Understanding the Effects of Sublingual Marijuana Products
For medical marijuana patients in Pennsylvania, sublingual products are often a good choice. The market is growing, with options available in tab form, traditional tinctures, dissolving strips, and even sprays, all of which share a specific method of consumption and a fairly predictable outcome. Here’s what to understand about the effects of sublingual marijuana products.
Benefits of Sublingual Marijuana
Medical patients who turn to sublingual products will find a number of benefits. This method of consumption is quick and easily administered. It’s also discreet and offers more control over THC intake, which is true for two reasons. Sublingual tablets, sprays, and strips in particular tend to contain far lower concentrations of THC, which means less potency. But this is also affected by how the body metabolizes marijuana that’s been taken sublingually.
Absorbing a marijuana product beneath the tongue means THC is delivered directly into the bloodstream. By avoiding the gastrointestinal system entirely, there’s no risk of gastric acids and enzymes converting the milder delta-9 THC into its more psychoactive counterpart, 11-hydroxy THC. Instead, the effect is similar to the more controlled experience of smoking or vaping marijuana. Sublingual products also have a rapid onset, with effects beginning within fifteen minutes, and there is no smoke or odor. Plus, a sublingual marijuana product makes dosing incredibly precise. That can be helpful for medical patients who need to predict when they may need to re-dose.
Best Practices for Consumption
For the best effects, try to swallow as much of the saliva in your mouth before taking the sublingual dose. This helps avoid washing the product down the throat and jumpstarting metabolizing via the digestive system. Hold the product beneath your tongue, or as an alternative, in the inside of the cheek, until it’s completely absorbed. That can take a few minutes or longer, but it’s important to give the membranes in your mouth time to absorb the dose directly into the bloodstream and not via the digestive system. After the dose has fully absorbed, avoid drinking or eating for ten minutes or so.
Keep in mind that the efficacy of sublingual marijuana products hinges on proper administration, so make sure you’re using them properly. If you’re considering the benefits of a sublingual marijuana product, or you have questions about appropriate dosing and administration, ask a dispensary agent at AYR Wellness for recommendations.
