Cannabis Tolerance, Explained: 3/12

Comparing the Impact of Different Consumption Methods and Practical Solutions

This is #3 in a series about managing tolerance to cannabis: Comparing Various Consumption Methods and How They Affect Tolerance.

Previous Posts:

#1: Cannabinoid Profiles and Their Effects:

-Unlocking the Secrets of Minor Cannabinoids and How They Influence Tolerance

#2: Impact of Terpenes on Cannabis Effects

-Enhancing Cannabis Benefits of, and the Role of Terpenes in Managing Tolerance

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Comparing the Effects of Various Consumption Methods

When it comes to therapeutic cannabis, the way you consume a product will often impact how quickly you develop a tolerance to the product or dosage you’re taking. Different methods of consumption—such as vaping, edibles, tinctures, transdermal patches, and smoking—each interact with the body in unique ways. Understanding these differences can help you better manage the expected build up of tolerance and optimize your cannabis experience.

For a review of definitions of tolerance, review Cannabis Tolerance: Demystified

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How Different Methods Affect Cannabis Tolerance

Each consumption method delivers cannabinoids to your system differently, influencing the onset, intensity, and duration of effects. These variations can also affect how quickly tolerance builds.

• Smoking: Inhaling cannabis smoke delivers cannabinoids rapidly into the bloodstream through the lungs. While some active compounds may find delivery through the nasal, mouth, and throat, the bulk of inhaled medicine arrives within the lungs. This method typically provides immediate effects and can lead to quicker tolerance, related to the high bioavailability and what is typically frequent use. Smoking typically involves a range of boiling point temperatures (hotter temperatures closer to the source of heat and cooler temps farther away). Hotter temperatures can denature the inhaled medicine, convert it to other compounds, and in some cases, create inhaled irritants or toxins.

• Vaping: Similar to smoking, vaping delivers cannabinoids quickly through the lungs. However, vaping typically involves lower temperatures, which may preserve more cannabinoids and terpenes. While this can enhance effects, one typically vapes highly dense products, which often lead to the development of rapid tolerance if used frequently. In reality, there is always some small risk of excessive heat that may create irritants, for the material which is closest to the heat source of the device, but generally speaking, the bulk of a vaporizer cloud stems from material farther away from the heat source, at cooler (safer) temperatures.

• Edibles: Consuming cannabis in edible form results in a slower onset of effects because the cannabinoids must pass through the digestive system. The effects are often more prolonged and intense, but tolerance to edibles tends to develop more slowly compared to inhalation methods. Of note, the small intestine has a unique system of absorption for oily or lipid molecules (and cannabinoids and terpenes are oily molecules), called the chylomicron system. This system allows fats to be efficiently packaged into chylomicrons, which are then transported through the lymphatic system before entering the bloodstream. In part, this adds to the delayed onset of effects of edibles, and helps to explain their duration of action.

• Tinctures: These liquid extracts are usually taken sublingually (under the tongue), allowing for quick absorption into the bloodstream via the rich network of blood vessels in the soft tissues of the mouth. Tinctures offer a middle ground in terms of onset and duration, and tolerance development can vary based on dosage and frequency. The big advantage with tinctures is that it is easy to take a different dose each day - a variety that helps limit tolerance building up

• Topicals and Transdermal Patches: Topicals and patches deliver cannabinoids directly through the skin and into the bloodstream over an extended period. This method provides a steady release of cannabinoids, which can help maintain consistent effects and potentially slow tolerance development. These rarely alter one’s perception, but in effective doses, can be pleasantly therapeutic for regional discomfort.

  

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Key Differences in Consumption Methods

Here’s a basic breakdown of how some methods impact the development of tolerance (larger list is below):

Practical Applications

Understanding how different consumption methods affect tolerance can help you make more informed choices about your cannabis use. Below is an expanded summary table and practical applications for several useful categories of options to improve tolerance:

Rotate Methods

Adjust Dosage

Time Management for products

Mix-up Your Diet

Monitor Effects

Explore Different Product Types

Optimize Consumption Settings.