The main ways to consume cannabis are smoking, vaping flower or oil, dabbing concentrates, eating or drinking edibles, using tinctures under the tongue and applying topicals to the skin. The biggest difference between them is timing: inhaled cannabis is felt within minutes and fades in a few hours, while edibles take 30 to 90 minutes or longer to start and can last 4 to 12 hours. Pick the method by how fast you want effects, how long you want them to last and if you want to avoid smoke.
After 36 years around cannabis, I have seen consumption go from a joint passed around a circle to a dispensary menu with a dozen formats. The choice can feel overwhelming, but every method falls into one of four routes into the body: the lungs, the digestive system, the lining of the mouth or the skin. This guide compares all of them side by side and points you to our deeper guides on each.
Every Method Compared
| Method | Route | Onset | Typical duration | Main trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joint, blunt, pipe, bong | Lungs (smoke) | Seconds to minutes | About 2 to 3 hours | Smoke harms lung tissue |
| Dry herb vaporizer | Lungs (vapor) | Seconds to minutes | About 2 to 3 hours | No combustion, device cost |
| Vape cartridge | Lungs (vapor) | Seconds to minutes | About 2 to 3 hours | Buy licensed only (EVALI history) |
| Dabs and dab pens | Lungs (vapor) | Seconds to minutes | About 2 to 3 hours | Very high THC per hit |
| Edibles and capsules | Digestive system | 30 to 90 minutes, sometimes longer | About 4 to 12 hours | Easy to take too much |
| Beverages | Digestive system | Varies by product; can be faster than solid edibles | Several hours | Easy to keep sipping |
| Tinctures (under the tongue) | Mouth lining plus digestive system | Varies; partly behaves like an edible | Several hours | Precise dosing with a dropper |
| Topicals | Skin | Local | Local | Not designed to make you high |
Inhaled and oral timing comes from a pharmacology review in Clinical Pharmacokinetics and the National Cancer Institute’s cannabis summary. Individual responses vary with dose, tolerance, body weight and if you have eaten recently.
Smoking: Joints, Blunts, Pipes and Bongs
Smoking is still the most familiar method. Burning flower releases THC and other compounds that the lungs absorb within minutes. NCI notes inhaled cannabinoids reach peak blood levels in 2 to 10 minutes, and effects typically peak within 15 to 30 minutes.
- Joints are flower rolled in paper. Blunts use cigar or hemp wraps and usually hold more cannabis; tobacco-leaf wraps add nicotine. See our blunt etiquette guide.
- Pipes (bowls) are quick and simple.
- Bongs pass smoke through water, which cools it, though cooler smoke is still smoke.
The downside is the smoke itself. The CDC says smoked cannabis, no matter how it is smoked, can harm lung tissue and cause scarring and damage to small blood vessels. NIDA notes cannabis smoke contains many of the same toxins and carcinogens as tobacco smoke. Short hits are as effective as long ones, as explained in how long to hold in a hit.
Vaping: Dry Herb and Cartridges
Vaporizers heat cannabis enough to release cannabinoids and terpenes without burning it. Dry herb vaporizers heat ground flower. Cartridge pens heat prefilled cannabis oil. Onset and duration are similar to smoking.
Vaping avoids combustion, but it is not risk-free. The 2019 to 2020 EVALI outbreak was tied mostly to THC vapes from informal sources, and vitamin E acetate, used to thin some illicit oils, was found in lung fluid from 48 of 51 patients tested by the CDC (CDC archive). Buy only from licensed stores. Our guide to vaporizing marijuana covers devices and research.
Dabbing and Dab Pens
Dabbing means vaporizing a small amount of concentrate, such as wax, shatter, live resin or rosin, on a hot surface or in a dab pen. NIDA reports that concentrates in dispensaries can exceed 40% THC and that dabbing can deliver large amounts of THC quickly, raising the risk of negative effects. This method is best left to experienced users and tiny doses. Read our dabbing guide and how concentrates are made.
Edibles, Capsules and Beverages
When you swallow cannabis, THC is absorbed through the gut and processed by the liver, which converts some of it into 11-hydroxy-THC, a compound that also acts on the brain. NCI reports oral THC has low and variable bioavailability of 6% to 20%, with peak blood levels 1 to 6 hours after eating. The pharmacology review describes effects starting 30 to 90 minutes after ingestion, peaking at 2 to 3 hours and lasting about 4 to 12 hours.
That delay is the main hazard. NIDA notes edibles take longer to show effects, so people take more and end up with too much. In Washington, a single serving of a licensed edible may contain no more than 10 mg of THC (WAC 314-55-095). Beginners often start with half a serving or less. The CDC also warns that edibles that look like candy can poison children, so store them locked away.
Beverages are a growing category. Some are formulated to start faster than solid edibles, but timing varies by brand, so read labels and wait before having another. Making your own? See how to make cannabutter.
Tinctures and Sublingual Products
Tinctures are liquid extracts, usually in alcohol or oil, dosed with a dropper. Held under the tongue for a minute, some cannabinoids may absorb through the lining of the mouth, but much of a dose is swallowed and behaves like an edible. Tinctures offer measured dosing and no smoke. Our tinctures guide explains onset and dosing in detail.
Topicals and Patches
Topicals are lotions, balms and salves applied to the skin. They are intended for local use and are not designed to produce a high. Research on how well they work for pain or skin conditions is limited, so expectations should be modest. Transdermal patches are different: they are designed to deliver cannabinoids through the skin into the bloodstream, and labels should state the dose.
How to Choose the Right Method
- Want fast, short effects you can adjust? Inhalation, preferably a dry herb vaporizer, one puff at a time.
- Want long-lasting effects, such as for sleep? A low-dose edible or capsule, taken early enough and never redosed quickly.
- Want to avoid smoke? Compare options in how to consume weed without smoking.
- Want no high? Topicals, or ask about CBD-dominant products.
- New to cannabis? Start low, go slow. Our cannabis dosage guide gives starting amounts by method.
For medical use, talk to a doctor first, especially if you take other medications.
Safety Rules for Every Method
- Do not drive after using any form of cannabis. The CDC notes cannabis slows reaction time and affects coordination.
- Avoid mixing with alcohol, which increases impairment. See our guide to crossfading.
- Buy licensed, tested products with clear THC labels. Find stores in our Washington and Oregon directories.
- Keep all products away from children and pets.
- Know your state’s rules. Public consumption is not allowed in Washington or Oregon; see our cannabis laws section.
Ways to Consume Cannabis FAQ
What are the different ways to consume cannabis?
Smoking, vaping flower or oil, dabbing concentrates, eating edibles or drinking beverages, taking tinctures under the tongue, and applying topicals or patches to the skin.
What is the healthiest way to consume cannabis?
No method is risk-free, but avoiding smoke avoids combustion toxins. Edibles and tinctures skip the lungs but are easier to overdo, so low doses and patience matter.
Which way of consuming cannabis lasts the longest?
Edibles. Effects typically start 30 to 90 minutes after eating and can last 4 to 12 hours, compared with about 2 to 3 hours for inhaled cannabis.
What is the fastest way to feel cannabis?
Inhalation. Smoking, vaping and dabbing reach peak blood levels within about 2 to 10 minutes.
Why do edibles feel stronger than smoking?
The liver turns some swallowed THC into 11-hydroxy-THC, which also acts on the brain, and people often take too much because of the delayed start.
Do topicals get you high?
Topical lotions and balms are designed for local use and are not meant to produce a high. Transdermal patches are different because they deliver cannabinoids into the bloodstream.
For adults 21+ in legal states. General information, not medical advice.
