Vaping
So, as you may have already guessed, the two main differences between edibles and vapes are how fast the effects take to set in and how intense they feel. But why is that?
Bioavailability, Baby
Here, we’re going to get a little technical, a little science-y. And it all revolves around bioavailability, which is the amount of a substance that is absorbed into your system. But just bear with us. This is super important to understanding the difference between vaping THC and munching on THC edibles.
When you pop back a cannabis edible, its cannabis compounds have to wade through quite a few hurdles to deliver their fun-filled effects. Because of these hurdles, some cannabis compounds get lost along the way. So, your body won’t absorb each and every one of them. This means that edibles have a relatively lower bioavailability rate.
Vapes, on the other hand, have a relatively higher bioavailability rate. When you puff on a cannabis vape, the cannabinoids in that vapor have a VIP path to your bloodstream, so more of them get absorbed into your system.
Timeline for Effects
But, here’s the kicker: because cannabinoids from edibles absorb more slowly into your system, the effects from edibles last longer—like much longer. They just take an hour or two to set in. After taking a cannabis edible, you can expect its effects to linger for six to eight hours. Vapes take only a few minutes to deliver their good vibes, and these vibes only last for 30 minutes to two hours—a far cry from edibles.
What’d You Learn at Cannabis 101?
We just threw a lot of science fast facts at you. How are you feeling? How does your head feel? The difference between edibles and vapes is pretty big, and knowing those differences will definitely help you fine-tune your sesh for more fun, flavors, and feels. Just remember: effects from edibles take longer to set in, but these effects last longer. Vapes deliver their effects fast and slowly burn out over an hour or two.
As always, safe travels, fellow TRĒ Huggers!
