Weed dip pouches are picking up steam. No, not the kind you plunge chips into. This cannabis dip refers to those mind-altering pouches people place between their lips and gums.
A similar product made with nicotine has exploded in popularity with those who want that “nic” without inhalation or tobacco. These pouches are not to be confused with dip, where people put a tobacco mixture directly into their mouths and spit bits out for a while. Nicotine pouches are a tobacco and spit-free alternative.
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This week, the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) approved to market them to Americans. The ruling states that the products “offer greater benefits to population health than risks” for those who switch completely over from smoking tobacco and dip. Some cannabis operators have followed suit, offering similar THC products that bypass the need to inhale smoke or vapor. But, while the concept is novel in the tobacco space, its place in the weed world is questionable.
Smoking anything is risky, even weed
Smoking anything carries health risks, weed, tobacco, or otherwise. Burning combusts materials, creating potentially harmful byproducts. This may lead to cardiac or pulmonary issues.
There are ways to reduce the risk of inhaling weed, like using a hemp wick over butane lighters or switching to vaporizing over combustion. However, the most effective move is to stop inhaling altogether, which is why cigarette smokers switch to dip or nicotine pouches. In the weed world, there is already a bounty of other options.
People who decide to stop inhaling cannabis can switch to tinctures, drinks, powders, and so many other ingestible products. Now, they can also choose to tuck a pouch under their lip. The consumption experience differs from a gummy, but connoisseurs may wonder if any other aspects of getting high off cannabis pouches are unique.
How are weed pouches different from edibles?
Much like a lollipop, cannabis dip slowly releases THC and other cannabinoids over time. This creates an effect that creeps up rather than hitting all at once as it would with a gummy ingested in one swallow. The products are often filled with coco coir and cannabis extracts with various cannabinoid formulations. Some add herbs or flavors like mint to supplement the taste. There is no spitting required as there is with traditional tobacco dip. Just pop it in and let it ride.
While these products may produce a red eye, they likely won’t leave people smelling like smoke or residually coughing. They are also touted as fast-acting, which tracks as sublingual absorption has shown to be quicker than other methods.
THC and CBD pouches may also help people kick a nicotine pouch habit. Replacing the experience with a similar product sometimes helps. Whether people want them or not, cannabis chew and weed pouches have arrived–and the sector keeps growing.
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Cannabis dip pouches are here to stay
Cannadips, Juanadips, and other companies offer hemp and regulated weed pouches for the consumer looking for something new or hoping to replace old habits. A subsidiary of Philip Morris International, a corporate tobacco giant, entered a “scientific and medical affairs” agreement with weed company Avicanna days before FDA approval on pouches, signaling that big tobacco players aren’t turning their backs on weed anytime soon.
These pouches aren’t taking over dispensary shelves yet, but with continued interest from tobacco and recent FDA marketing approval–2025 could be the year of the cannabis dip.
