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Vaping vs edibles: How does the way we use cannabis alter its effects?

Edibles, vapes and joints all contain the same psychoactive compounds, but the effects they have on the body vary

By Carrie Arnold

1 December 2023

recreational marijuana with gummy bears on a pink background; Shutterstock ID 1649008399; purchase_order: -; job: -; client: -; other: -

Cannabis edibles offer a different way to consume the drug

Shutterstock/Brian Goodman

For people who want their cannabis without the smoke, edibles provide an increasingly popular alternative. And it isn’t just pot brownies, either. Gummies, tinctures and other products can be laced with the drug.

“The availability of different types of products makes it so that there’s something for everyone,” says Jibran Khokhar at Western University in Canada.

New Scientist. Science news and long reads from expert journalists, covering developments in science, technology, health and the environment on the website and the magazine.

The science of cannabis

As the use of marijuana and its compounds rises around the world, New Scientist explores the latest research on the medical potential of cannabis, how it…

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