Americans are turning in record numbers to the healing potential of cannabis. Although, these days cannabis can be a little hard to recognize. In addition to high-tech vapes and tempting edibles, the cannabis syringe is making big inroads, especially for those of us seeking a reliable, easy-to-administer dose of pure cannabis medicine.
Don’t worry: cannabis syringes don’t inject cannabis into your bloodstream! Instead, they dispense a rich and potent cannabis-infused oil into food or beverages, or directly into your mouth. A growing number of us are taking advantage of its many benefits. So if you’re seeking consistent and repeatable relief from chronic symptoms and conditions, here’s why it may be a useful alternative to other administration methods.
Why Use Oral Cannabis Solutions?
Even before the global COVID-19 pandemic hit, a growing number of cannabis consumers were interested in finding dosing options that were easier on the lungs than traditional inhaled cannabis. For one thing, the rash of vaping illnesses beginning in 2019 threw doubts on the wisdom of vaping.
Still, the desire for an alternate administration has pushed researchers to develop new and cutting-edge formulations of cannabis medications. And that’s where the cannabis syringe comes in.
In one sense, this medicine is nothing new: We humans have been processing the cannabis plant in various ways for literally thousands of years. But modern oral solutions couldn’t be farther from those imprecise and relatively crude concentrates. These days, they’re produced under clinical laboratory conditions so as to be consistent, easy to metabolize, and free of additives and impurities.
Using a syringe for cannabis oil is often more convenient and discreet than some other cannabis consumption methods, like smoking or vaping for example. It can be consumed within seconds and offers precise dosing.
These oral solutions, by the way, are sometimes the same concentrates that appear in such products as cannabis soft gels. Some patients prefer the option to change the dose with a simple squeeze of the cannabis syringe.
Benefits of Cannabis Syringes
One of the main benefits of cannabis syringes is that applying oil sublingually or ingesting it orally is a consumption method that avoids having to inhale smoke or vapor. Because this method is easy on the lungs, many health-conscious cannabis consumers opt for syringes over smokeables. However, remember that not all syringe oils are made for sublingual or oral ingestion, so this doesn’t apply to every syringe you’ll see on dispensary shelves. Be sure to ask a budtender if the syringe you’re interested in is made for oral consumption.
How to Use a THC Syringe: The Importance of Proper Dosing
More than with most medicines, cannabis’ effectiveness is closely linked with its dosage. Quoted in the International Food Technologists journal, Keith Woelfel, director of research and development for a cannabis edibles company, put it succinctly
Dosing THC accurately is as difficult as it is important. For most consumers, the difference between 5 mg and 10 mg is the difference between feeling better and feeling useless.
Thankfully, because syringes are able to dispensary accurate and consistent amounts of cannabis, it vastly simplifies the task of achieving a uniform dose. Just make sure that you’re aware of how much THC is in each milligram of oil. Then, do the math to figure out how much oil you need to consume in order to ingest your optimal dose.
Here’s another thing to understand about cannabis medicine. While it might seem counterintuitive, some patients receive greater benefit from less cannabis medicine. If you’re not getting the results you want, you can always take a little more. That said, we recommend you wait at least three hours before taking more cannabis medicine. You can always take more cannabis medicine, but once you’ve consumed a dose you can’t take less!
How to Use a Cannabis Syringe: THC Syringe Tips for Best Results
The medicine in a cannabis syringe is similar to the cannabis concentrate found in portable vapes. But because it’s swallowed, it’s metabolized through the liver, allowing for a longer-lasting release. Because it’s potent, shelf-stable, and readily metabolized, it can also be dispensed directly onto food, mixed into beverages, or taken on its own.
Here are a few other tips to make your experience more successful
- There is no standard ‘syringe oil’. Syringes can carry several different types of cannabis concentrates that can be used in different ways. As such, it’s important to know exactly what your syringe contains and how you are meant to use it. For example, RSO (Rick Simpson Oil) commonly comes in syringes and is intended to be applied under the tongue or ingested orally, and definitely not smoked. However, some brands also place “dabbable” oils like distillate inside of syringes for easier dosing and dabbing. If you’re unsure, just ask your dispensary budtender for more information about the product and how to use it.
- While it’s technically impossible to take a toxic dose of cannabis, it is possible to take too much cannabis oral solution at a time, especially if it contains the intoxicating cannabinoid THC (the compound responsible for cannabis’ distinctive “high”). It can make for an uncomfortable or unpleasant experience.
- Start with a low dose and wait a sufficient amount of time—again, we recommend at least three hours—before taking more. It’s always best to start low and go slow when trying out new cannabis products of consumption methods for the first time. Remember, you can always take more, but once you’ve ingested it you can never take less!
- Depending on the ambient temperature, the cannabis oral solution may be too thick to easily dispense. In that case, simply warm the dispenser in your hands or in warm tap water for a few minutes. And to maximize its shelf life, we suggest you avoid extreme temperatures and direct sunlight, storing it instead at room temperature and in a dark environment.
Using a Cannabis Syringe: Wrapping Up
Want to try this consumption method for yourself? Stop by your nearest Green Goods location. Our dispensary locations are fully stocked with an impressive selection of cannabis extracts and concentrates, including several that come in syringe form. Drop by today or take a moment to browse our online menu to see what’s on our shelves right now. We look forward to seeing you!
