Sowing the Seed
By Chet Tucker
We’ve made it through the seed to marketplace and we’re now making our way to the checkout counter to learn what methods of cannabis make work best. The different methods and products for consuming cannabis have grown wider than the rows upon Oklahoma rows of “high cotton” growing in the state. Where once the plant was smoked or seeds ground into edible mash, the mechanisms used to process cannabis have extended the layers of medicinals. Beyond the basics of inhalation, oral/sublingual, and topical consumption methods are a myriad of cannabis accessories and products, including suppositories as well. We’ll start with the most popular way to consume the plant and move to the more isolated but no less effective ways of use. 
Smoke. Smoking cannabis still remains the number one method of consumption but that’s been changing with alternative and more discreet methods of passing the puff puff. The ease and anonymity of which a vape allows has quickly amassed a consumer loyalty that only loses to the skepticism of its consistency and safety. That’s not to knock vaping cannabis, it’s simply to acknowledge the awareness brought forth by eCigs and “savory” additives that may add to taste but diminish the overall benefits of raw cannabis smoking. There’s something native to our campfire discoveries; of what smoke was pleasant and what herbs and trees over a fire were less palatable. It’s an ancient saging of the spirit and mind and though it may someday lose its peak standing, fire to the cured “herbal tree” still remains the tried and true.
So, what makes smoking the king of the mountain? And more importantly, is smoking cannabis the best method for your desired result? Those that typically avoid smoking do it for a number of good and fair reasons. First, it may not impact the user the same way an edible or topical would affect them and their desired experience. Some avoid it due to smell and the stigma associated with a good ol’ cloud while others have lungs not equipped to take on inhalation of smoke. No matter the justification for consuming a certain way, do what works best for your mental and physical health and know that it doesn’t remove you from the peace pipe circle. The magic of cannabis is that it’s so versatile due to its DNA and how it moves through our endocannabinoid system that smoking it is definitely not the only way to benefit.
So, how do you fire up the flower? Traditional hog leg roll? Stuffed cone? Dugout pinch and pull? Chip a nugget into a bowl? Bong rip? Pepper-poked cola can? Apple? No matter how you go at it, the way the flower was grown will certainly make a difference in the quality of experience and adjoining benefits. Some love the soil grown smoke that gives you the thick full taste of a full smoke while others lean toward a lighter drag from hydroponic flower. Further is the connasseur with a pallet for living soil practices for cultivation and the organics felt through and through. Most may not even taste or understand the difference but just as you taste other dishes of food, spirits, or beer, you learn to appreciate the craft that went into the growth and preparation of the flower you’re consuming. Next month we’ll cover how these even play into how you can taste and feel the difference in certain edibles.
