Cannabis has been around for thousands of years, but we didn’t always have such a great selection of products at our disposal. For a while, all-natural hemp flower was the primary source of CBD. Then people, including American hippies and “coffee” shop owners in Amsterdam, found ways to make edibles. In more recent years, concentrates and CBD vapes have become popular as well.

In other words, a lack of options isn’t a problem anymore. If anything, people often say there are too many types of CBD products because it’s getting hard to choose just one. Traditional hemp flower and CBD edibles are still some of the most beloved types of products, so this is an important point of comparison.

When weighing edibles vs. smoking, the cost will always be a consideration. Thinking about the following can help you make an informed decision about which type of CBD product is most appealing to you.

What’s the Difference Between Inhaled vs. Edible CBD?

Comparing CBD edibles to smokable CBD flower can be tricky because there’s some nuance here. For one thing, your body processes CBD flower and CBD edibles in totally different ways.

What to Know About CBD Flower

When you smoke CBD flower (or vape CBD), it enters your body through the lungs. This puts CBD in your bloodstream quickly. Your body can start processing CBD and get it to your brain almost immediately after you smoke or vape it. You’ll get an idea of how you’ll feel immediately, within minutes. This makes it easier to moderate your intake because you don’t have to wait around and reassess as you do with edibles.

What to Know About CBD Edibles

When you eat CBD edibles, they go into your stomach. Once your stomach has broken down the edibles a little bit, they move on to your liver, which can process the CBD and introduce it to your bloodstream. It could take as much as an hour or more to feel the effects of CBD after eating an edible. It’s believed that the liver can process cannabinoids more effectively than the lungs, so the experience might be more noticeable and last longer.

How long do edibles last?

Most of our customers say that CBD edibles last anywhere from four to six hours. Some people say that the experience lasts even longer for them. Others say it’s considerably shorter. Your mileage may vary.

The inconvenient truth is that it’s hard to predict exactly how long your CBD edibles will last. It can depend on a number of factors including your metabolism, the amount of CBD you eat, how recently you’ve eaten, and even how you’re feeling on a particular day. Don’t worry, though! It’s still possible to get a general idea of what you can expect from CBD edibles.

The big key here is to “start low and go slow.” This is popular advice for anyone who is eating CBD edibles for the first time. On one hand, it means to have a little bit at a time throughout the course of the day or night so you don’t overdo it. It’s probably wise to give your CBD edibles at least one or two hours before you assume that they’ve kicked in completely.

The advice holds up in the long term, too. As you gradually increase the amount of CBD you’re going to try in a single sitting, you’ll be able to predict how it will affect you – and for how long.

What can affect how you respond to edibles?

As mentioned, there are a number of factors that can impact your experience with edibles. When you know what these factors are and why they matter, you’ll be able to proceed with confidence and predict the way your body will respond to edibles. These are a few of the most important things to think about when you’re predicting how CBD edibles will affect you:

• Dose Size – This one might not need saying, but the amount of CBD you eat will have a direct effect on your experience. If you eat a lot, it will kick in more intensely and last for a longer time.
• Your Own Body Science – Things like your metabolism and genetics will affect your experience. Some people naturally have very high or low tolerances. Some people naturally metabolize CBD quickly or slowly. You’ll learn how your body reacts over time.
• Your Size – On average, it seems like larger individuals need more cannabinoids to feel the same effects. Keep in mind that this doesn’t necessarily mean you need a lot of CBD if you’re larger, or only need a little bit if you’re smaller.
• How Recently You’ve Eaten – If you eat edibles on an empty stomach, your body might be able to process them right away. This might make the edibles kick in more quickly and intensely.
• How Tired or Energized You Are – Some people say that CBD can make them a little bit sleepy. If you’re already feeling tired when you eat your CBD edibles, it’s pretty likely you’ll feel tired after.

Pros of CBD gummies

There are all kinds of people in the world, and they all have their own preferences when it comes to CBD. That said, there are a few reasons that CBD gummies and edibles are so popular:

• Easy – You’ve probably eaten a gummy candy before, so there isn’t much of a learning curve here.
• Taste – Some people love the natural flavor of hemp, but almost everyone loves the flavor of sweet gummies.
• Portable – You’re allowed to bring a package of gummies with you almost anywhere you go.
• No Smell – Unlike smoking, eating a gummy doesn’t produce any scent that could bother those around you or get you in trouble.
• Lung Health – Cannabis enthusiasts don’t always love to talk about this, but the medical community seems pretty confident that it’s better for your lungs if you don’t inhale smoke.
• CBD Dose Control – It can be hard to tell how much CBD you’re getting when you smoke or vape it. When you eat a gummy, the package will tell you precisely how much CBD is in that gummy.
• Timing and Duration of Your Experience – Eating an edible might take a little bit longer to kick in than smoking or vaping, but edibles also seem to last longer once they do kick in. Some of our customers also like that CBD takes a while to set in. They can eat their gummies, then go about their days until they eventually remember why they’re feeling so great!

Edibles vs. Smoking: Cost Comparison

Even though there are important differences between CBD flower and CBD edibles, it’s still possible to do some edibles vs. smoking cost comparison. There are a few things to consider here:

• How much do edibles cost?
• How much does CBD flower cost?
• Can you compare the CBD levels of these products?

