More Americans are trying cannabis year after year in social situations like weddings and summer garden parties–but not everyone is trying to broadcast the sesh. Lighting up a blunt or infused joint can be the right move at some gatherings, but sometimes it’s best to medicate on the low. Not to mention those folks who live in places where smoking is strictly prohibited.
These consumption methods won’t be as stinky or overt as a bong rip, baseball bat joint, or fat dab.
Vape cart
It’s not shocking that vape carts and PAX pods are popular. This type of cannabis product is one of the most inconspicuous inhalables available. There’s also an enormous selection available made with different cannabis extracts, strains, and hardware. Some are compatible with universal 510-threaded batteries, while others use specialty batteries like the PAX Era.
Vape carts attract consumers looking to medicate on the lowdown because the vapor doesn’t attach any smell to clothes and fingers like a joint would. The vapor will often smell a like bud, but it breaks up quickly, making this an excellent consumption choice for a quick step outside.
When shopping for vapes, pay attention to the extraction used. Distillate may offer more in the way of THC content, but it lacks flavor. Live resin is closer to the plant, offering more of the active compounds. Also, check the terpene profiles and the sourced original flower. These details are ideal for finding a trustworthy product and learning what works best.
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Edibles
Eating infused food, candy, and drinks is one of the most inconspicuous ways to consume cannabis. There’s no smoke, and no need to vape— just bite off the appropriate dose, and it’s all good. Eating weed is also better for the lungs than smoking, but the experience isn’t the same.
Edible effects can last between two and 24 hours, and they often feel more intense and heavy than hitting a vape or pulling on a joint. This is because the digestion process of THC removes flavonoids and terpenes before the liver turns the delta-9-THC into 11-hydroxy-THC, inevitably morphing the experience compared to smoking.
The longer onset and intensity of effects can deter someone from choosing this option, but other ingestible-infused products solve these problems.
Sublingual strips
While most ingested THC passes through the liver, converting to 11-hydroxy-THC, some products claim to bypass the liver.
Kin Slips are a sublingual strip that dissolves under the tongue, similar to a breath strip. The strips can create an effect similar to smoking, lacking that heaviness commonly experienced after eating edibles. A proprietary combination of terpenes and other compounds makes Kin Slips kick in after around 15 minutes.
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Day Three Labs is a manufacturer that white labels Unlokt to cannabis brands. The Israel-based company claims that Unlokt also bypasses the liver. Products in Colorado, California, and New Mexico are currently using Unlokt.
Additionally, nanoemulsions, found in drinks and other liquid cannabis products, have a rapid onset. Nanoemulsions do generally pass through the liver, though.
Kin Slips and products made with Unlokt are an ideal choice for someone who wants the experience of smoking cannabis with none of the smell.
Dry herb vape
Any combusting herb will smell, but a dry herb vape is one of the least aromatic ways to enjoy flowers. There are portable and tabletop options but know that each will emit some cannabis aroma. However, the smell clears up much quicker than in a room hotboxed by a joint.
The Storz & Bickel Volcano is the most beloved tabletop vape in the culture, but the Hitoki Trident is another up-and-comer. Hitoki also offers a portable option, the Saber, alongside other small but mighty herb vapes like PAX Plus and The Florist by Dank Fung.
There is a learning curve to finding the perfect dry herb vape, but finding the right piece will unlock a whole new way to sneak a toke.
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Transdermal patches
These topical products use specific terpenes and compounds to help the THC penetrate the skin barrier, offering localized relief. The experience of a transdermal patch is similar to edibles in that it takes a bit longer to kick in, but they also last a lot longer.
It takes so long for all of the THC to enter the bloodstream that these products deliver THC slowly and steadily for up to 12 hours. This makes transdermal patches popular with pain management patients, and it could be a good option for a long event like a wedding.
Stepping out of a family dinner, traditional wedding, or holiday party to consume cannabis is legal for adults in 23 states. Despite legality, some situations call for a shroud of secrecy. To respect a venue, or avoid questions from grandma, try these low-profile ways to get lifted.
