The more you freaking know (about your cannabis ingestion options)

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Editor Angelica Leicht aleicht@bcimedia.com 375-4551

Design/layout Ryan Brown rbrown@bcimedia.com

Contributors Megan Bianco Amanda Push

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DGO is a free biweekly publication distributed by Ballantine Communications Inc., and is available for one copy per person. Taking more than five copies of an edition from a distribution location is illegal and is punishable by law according to Colorado Revised Statute 18-9-314.

DGO Magazine is published by Ballantine Communications Inc., P.O. Drawer A, Durango, CO 81302 Volume 5 Number 45 July 2022

4-5 Choose your own weed adventure

6-8 The wild world of weed gadgets

9-11 Get your mind right about medical marijuana

12-13 A terpene and cannabinoid showdown

14-17 Cover story on a toasty trip to America’s best hidden gems

18-21 Weed reviews

22-26 Ask a couple of potheads

27 Dispensary listings

4 The more you freaking know (about your cannabis ingestion options)

When it comes to consuming cannabis, the days of having no choice but to roll a joint and smoke it behind a building or inhale out of an antiquated bong are gone. Long gone — and that’s a very good thing 6 Sweet, sweet smoker gear you need — ASAP

With so many weed gadgets on the shelves, how can you know which are worth your hard earned cash and which deserve to be left on the shelf?

Well, we’re here to help you out.. 20 A trip through space and time with some DOSD

Have you ever gotten so stoned that the next morning all you’re doing is trying to follow a trail of (perhaps literal) breadcrumbs to figure out what bullshit you got up to the night before? If not, you clearly haven’t experienced the magic of DOSD edibles.

/dgomag /dgomag @dgo_mag

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Illustration: Matt Clark for Lil Bud Designs Cover design: Ryan Brown for DGO Mag

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» Not sure what method of cannabis ingestion works best for your noob rear end? Here’s what you should know.

When it comes to consuming cannabis, the days of having no choice but to roll a joint and smoke it behind a building or inhale out of an antiquated bong are gone. Thanks to the thriving legal market in Colorado, there are constantly new innovations being made to improve the way we consume cannabis.

Need proof? Just take a look at how far edibles have come over the last few years. While we were once forced to choose between homemade weed brownies and, well, more homemade weed brownies, there are hundreds of options lining the dispensary shelves. Want a high-end chocolate truffle edible? You got it.

Or, would you rather have a THC version of Mio drops to infuse your water with weed molecules and flavor (or to just drop directly into your mouth)? Yep, they exist.

But the innovations certainly aren’t limited to edibles. There are tons of new technologies that have impacted all facets of cannabis products, from smoking to vaping and everything in between. And with that many options on the market, it can be hard to choose what works best for you — especially if you’re a new imbiber. Luckily, the cannabis lovers at DGO can help out. Here’s what you need to know about each option to help you choose. Or, maybe just do all three! We’re here for it if you want to take that route, you crazy kids.

Is smoking cannabis for you?

Smoking is the traditional way of cannabis consumption, and it’s one that many new users turn to when they initially return to cannabis use via legal channels. It’s familiar, simple, and there’s no learning curve. Really, no surprise there.

But while there are perhaps more modern and high-tech ways of ingesting cannabis, the benefit of smoking weed, the literal flower, is that it delivers the effects very quickly. When you inhale your THC, it passes directly from your lungs into the bloodstream, giving you a much quicker high. Within a couple of minutes, you’ll be able to feel relief from your ailments (or just get super stoned —whichever tickles your fancy).

That’s a benefit for a few different reasons. Not only will you get high quickly, but you can more easily moderate the high. When you start to feel it creep up, you can decide whether it’s time to stop smoking or keep going and get blazed face to the absolute maximum.

That removes some of the risk of getting entirely too high by accident, which can be a risk with other types of ingesting.

The major downside is that you’re smoking, which can be tough on the ol’ lungs over time — especially if you’re sensitive to environmental allergens or have a condition like asthma to contend with. If that’s the case, you may want to skip this option and go for an alternative method.

With smoking, the effects also tend to taper off much more quickly. This is less than optimal for most people — especially if you’re using cannabis for relief from chronic pain or another medical issue. If you’re new to cannabis, though, the shorter half-life from smoking may also be a lifesaver because if you take too much and start to feel anxious or paranoid since you won’t have to wait long for it to stop.

What about edibles?

If you’re looking to avoid the consequences of smoking, edibles can be a great way to consume cannabis. Edibles are also a good choice if you just don’t like the smell of marijuana or if you need to consume it more discreetly. All you have to do is grab an edible of choice from the dispensary and pop one. Problem solved. No stench and no mess.

Another upside is that edibles are also much longer-lasting than both smoking and vaping, and the high can feel a bit different, too. A lot of people describe the high from edibles as being more of a psychedelic high, and the effects can last, on average, between four and six hours. If you take a very high dose or multiple edibles, though, that high could last even longer — and end up being even more trippy than it otherwise would be.