Costs vary depending on quality, CBD potency, and where you buy your products. If you look at a reputable online store, you can generally buy CBD gummies at prices like $40 for a package with 600 milligrams of CBD. This works out to be about 15 milligrams of CBD per $1.

The next step is to look at the price of flower. In the same online store, you might expect to pay about $20 for an eighth (3.5 grams) when you buy hemp flower. Or you can buy a full ounce (28 grams) for closer to $120. From there, you can check the CBD level of the strain.

For example, consider the Blackberry Haze strain with a CBD level of 17%. That means there are roughly 4,760 milligrams of CBD in an ounce of Blackberry Haze flower or 595 milligrams of CBD in an eighth of Blackberry Haze. This works out to be about 30 milligrams of CBD per $1 when you buy an eighth or 40 milligrams of CBD per $1 when you buy an ounce.

This makes it seem like you’re getting a lot more bang for your buck from flower. Not so fast, though! It’s also worth considering the following two things:

1. When you smoke hemp flower, some of the CBD burns off into the air without going into your body.
2. You need accessories to smoke CBD flower: lighters, rolling papers, pipes, ashtrays, etc. Some people spend a lot on their collections of glassware and accessories.
3. Because edibles go through your liver instead of your lungs, CBD might do more and last longer.

Then, of course, there’s also vaping as an option. You might not get as much CBD per dollar when you buy CBD vape cartridges, but you’re also not burning the cannabinoids off into the air.

In short, it’s impossible to make a blanket statement about which is cheaper between smoking and edibles. It’s complicated because it depends on how the products hit you, how you smoke, and a number of other factors. In most cases, the costs are pretty well balanced. You can always try sampling a few products and see which gives you the best bang for your buck.

Edibles vs. Smoking: Enjoyment Factor

Some people swear edibles are the cost-effective way to go. Others seem sure CBD flower is actually more affordable. The truth is that there’s not necessarily an obvious answer when it comes to CBD edibles vs. hemp smoking costs. Unless you find a way to save money with one type of product or the other, it might make more sense to choose your favorite CBD product based on your enjoyment of the experience.

Benefits of CBD Edibles

• They come in a variety of flavors and textures, so it’s easy to find one that tastes great to you.
• You know exactly how much CBD is making its way into your body.
• You can eat a CBD edible discreetly without making any smell.
• You don’t need any accessories to enjoy CBD edibles.
• You don’t have to smoke. Some people don’t like the process of smoking and feel healthier when they eat edibles.

Benefits of CBD Flower

• The total volume of milligrams of CBD per dollar spent is high.
• You feel the effects almost immediately, so you don’t have to wait, and there are no surprises later.
• You get to enjoy the plant in its most natural way while getting the natural taste of hemp.
• You can try different strains to find your favorite.
• You can always turn the flower into homemade edibles if you want to.

It’s also worth noting that some people say edibles and smokable flower give them noticeably different feelings. Hard to choose, right? The good news is that you don’t have to.

Best of Both Worlds: Smoke (or Vape) by Day, Edibles to Relax at Night

Smoking by day and eating edibles at night is a common approach for people who want to maximize their enjoyment of both products. If you need something more discreet or convenient because you’re out and about during the day, you might replace smoking with vaping in this approach. Some say the extended experience of edibles is better suited for evenings anyway.

Pro of CBD Edibles and Flower – Availability!

For years, widespread availability was considered a benefit of CBD edibles over flower. After all, you can find CBD gummies with melatonin in them, Daytime CBD Gummies, and even creative flavors like acai berry. It’s still true that there are all kinds of great edible CBD products available, but the truth is that just about every type of CBD product is readily available now. Sure, you might be able to get some CBD added to your drink at a bar or coffee shop, but legal CBD hemp flower isn’t exactly hard to come by either.

Some enthusiasts prefer to buy unadulterated hemp nugs. This is especially true of those who are chasing a certain flavor or want to explore the nuances of a certain strain. Maybe you love the idea of buying loose flower so you can immerse yourself in the experience of grinding your own buds and then enjoying the pure flavor by smoking out of a glass pipe.

There are also those who prefer the incredible convenience of buying hemp pre-rolls. Whether you want an individual pre-roll or a CBD pre-roll sampler pack, all you need is a lighter to enjoy these products instantly. This isn’t to mention the availability of CBD vapes, topicals, oils, and all the other products.

The point is that you don’t have to settle for a certain kind of product simply because it’s available to you. You can truly choose any type of CBD product you want, get it delivered to your door, and have your hemp experience on your exact terms.

Choose CannaBuddy for CBD Edibles & Flower – Or Vapes!

If you’re in the market for CBD products, CannaBuddy is a brand that you should consider. We offer a wide range of options for CBD edibles, flowers, and vapes, and we also make it easy to find the right product for your needs.

When it comes to CBD edibles, they are a convenient and discreet option for consuming CBD on the go. They come in a variety of flavors, and their pre-measured doses make it easy to know how much CBD you’re taking. In addition, because the liver metabolizes them, their effects can last longer than other forms of CBD. CannaBuddy offers high-quality CBD flower and vapes if smoking is more your thing.

The best part about CannaBuddy is that we offer competitive prices for our high-quality products. So, whether you prefer edibles or smoking, CannaBuddy has a product that will suit your needs without breaking the bank.

Image Source: Dmytro Tyshchenko / Shutterstock

Image Source: Dmytro Tyshchenko / Jan Havlicek / Canna Obscura Shutterstock