Sort of off topic... but why is everyone still "smoking" cannabis? Why not vape, edible, etc? I'm fairly certain putting any kind of smoke in your lungs cannot be healthy!
Vapes are better, but the quality varies widely. THC is not water-soluble, so you need a hydrocarbon solvent (usually butane) to extract it and dilute it into enough of a liquid that it won't separate. Those vapes are actually pretty good and hit almost like smoking a pipe, but then again you're breathing in solvents along with it. Also, this type of liquid is close to impossible to make yourself -- at least safely (since it requires subjecting volatile solvents to high pressures and temperature).
There are "solvent free" blends that use things like coconut oil, but IMO those vapes don't work nearly as well and give a very thin vapor that is very hard to draw on. For this reason, some people prefer "dabbing" which is basically taking refined THC (in either solid or paste form) and burning it at very high temperatures, then inhaling the smoke. That way you get high without solvents or the majority of the burnt plant material, but a dabbing setup is expensive and it's really only feasible in places where you can easily buy the "wax" (i.e. Colorado).
If you mean the hot air vaporizers... they tend to be expensive and use twice as much material as smoking it, plus they don't "hit" like a pipe or bong (you have to inhale for a much longer time to get the same effect).
I built a closed loop (butane retaining) essential oils extractor for around $1500 and I never felt unsafe operating it. There are no high pressures involved, I pull the system to a slight vacuum then flood it with butane to around 15 psi (all my valves, ports, and joints are rated to 300 psi). There are no high temperatures involved either, butane boils at 30.2°F so I just leave the system at room temperature with the gas reclaimer running till all my solvent is back in the cylinder. The largest risk is actually developing a butane leak and flooding the area with an odorless flammable gas, but basic precautions can protect against this.
In fact, if I think about it this was probably my first real project as a "maker", my design document was literally a single sheet of graph paper. Since then I've embarked on much more ambitious projects (frame-up electric bicycle, cnc plasma cutter, modular light up dance floor...) and I feel like my skills have probably increased many-fold over where I was at the time. If I were to build another one today I'd probably introduce considerably more complexity (electronically actuated valves with process automation for example, perhaps co2 as a solvent which would require cooling with liquid nitrogen). Shit, at the time I think my toolbag consisted of a screwdriver and an adjustable spanner.
For me it's generally 120 minutes for the effects to start, then another 60 or so before the peak.
> THC is not water-soluble, so you need a hydrocarbon solvent (usually butane) to extract it and dilute it into enough of a liquid that it won't separate
While it does seem to be very fashionable in the US just now - you don't have to vape concentrates. There are lots of 'dry herb' vaporisers that are capable of vaping weed and hash.
A good alternative to edible is a cannabis tincture which is used sublingually. The onset is rapid, and so it's much easier to dose.
Yeah, I personally think these vaporizers don't provide a very "satisfying" experience; and you have to draw on them a whole lot to get the same effect. They also use far more "herb" than many are willing to commit to consuming at a single time (most use at least half a gram, when you'd probably load a pipe with less than a quarter gram).
I've used a "Volcano" (uber high-quality German vaporizer) and while it actually works quite well, it's a novelty and it's basically a freaking $600 electronic bong. And it still has the problem where it requires a whole lot of material to adequately fill the chamber.
I've seen the tinctures, but never tried them. Too many new products these days... :)
With some you do need to draw on them a lot, but they definately make your herb go a lot further, which more than makes it worth it, I think :)
Tinctures are actually an 'old' product that's sort of becoming more popular again.
A water pipe (bong) is a great high for about 20mins, then you pretty much fall asleep. Vape takes a long time to get high, it's not as strong, and you fall asleep after 20mins. Edibles take a really long time to hit you, like 2 hours, it comes on very quickly and fades very quickly, but doesn't really knock you out. Joints hit you pretty quick, the high is average, and doesn't really knock you out.
So it depends on what you're feeling! Joints are very social, good for smoking with friends. Vapes and bongs get dirty quickly, I don't like using them socially. Edibles are great for novices or when you're going to the movies or something.
Being as, if you keep ignoring these signals, and pushing that envelope, eventually your brain will start letting you know in ways that aren't so gentle - or as forgiving.
You can buy the oil and bake your own, but that requires more money and effort up front ($50-$100).
Vaping using concentrate is likewise not cheap.
And if you grow your own, you end up with plenty of "trim" (plant parts that aren't suited for smoking but still have lots of psychoactive ingredients). Most home growers will cook their trim with butter for a few hours, strain off the plant material, and use that to make edibles. It's not as scientific or consistent as the commercial methods, but it's easy and completely safe.
It doesn't require much money or effort at all. I regularly make small batches of oil using as little as 0.5g of kief.
I melt a little coconut oil, dump in the kief (would work with weed too, of course) and cover with tinfoil. Then I bake it at 115C/240F for 27 minutes - cannaoil, done!
THC is metabolised into a stronger form, THC-9-COOH, so edibles really make it go further. Plus the effects last several hours instead of the 1-2 when smoking or vaping.
> Vaping using concentrate is likewise not cheap.
Erm.. you don't have to use concentrates.
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that plays a key role in the
brain’s so-called reward center, and is released in response
to pleasurable stimuli like eating cake, having sex, and taking
drugs. This is what makes many drugs so addictive (and cake
so irresistible), although research suggests that excessive use
of these substances causes a dopamine imbalance, with lower
concentrations of the chemical being released in parts of the
brain such as the striatum.
Importantly, dopamine deficits in the striatum have been associated with
reduced cognitive performance. Given that THC – the active ingredient in
cannabis – is known to stimulate dopamine neurons throughout the brain,
lead researcher Anissa Abi-Dargham explained that “it is important to look
more closely at the potentially addictive effects of cannabis on key
regions of the brain.”