Pubdate: Thu, 12 Nov 2015
Source: Westword (Denver, CO)
Column: Ask a Stoner
Copyright: 2015 Village Voice Media
Contact: http://www.westword.com/feedback/EmailAnEmployee?department=letters
Website: http://www.westword.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1616
Author: Herbert Fuego

DEAR STONER: WHAT'S THE WEIRDEST WAY TO INDULGE?

Dear Stoner: What's the weirdest way to consume cannabis?

Joe Blow

Dear Joe: The human body has a few orifices, but not all of them are 
meant to be an entry point for marijuana consumption. Snorting kief 
like cocaine won't do anything but make you feel like an idiot and 
possibly give you a nosebleed, so don't just shove pot anywhere and 
hope for the best. Obviously, inhaling and ingesting are the two most 
traditional ways to indulge, but there are other off-the-beaten-path 
methods. Most of these are done in the name of medicine, however, and 
not just as bizarre attempts at getting high.

Pot suppositories fit both the weird and the effective criteria. Yes, 
that's right: Shoving extracted marijuana up your butt is a growing 
practice that's taken very seriously in the medical marijuana world.

Quicker compound absorption through your lower intestinal wall moves 
cannabinoids into the bloodstream faster, meaning quicker medicinal 
effects than with edibles (suppositories take about fifteen minutes 
to kick in, while traditional edibles can take over an hour). And 
unlike smoking or vaping, which can wear off quickly depending on 
your tolerance, pot suppositories can last up to eight hours, without 
the psychoactive head high. Cancer patients going through 
chemotherapy may use suppositories instead of edibles because of the 
severe nausea associated with their treatment, and patients too old 
or (legally) young to smoke can use them for serious pain relief. In 
fact, according to the United Patients Group, inhalation or oral 
ingestion of cannabis results in no more than 25 percent absorption 
efficiency, while rectal insertion results in 50 to 70 percent. But 
don't go spreading your cheeks anytime you pull a muscle: Cannabis 
suppositories are hard to find and reserved for those with extreme pain.

Tinctures and liquor are a fun way to get lifted if you're bored of 
smoking. Usually made by extracting cannabinoids with alcohol or 
vegetable oils, tinctures are liquid concentrations that you drop 
under your tongue; they get in the bloodstream fast and provide a 
quick, discreet (albeit short) high. You can also make your own 
pot-infused alcohol shots if you're patient enough. Pour a high-proof 
grain alcohol, preferably Everclear, into a jar and add a 
quarter-ounce of finely ground herb for every 25 ounces of alcohol. 
Leave the jar in a dark, cool place, and shake it like a Polaroid 
picture every day for four days. Then put the sealed jar in simmering 
water for about thirty minutes. After the heat has infused the 
alcohol with the cannabinoids, strain out the leaf matter and enjoy.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom