why is smokable marijuana prescribed?

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With all the other ways of introducing marijuana into the body (edibles, supplements, etc.), why is smokable marijuana prescribed? It just seems to be not healthy to me as you’re inhaling smoke, which cause all kinds of other health issues. Is there some benefit that smoking it has vs ingesting it?

In: Biology

10 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

Ingesting marijuana by smoking it causes the effects to become apparent almost immediately, which is desirable in many cases where medical marijuana is prescribed. This can include pain management, and anxiety management. The faster you can stop the symptoms, the better, and inhaling marijuana smoke is the fastest way for the effects to become apparent. It does, however, present many of the same health risks as tobacco smoke, but most users would probably say that the benefits of feeling the effects relatively quickly outweigh the damage done to the lungs and respiratory system.

Anonymous 0 Comments

The same way not all medicine is taken orally. It can be absorbed by the body in different ways. One reason it can be prescribed is for severe nausea (from chemo and other things) which leads to the patient not eating. If they can’t keep food down, edibles won’t do any good. Smoking allows the nausea to subside without needing to eat anything. Added bonus is marijuana can also increase appetite so the patient can not only keep food down, but also has the desire to eat.

This is only one example, but there are many more

Anonymous 0 Comments

In NY where I live and have a med card we are actually not technicay allowed to smoke our medication. The dispensaries still sell flower, you’re just supposed to use a dry herb vape. No combustion=much healthier. As far as why, edibles are notoriously difficult to dose gradually because of how long they take to work. Tincture is faster, but for me sublingual administration doesn’t really work so tincture is just liquid edibles. Obviously everyone’s experience is different but that’s my 2 cents.

Anonymous 0 Comments

I think that the effects of marijuana are felt a lot quicker by inhaling, rather than when you ingest it. Not only that, but marijuana flower can be put into vaporizers that offer an alternative that isn’t as unhealthy as smoking it.

Edit: words

Anonymous 0 Comments

Many methods of consumption and or extraction of the t h c leave out certain medicinally desirable parts or effects of the plant

Anonymous 0 Comments

In Ohio, where its legally medically only, prescribed marijuana takes every form imaginable except combustible. You can buy a pax at the dispensary and vape it, but you are not legally allowed to smoke it.

edit: should specify my local dispensary has tinctures, edibles, concentrates, carts, and flower. What’s legal for medical consumptions depends on what form the state/country has legalized.

Anonymous 0 Comments

I wouldn’t day its prescribed because you can buy as much as you want (within state limits) you are allowed to grow or purchase it in whatever forms available.

Anonymous 0 Comments

Other commenters have explained it well, but something some people don’t realize is that edibles don’t work on everyone! I’m one of those people who dont have enough CYP enzymes to absorb THC in my liver. Some people just can’t metabolize THC edibles! Off topic but it’s still an interesting fact (-:

Anonymous 0 Comments

Because Mary Jane smoke does less damage than feeling pain. Also there are way worse things in life that are more accepted : smoking, being overweight and drinking excessively no one bats an eye at.

Also dabs are pretty damn healthy if you do low temps and small amounts.

Anonymous 0 Comments

https://herb.co/learn/happens-liver-eat-edibles/

Oral THC is less bioavailble than inhaled, but it’s more complicated than that.

Either oral THC or edibles is going to be delta-9 THC, and for the cast of inhalation, that’s mostly what it stays at in the body, but the liver will turn a minor % of it to 11-hydroxy-THC which is more potent and acts faster than delta-9 THC.

Oral delta-9 THC takes it into the digestive system. This is intake is slower than inhaled, but ALL of the THC first goes straight to the liver, where almost all of it transformed into the more potent 11-hydroxy-THC, which, once in the blood, is supposed to cause its effect faster than the delta-9 THC in the blood.

So, the oral path turns it into a similar, but notable different form. It is not well studied scientifically, but the 11-hydroxy-THC may not just be about speed and “potency”, but act differently in its nature and may act differently than what you need of it.

Before you ask, if you put it up your butt, it will probably stay delta-9 THC similar to if you’d inhaled it. But, feel free to try it and disagree.

There’s also the “new” delta-8 THC, oral or inhaled. There’s a lot of people saying it acts differently than marijuana’s delta-9 THC.